BENNETT MEMORIAL DIOCESAN SCHOOL in Kent, Tunbridge Wells

Education Centre Information: Bennett Memorial Diocesan School:

Establishment Type:Voluntary Aided School
Phase of Education: Secondary
Status: Closed
Local Authority: Kent
Reason Establishment Closed: Academy Converter
Establishment Close Date: 31/03/2011
Boarders: No Boarders
Sixth Form: Has a sixth form
Urban/Rural Description: Urban > 10k - less sparse
Special Classes: No Special Classes
Religious Character: Church of England
Diocese: Diocese of Rochester
Total Pupils: 1466
Number of boys: 733
Number of girls: 733
Admissions: Comprehensive
Age Range: 11-18
Gender: Mixed
View inspection reports

Background:

One of the few genuine comprehensives in Kent, Bennett memorial founded by Lady Elena Bennett in memory of Sir Thomas Bennett, her husband and opened as a Church of England secondary school for girls in 1953. It became comprehensive in 1976, with its catchment areas widened to include much of the Diocese of Rochester as well as parts of Diocese of Chichester. Boys have been admitted since September 1993, increasing the admission limit from 150 to 180. The school is over-subscribed, with an average of 1.7 applications per place. An early 20th century mansion blockhouses the administrative and sixth form areas, surrounded by 1970s accommodation on 40-acres site bordered by woodland. A substantial building programme was recently undertaken and the completion of new buildings and the recent refurbishment of part of the mansion block have left the school adequately and attractively housed. The school aims to provide Church of England ethos for education, where each student will have the opportunity to live and work within a Christian community and to experience and adopt Christian values.