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Catchment + open placesCo-educationalKent

Cranbrook School catchment area

Cranbrook · co-educational grammar school · ages 11 to 18
Admissions
Catchment + open
score places
Intake
Co-educational · ages 11 to 18
11+ test
Kent Test
Year 7 places
90
Location
Cranbrook, Kent
Catchment, explained

How catchment works at Cranbrook School

Cranbrook School runs a two-route admissions model. It reserves a block of places for a designated catchment or priority area, where home-to-school distance matters, and it offers a second block of places on 11+ score alone, open to families living anywhere. That makes it both a catchment school and, in part, a super-selective.

90 places: within the priority area, places go first to highest Kent Test scorers; open applicants considered after, by score. So if you live in the priority area you compete mainly with local families, and if you live further away a high enough score can still win one of the open places.

Bottom line: Cranbrook School has a catchment, but it is not the whole story, a strong score keeps the door open even from outside the area.
Grammar schools near Cranbrook
Kent
Nearby options

Other grammar schools near Cranbrook

Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys
Royal Tunbridge Wells · Catchment area
11.4 miles away
Oakwood Park Grammar School
Maidstone · Catchment area
11.4 miles away
Tunbridge Wells Girls' Grammar School
Royal Tunbridge Wells · Catchment area
11.6 miles away
Invicta Grammar School
Maidstone · Catchment area
11.8 miles away
Maidstone Grammar School
Maidstone · Catchment area
12.0 miles away
Maidstone Grammar School for Girls
Maidstone · Catchment area
12.3 miles away
Applying

Sitting the 11+ for Cranbrook School

1

Register

Sign up for Kent Test with the school or local authority, usually by early summer before Year 6 begins.

2

Sit the test

Your child takes the test in September of Year 6. Results follow in October, before the 31 October secondary application deadline.

3

Get your place

Aim high: a top score can win an open place from anywhere, and helps in the catchment block too.

FAQs

Cranbrook School catchment, your questions answered

Does Cranbrook School have a catchment area?+
Yes - a priority area of named parishes plus an 8.5km radius gets priority, but applications are open from anywhere in the UK.
Is Cranbrook School super-selective?+
Partly. Cranbrook School reserves some places on 11+ score alone (open to any address) but also keeps a block for its catchment or priority area, so it is best described as part super-selective, part catchment.
How is the catchment for Cranbrook School measured?+
90 places: within the priority area, places go first to highest Kent Test scorers; open applicants considered after, by score. Distances are normally measured in a straight line from your home to the school, and the cut-off moves each year with demand.
What test does my child sit for Cranbrook School?+
Children applying to Cranbrook School sit Kent Test, usually at the start of Year 6. Register with the school or local authority before the summer deadline in Year 5.
How many places does Cranbrook School offer?+
Cranbrook School admits 90 pupils into Year 7 each year. With far more qualifiers than places, the score needed in practice is well above the basic pass mark.
Can we apply to Cranbrook School from outside the area?+
Yes. You can sit the test from any address, and Cranbrook School keeps a block of places for the highest scorers regardless of where they live, so an out-of-area child with a strong score has a realistic route in.
Does passing the 11+ guarantee a place at Cranbrook School?+
No. Passing qualifies your child, the place then depends on the admissions priorities, either the open score block or your position in the catchment.
When do we register for the Kent Test?+
Registration usually opens in the spring or early summer of Year 5 and closes before the test, which is sat in September of Year 6. Results come back in October, the secondary application deadline is 31 October, and offers are sent on national offer day, 1 March. Always confirm the exact dates with Cranbrook School or your local authority.

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Catchment and admissions details change every year. This page is an indicative guide for parents, always confirm the current catchment area, distances, places and test arrangements directly with Cranbrook School and your local authority before applying.