Canford

Overview

Canford was founded in 1923 and has seven boarding houses and three-day houses. The school is set in over 250 acres of grounds on the banks of the River Stour. Rowing is available from the school boathouse just minutes from the main campus. Canford also has one of the few real tennis courts remaining in the United Kingdom. The school seeks to educate pupils in the broadest sense of the word so that they leave as well-motivated and interesting people, keen to develop their talents fully and to contribute positively to society. Academic matters are central to school life with emphasis on both the disciplines and freedoms of the intellect for all ages and ability levels. A wide range of co-curricular activity provides necessary contrast and an opportunity for creativity and self-discovery.

Unique Points

In 1992 a lost Assyrian stone relief was rediscovered on the wall of "the Grubber" (the school tuck shop). The relief was sold by Christie's at auction in 1994 for £7.7 million (US$11.9 million), by far the highest price that had been paid at the time for an antiquity. The Layard Theatre is situated inside Canford School and is open to the public. It seats 299 people and can also cater for those who are restricted to a wheelchair. It was opened by Sir Richard Eyre in May 1999, and was part-funded from the £7.7 million achieved through the sale of an Assyrian relief.

Entry Requirements

After visiting the school, the submission of a completed registration form and fee secures a place on the Headmaster's List.  Children are then invited to Canford for a day in Year 7 which involves assessments in literacy, numeracy and reasoning as well as interviews and group activities.  The number of places available by this route will vary from year to year but over recent years around 65% of those who attended Headmaster's List assessments were later offered conditional places. Most pupils come to Canford from a wide variety of preparatory schools, having taken Common Entrance there.  Our pass mark of 55% ensures that pupils are comfortably challenged by our academic pace and curriculum and can proceed to success in 10 GCSEs and 3 or 4 A levels.