Benenden School
Encyclopedia
Benenden School is an independent
boarding school
for girls in Kent
, England
. It is located in Benenden
in the Kent
ish countryside, between Cranbrook
and Tenterden
.
The Good Schools Guide called the school "Everyone's idea of a traditional, up-market, girls' boarding school though not remotely hidebound by tradition; cutting-edge and unconventional in multiple ways, in a stunning setting and underpinned with common sense."
" a technology and IT cluster known as "break-out spaces". A new theatre and drama teaching complex has recently been completed, at the cost of £2.3 million.
, near Guildford
) who took over from Gillian duCharme in 2000. The school was founded in 1923 by three mistresses from Wycombe Abbey
who aimed to create a "happy school with personal integrity and service to others always in mind, where everyone would be given the chance to follow her own bent". It hence maintains sister school ties with Wycombe Abbey
, as well as Godstowe Preparatory School, High Wycombe, and St Leonards School
.
In 2005 Benenden school was one of fifty of the country's leading private schools which were found guilty of running an illegal price-fixing cartel which had allowed them to drive up fees for thousands of parents. Each school was required to pay a nominal penalty of £10,000 and all agreed to make ex-gratia payments totalling three million pounds into a trust designed to benefit pupils who attended the schools during the period in respect of which fee information was shared.
Lessons at the school start at 9:00 am and carry on until 5:30 pm; there are six periods in the day, each lesson is one hour long. Sports practices take place during the lunch break as well as after lessons end. In addition there are two hours worth of lessons on Saturday mornings. Younger students will take a mixture of all subjects offered, as well as sports, music and PSHE classes.
Pupils studying for their GCSEs must generally take 9-11 subjects, including Mathematics, Science and English and one modern language. Classes average around 13 students at GCSE, and 6-8 students during A-levels. Drama and the Arts are popular; the School's annual play has on occasion been performed in London theatres such as the Palladium
(Me and My Girl
; 2002). The 2007 play was "Grease" held in the new theatre, completed in Feb 2007.
The school years are known, in order, as follows: Fourths (IV), Upper Fourths (UIV), Lower Fifths (LVths), Fifths (V), Upper Fifth (UV), Six Ones (VI1) and Six Twos (VI2). School prefects are classified as Upper Sixths. Instead of wearing the normal navy blue Sixth form uniform, they wear white and red striped blouses and grey jumpers.
Benenden offers a strong range of extracurricular activities. The belief is that these lead to a more rounded education and strongly favour individualism.
, netball
, rounders
and tennis
. Girls often play these at county and sometimes national levels; a present senior England lacrosse player was introduced as head of lacrosse in 2008. Other activities include fencing, badminton, volleyball, swimming, golf, riding, judo, hockey, rounders, football, aerobics, athletics, rugby sevens (Kent Girls Under 18 Champions 2009), and squash. Tours abroad are occasionally organised.
Benenden U15's were lacrosse national champions in 2005 and 2009. The U15 netball team in 2005 were national champions. For a few years now Benenden's senior netball squad have retained their title as the best netball school in Kent, in the Kent Netball Tournament held once a year. Currently there are many girls playing at county, regional and national levels including both England and Scotland at U19 levels with 2 girls representing their countries at the world cup in Canada, August 2007. The captain of lacrosse for 2008/2009 has won an international lacrosse scholarship to the university of California, as well as playing with other Benenden girls in various junior England lacrosse matches.
Independent school
An independent school is a school that is independent in its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations, nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the...
boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
for girls in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is located in Benenden
Benenden
Benenden is a village and civil parish in the Tunbridge Wells District of Kent, England. The parish is located on the Weald six miles to the west of Tenterden...
in the Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
ish countryside, between Cranbrook
Cranbrook, Kent
Cranbrook is a small town in Kent in South East England which was granted a charter in 1290 by Archbishop Peckham, allowing it to hold a market in the High Street. Located on the Maidstone to Hastings road, it is five miles north of Hawkhurst. The smaller settlements of Swattenden, Colliers...
and Tenterden
Tenterden
Tenterden is a Cinque Port town in the Ashford District of Kent, England. It stands on the edge of the Weald, overlooking the valley of the River Rother....
.
The Good Schools Guide called the school "Everyone's idea of a traditional, up-market, girls' boarding school though not remotely hidebound by tradition; cutting-edge and unconventional in multiple ways, in a stunning setting and underpinned with common sense."
Facilities
The school occupies a Victorian mansion, set in 250 acres (1 km²) of pastoral grounds. There have been, and continue to be, many improvements to the site. There is a Sports Centre (known as "SPLASH"), a science block ("Leelands"), a Design Technology centre, Study Centre ("scn") and a new furbished Theatre (finished Summer 2007). The former comprises the Eugenia Leung library as well as new-age classrooms, featuring "interactive whiteboardInteractive whiteboard
An interactive whiteboard , is a large interactive display that connects to a computer and projector. A projector projects the computer's desktop onto the board's surface where users control the computer using a pen, finger, stylus, or other device...
" a technology and IT cluster known as "break-out spaces". A new theatre and drama teaching complex has recently been completed, at the cost of £2.3 million.
History
Approximately 530 girls are enrolled, between the ages of 11 and 18, and all are boarders. Current fees stand at £9,110 per term. The headmistress is Claire Oulton, (previously head of St Catherine's School, BramleySt Catherine's School, Bramley
St. Catherine's School, established in 1885, is an independent girls' school in the village of Bramley, near Guildford, Surrey, England; it is one of the UK's most successful girls' independent schools. As of 2011, it has some 880 pupils, of whom around 170 aged 11–18 use the schools' boarding...
, near Guildford
Guildford
Guildford is the county town of Surrey. England, as well as the seat for the borough of Guildford and the administrative headquarters of the South East England region...
) who took over from Gillian duCharme in 2000. The school was founded in 1923 by three mistresses from Wycombe Abbey
Wycombe Abbey
Wycombe Abbey is an independent girls' boarding school situated in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England. It is academically one of the top schools in the United Kingdom, and the top girls' boarding school...
who aimed to create a "happy school with personal integrity and service to others always in mind, where everyone would be given the chance to follow her own bent". It hence maintains sister school ties with Wycombe Abbey
Wycombe Abbey
Wycombe Abbey is an independent girls' boarding school situated in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England. It is academically one of the top schools in the United Kingdom, and the top girls' boarding school...
, as well as Godstowe Preparatory School, High Wycombe, and St Leonards School
St Leonards School
St Leonards School, formerly St Leonards School for Girls, is an independent school, founded by the University of St Andrews in the nineteenth century....
.
In 2005 Benenden school was one of fifty of the country's leading private schools which were found guilty of running an illegal price-fixing cartel which had allowed them to drive up fees for thousands of parents. Each school was required to pay a nominal penalty of £10,000 and all agreed to make ex-gratia payments totalling three million pounds into a trust designed to benefit pupils who attended the schools during the period in respect of which fee information was shared.
Curricular activities
There is a traditional school hall where Morning Prayers are taken. The entire school must assemble for this every morning, except Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday, at 8:30. There is also a small chapel. Occasionally, the Sunday Services are taken in the village church, about 15–20 minutes' walk away.Lessons at the school start at 9:00 am and carry on until 5:30 pm; there are six periods in the day, each lesson is one hour long. Sports practices take place during the lunch break as well as after lessons end. In addition there are two hours worth of lessons on Saturday mornings. Younger students will take a mixture of all subjects offered, as well as sports, music and PSHE classes.
Pupils studying for their GCSEs must generally take 9-11 subjects, including Mathematics, Science and English and one modern language. Classes average around 13 students at GCSE, and 6-8 students during A-levels. Drama and the Arts are popular; the School's annual play has on occasion been performed in London theatres such as the Palladium
Palladium
Palladium is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Pd and an atomic number of 46. It is a rare and lustrous silvery-white metal discovered in 1803 by William Hyde Wollaston. He named it after the asteroid Pallas, which was itself named after the epithet of the Greek goddess Athena, acquired...
(Me and My Girl
Me and My Girl
Me and My Girl is a musical with book and lyrics by Douglas Furber and L. Arthur Rose and music by Noel Gay. It takes place in the late 1930s in Hampshire, Mayfair, and Lambeth....
; 2002). The 2007 play was "Grease" held in the new theatre, completed in Feb 2007.
The school years are known, in order, as follows: Fourths (IV), Upper Fourths (UIV), Lower Fifths (LVths), Fifths (V), Upper Fifth (UV), Six Ones (VI1) and Six Twos (VI2). School prefects are classified as Upper Sixths. Instead of wearing the normal navy blue Sixth form uniform, they wear white and red striped blouses and grey jumpers.
Extracurriculars
Sports
Main school sports include, lacrosseLacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
, netball
Netball
Netball is a ball sport played between two teams of seven players. Its development, derived from early versions of basketball, began in England in the 1890s. By 1960 international playing rules had been standardised for the game, and the International Federation of Netball and Women's Basketball ...
, rounders
Rounders
Rounders is a game played between two teams of either gender. The game originated in England where it was played in Tudor times. Rounders is a striking and fielding team game that involves hitting a small, hard, leather-cased ball with a round wooden, plastic or metal bat. The players score by...
and tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
. Girls often play these at county and sometimes national levels; a present senior England lacrosse player was introduced as head of lacrosse in 2008. Other activities include fencing, badminton, volleyball, swimming, golf, riding, judo, hockey, rounders, football, aerobics, athletics, rugby sevens (Kent Girls Under 18 Champions 2009), and squash. Tours abroad are occasionally organised.
Benenden U15's were lacrosse national champions in 2005 and 2009. The U15 netball team in 2005 were national champions. For a few years now Benenden's senior netball squad have retained their title as the best netball school in Kent, in the Kent Netball Tournament held once a year. Currently there are many girls playing at county, regional and national levels including both England and Scotland at U19 levels with 2 girls representing their countries at the world cup in Canada, August 2007. The captain of lacrosse for 2008/2009 has won an international lacrosse scholarship to the university of California, as well as playing with other Benenden girls in various junior England lacrosse matches.