Duke of Kent School is a coeducational, independent school for pupils aged 3–16 in Ewhurst, Surrey, England. It was formed in 1976 through the merger of Vanbrugh Castle School, Greenwich, and Woolpit School, Ewhurst. Originally a boarding school, it has educated day pupils only since 2014. It is named for Prince Edward, Duke of Kent.
| Duke of Kent School | |
|---|---|
 Woolpit House, Duke of Kent School | |
| Address | |
 | |
Peaslake Road , , GU6 7NS England | |
| Coordinates | 51°10′33″N 0°26′47″W / 51.1757°N 0.4463°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Independent school |
| Established | 1920 |
| Local authority | Surrey County Council |
| Department for Education URN | 125336 Tables |
| Head teacher | Sue Knox[1] |
| Gender | Coeducational |
| Age range | 3–16 |
| Enrolment | 301 (2019)[2] |
| Capacity | 325[2] |
| Houses | Buzzard, Kestrel, Peregrine, Hawk |
| Colour(s) | Navy blue, white |
| Website | www |
Listed Building – Grade II | |
| Official name | Duke of Kent School |
| Designated | 28 September 1987 |
| Reference no. | 1044340 |
History
editWoolpit House was built in 1885 for Henry Doulton, the businessman responsible for developing the ceramics manufacturing firm, Royal Doulton. The Grade II-listed building near Ewhurst, Surrey, was designed by Ernest George and Harold Peto.[3][4] St Thomas of Canterbury School was opened at Woolpit House in 1949 and, by October 1951, pupil numbers had grown to more than 70.[5][6] Vanbrugh Castle School was founded in 1920 at Vanbrugh Castle, Greenwich, for the sons of Royal Air Force staff who had been killed in service.[7]
The two schools merged on the Ewhurst site in 1976, adopting the name "Duke of Kent School" in honour of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent. Initially a boys-only boarding school, it became co-educational two years later.[3][8] In 1995, there were around 100 boys (of whom 60 were boarders) and 60 girls (of whom 50 were boarders) between the ages of 4 and 13 attending the school.[9] GCSE courses were first taught in October 2008 and the first cohort of Year 11 pupils left the school in the summer of 2011. Since September 2014, the Duke of Kent School has operated solely as a day school with no boarders.[10]
The boarding provision was last inspected by Ofsted in 2011, when the judgement was "Good".[11] The school is inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate. As of 2019, the most recent inspection was in 2017 and found that educational quality was excellent.[12]
References
edit- ^ "Staff List". Duke of Kent School. Retrieved 11 April 2019.
- ^ a b "Duke of Kent School". Get information about schools. GOV.UK. Retrieved 11 April 2019.
- ^ a b Oppitz, Leslie (11 October 1990). "The school on the hill : Built for the 'great potter'". Dorking Advertiser. p. 10.
- ^ Historic England. "Duke of Kent School (Grade II) (1044340)". National Heritage List for England.
- ^ "Society and personal". Surrey Advertiser. No. 10826. 12 March 1949. p. 4.
- ^ "Bishop at Woolpit School". Surrey Advertiser. No. 11096. 20 October 1951. p. 4.
- ^ Jacobs, Peter (1 January 2011). Stay the distance: The life and times of Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Michael Beetham. Casemate Publishers. p. 204. ISBN 978-1-84-832552-4. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
- ^ Celia Lee (19 October 2015). HRH The Duke of Kent: A Life of Service. eBook Versions. p. 398. ISBN 978-1-84-396351-6. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
- ^ "Duke of Kent School". Dorking Advertiser. No. 5442. 5 January 1995. p. 9.
- ^ "Duke of Kent School : Financial statements for the year ended 21 August 2016". Charity Commission. 23 November 2016. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
- ^ Thackrah, Diane (2011). "Duke of Kent School". Ofsted. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
- ^ "Duke of Kent School". Independent Schools Inspectorate. Retrieved 16 March 2019.