Cobham Hall School, Gravesend
A boarding and day school for girls aged 11-18 and co-educational sixth form in Gravesend, Kent.
Cobham Hall is a girls-only school until Sixth Form, where they’ve now welcomed their first intake of boys. This is a small school – there’s currently a total of 150 Day and Boarding pupils on roll – but it’s built around a ‘dream big’ concept, summarised in the school motto: ‘There’s more in you than you think’.
The setting is stunning – all 150 acres of it – which equates to one acre for every pupil so probably the biggest grounds-to-child ratio of all the schools we’ve reviewed in Kent. And in these grounds wild deer roam free – one actually passed in front of my car on arrival – with picture perfect timing.
If you think the idyllic setting looks familiar, you may well have seen it before. Cobham Hall is a popular backdrop for film sets – with almost the entire movie Wild Child being filmed here (not seen it? You can bet your teen has!).
FACILITIES
The fact this country house and grounds gets used quite a lot in TV and film (during the holidays) sums up a great deal of what you need to know about the school. Firstly, that the building and grounds are idyllic – they are that epitome of story book British boarding school at its finest.
Secondly, in spirit too it retains a very strong sense of what defines the essence of a good girls’ school. Definitely updated for the modern world – but with old-school values and a sense of pride and fun in who they are.
Inside it is characterful and quirky – grand but far from pristine with just the right amount of lived-in charm. Having said that, certain areas of the school are getting a bit of a facelift (with funding from the Mill Hill School Foundation with which the school recently merged).
A smart new surface is planned for the tennis and netball courts, as well as a refurb of the swimming pool.
There’s a huge sports hall named the Activity Centre where there is a gym and dance studio upstairs too. The hall has room for two netball courts and is used daily for private tennis coaching (you can sign up to them just as you would for solo singing or piano lessons for example) – individual lessons are popular at the school and a girl was being coached when we took a look around.
The girls’ boarding houses have a comfortable, home-from-home feel (more on boarding below). And of course there’s also the introduction of boys into Sixth Form which involved building the boys’ boarding facilities. Newly opened Stuart House is located above the drama studios in the main hall building, with Houseparent Miss Heaton in charge.
SPORT
Here, there’s no shying away from how important it is to get girls of this age moving – something we very much approve of. The World Health Organisation figures show that 85 per cent of adolescent girls in the UK don’t do enough physical activity – a shocking statistic.
So never before has making it part of the school culture been more important and I’m delighted to learn that at Cobham Hall there’s no options for sitting and playing Tiddlywinks during sports sessions. All girls take part as often as possible.
Netball is enjoyed all year round, so is swimming (with an external specialist coach too). There’s also badminton, hockey, cricket and athletics taught throughout the year.
PE is taught in three lessons a week in Year 7 to Year 9 and five lessons a fortnight for Year 10s (considerably more than some other schools). Plus there’s Co-curricular sports clubs every day of the week, apart from Wednesday when it’s fixture matches (oh, and horse riding should anyone want to give that a go).
THE ARTS
Art here is under the stewardship of Mr Turner and no longer just Fine Art, but rather Art, Craft & Design – allowing pupils to experiment and develop talents in aspects of Textiles and Design Technology – even Graphic Design all within the one subject. They are creating a Photography Studio too.
Technology is embraced in the arts – I’m given a tour of a website one student is using to effectively showcase their A Level work – pupils regularly use platforms like Pro-create. It’s definitely a relevant and forward-thinking way to cover the broad spectrum of creativity in this subject – plus it sounds really practical in terms of developing skills that might be useful down the line in the careers world.
Drama is much loved – not just for the fun of taking part – but also because everyone gets to shine. The smallness of the school means that there’s space for all – no one need get lost in the ensemble if they’d like a more leading role.
Music is popular – one third of pupils have individual lessons in everything from singing to the harp or double bass – and it’s genuinely inclusive. There’s an orchestra, a non-auditioned choir The Cobham Hall Sound Collective, and for those with a particular interest in singing who want some more challenging material – there’s the Premier Choir, Benesonantes.
ACADEMICS
The big focus here is not just on the grades the girls get but the all-round character that will make them suitable for a workplace and world beyond the classroom.
I met with Director of Studies, Dr Patrick Drumm, who talked me through The Cobham Hall Perspectives – the school’s bespoke course that develops the pupils’ creativity, collaboration and critical thinking skills. It’s aimed at future-proofing the pupils – and providing them with all important skills-led learning that’s ultimately way more useful than just being able to regurgitate facts.
The Perspectives course covers topics such as goal setting and life planning, leadership and effective communication, together with practical skills like exploring car maintenance.
Almost all Sixth Formers do 3 A Levels and also EPQ. From this September Lower School will move onto laptops, rolling out to the whole school over the next year or two.
SIXTH FORM
There are a few exciting new developments in the Sixth Form. Firstly the new Sixth Form Centre (pictured above) which opened in September 2022, housed in Cobham Hall’s historic building, but with a modern layout and furnishings – so ideally suited to 21st-century education.
The current student body had input in the décor and the space comprises individual work rooms, group tables, and a room for socialising with its own kitchen.
Another new chapter for Cobham Hall started in 2023, when they welcomed boys in Year 12 for the first time in the school’s history – which created a co-educational Sixth Form – a precursor, if you like, for life at university.
PASTORAL CARE
With a strong boarding body and pupils mixing well across the year groups, the school has a well-integrated Pastoral framework. Each student belongs to a tutor group of between 9 and 15 students, with a tutor who keeps an eye on the progress and behaviour of all their tutees, with the Heads of Lower and Upper Schools, and Director of Boarding and Pastoral overseeing the whole.
All new students are allocated a Buddy to help them settle in and find their way around, and students can train to become Wellbeing or Anti-Bullying Ambassadors.
BOARDING & WRAP AROUND CARE
Boarding is a big part of the school’s identity and there’s a large international community here. Celebrating this cultural diversity the school is known as a place for short-term boarding option. There’s lots of school activities and trips on offer (from Brighton to Bluewater).
Girls’ boarding is split between two houses Bligh House for the Year 7 to Y 11s and Brooke House for the Sixth Form, while Sixth Form boys’ boarding is in the newly opened Stuart House.
As well as longer-term boarders, the school welcomes international students that just want to join for a year, to immerse themselves in the UK culture and language, which is a great way for all pupils to expand their horizons. Day students are often found visiting their friends in the Boarding Houses and are welcome to sign up for breakfast or supper, but also on outings. Plus there’s the option of Flexi-Boarding.
Due to the small size of the school there really is a lot of interaction between girls and boys of all ages – and whether you are a Day pupil or a Boarder students mix easily across year groups and friendships blossom continually.
THE HEAD
Headmistress, Mrs Wendy Barrett, is in her 30th year at the school and has (in her own words) ‘done just about every job you can do in that time’. Her long association with Cobham Hall started when her daughter was very young and she worked as a part-time Mathematics teacher. She then progressed through a variety of roles to the post of Deputy Headmistress, which she held for three years, before taking on the headship.
With Cobham Hall running in her veins it’s evident how committed to the school Wendy Barrett is. Committed to it remaining a family-feel, small school where everyone is known – while at the same time implementing the transformational changes that the Mill Hill Foundation investment brings – it’s an exciting time for the school.
QUIRKS & USP
Cobham Hall is big on personal development and they genuinely have policies in place to support the young people in their care – preventing them dropping out of taking part (often the all-too-easy option) so that they can build their confidence and challenge themselves. Sport is a must and most do the Duke of Edinburgh’s Bronze Award.
It’s also a Round Square school – one that is characterised by a shared belief in an approach to education built around six themes, or IDEALS, drawn from the theories of the educationalist Kurt Hahn. As well as providing a framework for school life, all schools in the group provide an international, co-operative network.
The idea is that the school supports pupils in developing their confidence to pursue their goals. So they find the courage to push themselves.
Adventure isn’t just high-wire escapades – anything that pushes you outside your comfort zone is a challenge – and this will be different for each person.
ISI REPORT
School policies and Inspection reports here.
MOBILE PHONE POLICY
Mobile phones brought to school by Lower School pupils (Years 7 to 9) are collected in by staff in the morning and returned after lessons end at 4.30pm. Other students are not allowed to use them during the school day, except in lessons once permission has been given, and phones are to be kept on silent in school bags. Boarding staff collect mobiles before bedtime, returning them the next morning.
TRANSPORT
There is a daily minibus service for day pupils and weekly boarders, extending from Blackheath to the west to Chatham in the east, and as far south as Sevenoaks. London is within easy reach, under 20 minutes from nearby Ebbsfleet International station by high-speed rail into King’s Cross St Pancras.
FEES
Termly Fees for 2023-2024
Years 7, 8 and 9 – Boarders: £12,900; Day: £7,600
Years 10 and 11 – Boarders: £13,200; Day: £8,300
Sixth Form – Boarders: £13,900; Day: £8,300
THE MUDDY VERDICT
Good for: The boarding community lies at the heart of the school and gives a genuine family-feel. The small size means everyone takes part in everything – making for a busy life – and also great for boarders. From its Round Square affiliation to its high take-up of the D of E programme, Cobham Hall is a school with both a strong international focus and a huge spirit of adventure.
Not for: Being a small and (for the main part) all-girls school, set in a gorgeous 150-acre site in Kent, there’s the chance of a slight ‘bubble’ effect that’s more rural idyll than real life. However being SO close to London the girls do get out-and-about a lot and huge efforts are made to step past the movie-set campus into the real world too.
Go see for yourself: The next Open Morning is on Sat 16 March 9.30am – 12.30pm. This is a whole school event, for girls wishing to join Year 7 to 11, and for girls and boys looking to join the co-educational Sixth Form.
Cobham Hall, Brewers Rd, Cobham, Gravesend, DA12 3BL, Tel: 01474 823371
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