School portraits

Benenden

 
Founded in 1923, Benenden school in Kent began life as one of many all-girls boarding schools. But as other similar schools gradually introduced day pupils, Benenden stuck to its guns, and is now the only all-boarding girls’ school in the country. It argues that the boarding ethos means that it can ‘treat education as a seven-day experience’, allowing girls to learn both inside and outside the classroom. As well as achieving consistent exam results, with 61 per cent of this year’s A-levels awarded an A* or A, Benenden offers a wide range of extracurricular activities, ranging from EPQ to lacrosse, a chamber choir and a model UN. In October the school will also launch its own CCF (combined cadet force) unit — only the third girls’ school in the country to do so. If you’re after an all-round education for your daughter — particularly if you live overseas – Benenden should be on your list.
CS
 

Colyton Grammar School

 
Kent is famous for its grammar schools, but Devon has Colyton Grammar, a good bet for anyone looking for a mixed state school that delivers good grades and a well-rounded education. Having spent 465 years as a grammar school, since 2011 it has been an academy. In 2014 it was the second-highest placed state school in the Telegraph’s A-level league tables, and came in fourth place overall. This year, 84.5 per cent of their results were A*, A or B. But as well as good exam results, the schools also boasts excellent facilities including an arts centre, a sports centre and an eco-woodland reserve. Not only that, but its location in the village of Colyford, in East Devon — a ten-minute drive from Lyme Regis — means that the school also offers all the benefits of a rural education.