Cranleigh School
Independent Co-educational Day & Boarding School (Ages 5–19) · Est. 1865
Set across 280 acres of the Surrey Hills, a mile outside the railwayless village it shares its name with, Cranleigh has worked the same idea since 1865: a co-educational boarding-and-day school where sport, the arts and an unhurried country setting matter as much as the timetable. The motto is 'Ex cultu robur' — from our culture comes strength — and that culture is genuinely all-rounder, with one of the country's most respected school robotics programmes sitting beside a nine-hole golf course, ten grass pitches and a sixth-form cohort heading off to Cambridge maths, Imperial sciences and the conservatoires. New head Samantha Price arrived from Benenden in September 2024.
A 280-acre Surrey boarding all-rounder where 2025 was a step-change year: 83% A*–B at A-level (up from 78%), 25% of all GCSE grades at 9, and a brand-new ISI 'all standards met' inspection under former GSA President Samantha Price.
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Horseshoe Lane, Cranleigh, Surrey, GU6 8QQ
Annual Fees 2025/26
£57,390
Boarding (full). Day £46,800. From Sept 2026, new Day-only £34,650.
Exam Format
ISEB Pre-Test
Online adaptive at 11+ and 13+ (Oct–Nov of Year 6)
Total Pupils
951
ages 5–19 (ISI Nov 2025). 504 boarders (~53%).
Founded
1865
by George Cubitt MP & Rev. John Sapte. Co-ed since 1999.
A-level Results 2025
83% A*–B
Up from 78% in 2024. 43% achieved two or more A*/A.
GCSE Results 2025
25% at grade 9
76% 9–7 in core (Eng/Maths/Sci). 59% got 7+ grades 9–7.
Best For
Boarding families and Surrey/Sussex day families who want a true co-ed all-rounder — strong sport, serious arts, rising academics — across 280 acres rather than an urban campus. Particularly well suited to children with a clear sporting, musical, drama or robotics specialism alongside academic ability, and to families wanting weekly or full boarding within an hour of London without committing to a Tonbridge/Winchester profile.
Watch Out For
Cranleigh sits a mile from a railwayless village — geographically remote in a way no London day school is. The Mumsnet 'middle of nowhere' description is geographically accurate. Older forum threads (2019–2020) raised concerns about SEN provision, drug problems among older boarders, and entitlement culture; the November 2025 ISI inspection met all standards and praised pastoral and safeguarding work, but new families should still raise specific concerns with admissions. Historical positioning as 'the school for sporty boys who weren't bright enough for Tonbridge' is increasingly out of date — 2025 results challenge it directly — but the academic peer group is broader than at Hampton, Eton or Tonbridge.
Entry Points
- Main entry at 11+ (Year 7 into the prep)
- 13+ (Year 9 into the senior school — the largest external intake), and 16+ (Year 12). Prep school also takes in at 5+ (recently extended down from age 7 — ISI material change inspection March 2025 approved this)
- 7+ and other intermediate years subject to space. Both 11+ and 13+ use the online ISEB Common Pre-Test in October–November of Year 6, followed by interview, group discussion, creative writing and team-building activities in January.
The Complete Admissions Timeline
Every key date, deadline and decision point — with insider intelligence you won't find on the school website. Click any item to reveal verified insider knowledge.
The critical window: Most external 13+ candidates take the ISEB Common Pre-Test online at their current prep school between October and mid-November of Year 6 — so for September 2028 entry, that means Oct–Nov 2025. In January of Year 6, successful candidates visit Cranleigh for a senior staff interview, a group discussion, a creative writing task and team-building activities. The 13+ academic scholarship deadline is 1 January 2027 (for September 2028 entry); other 13+ scholarship strands close 31 October 2026. 11+ scholarship deadline (for September 2026 Year 7 entry into the prep) is Friday 11 December 2026. 16+ scholarship applications for September 2027 entry are open.
Attend Open Mornings + tour
Cranleigh runs Open Mornings across the academic year. Given the rural single-campus setting and the boarding option, a physical visit is essential — the 280 acres genuinely change how the school presents vs an urban day school. Visit at least one rival (Charterhouse, King's Canterbury, Wellington College, or — for day-only — Reed's Cobham, St John's Leatherhead) for fair comparison.
Attend Open Mornings + tour
Cranleigh runs Open Mornings across the academic year. Given the rural single-campus setting and the boarding option, a physical visit is essential — the 280 acres genuinely change how the school presents vs an urban day school. Visit at least one rival (Charterhouse, King's Canterbury, Wellington College, or — for day-only — Reed's Cobham, St John's Leatherhead) for fair comparison.
Start ISEB Pre-Test practice (digital + paper foundations)
Begin digital-format Pre-Test practice from late Year 5. Cover English comprehension (including SPaG — cloze sentences, shuffled sentences), Maths to Year 6 National Curriculum level, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning. Both Owl Tutors and Atom Learning provide ISEB practice; Pretest Plus offers Cranleigh-specific drills.
Cranleigh assessment day for 13+ candidates
Senior staff interview, group discussion of an unseen topic, timed creative writing task, and team-building activities. The day forms the qualitative half of the admissions decision and should not be over-rehearsed.
Most 13+ scholarship deadlines (Music / Sport / Art / Drama / Performing Arts / Design Engineering / Product Design)
Earlier than the academic strand by design — the practical scholarships require audition / portfolio / practical assessment scheduled before Christmas of Year 6.
11+ scholarship deadline (Year 7 entry into prep, Sept 2026)
For families targeting prep-school entry one year ahead of senior. Apply via admissions@cranleigh.org.
Key Dates — 13+ Entry 2028 (Year 9 from Sep 2028) and 11+ Entry 2028
ISEB Common Pre-Test (online, at child's current school)
October–mid-November of Year 6
Cranleigh January assessment day (13+)
January of Year 6 — interview + group discussion + creative writing + team-building
11+ scholarship deadline (Year 7 entry into prep)
Friday 11 December 2026
13+ scholarship deadline — most strands
31 October 2026 (Music, Sport, Art, Drama, Performing Arts, Design Engineering, Product Design)
13+ Academic scholarship deadline
1 January 2027
16+ scholarship — Sept 2027 entry
Currently open (rolling — confirm via admissions)
Inside Cranleigh's 13+ Entry: ISEB Pre-Test + January Day
Cranleigh uses the ISEB Common Pre-Test for both 11+ and 13+ entry — the same online adaptive assessment that dominates British prep school entry. The Pre-Test is the front gate. The January day at Cranleigh (interview + group discussion + creative writing + team-building) is the qualitative second half. Many prep-school candidates have already prepared for the ISEB format for other schools; this section focuses on what Cranleigh assesses that a generic ISEB strategy might miss.
English
Approximately 25 minutes (English section of the 2h 15m ISEB Pre-Test) · Digital adaptive — comprehension, SPaG, cloze sentences, shuffled sentences. No audio.
Comprehension-heavy preparation alone misses the SPaG and shuffled-sentence sections, which are time-pressured and reward pattern recognition. Equally, families that prepare for the ISEB Pre-Test rarely practise the January-day creative writing under exam conditions.
Maths
Approximately 50 minutes (Maths section of the 2h 15m ISEB Pre-Test) · Digital adaptive — Year 6 NC content, no calculator. Multiple choice and short numerical answers.
Adaptive testing penalises early careless errors heavily — a child who rushes through opening questions can be locked into a lower-difficulty band before they hit their stride. Practise pacing, not just content.
Verbal Reasoning
Approximately 30 minutes (VR section of the 2h 15m ISEB Pre-Test) · Digital adaptive — analogies, codes, synonyms/antonyms, letter and number series
Children with strong reading habits but no specific VR practice can be slower than peers drilled on Bond / CGP VR books. The questions reward familiarity with type more than raw intelligence.
Non-Verbal Reasoning
Approximately 30 minutes (NVR section of the 2h 15m ISEB Pre-Test) · Digital adaptive — shape patterns, matrices, transformations, sequences
Children unfamiliar with digital NVR interfaces (drag-and-drop, click-to-select) lose time learning the controls during the test rather than solving the puzzles.
Topic Difficulty & Weight
Difficulty (%) and exam weight by topic area
Key takeaway: Premium
Topic Breakdown
Known Exam Traps — English
The pattern: Comprehension-heavy preparation alone misses the SPaG and shuffled-sentence sections, which are time-pressured and reward pattern recognition. Equally, families that prepare for the ISEB Pre-Test rarely practise the January-day creative writing under exam conditions.
If you can only improve in one area, make it
On-screen SPaG / shuffled-sentence fluency + handwritten creative writing
What this means in practice:
Dedicate 60%+ of prep time to this area
Practice under timed conditions regularly
Review mistakes immediately after each session
Track progress weekly to spot patterns
All focus areas ranked by impact:
#1
On-screen SPaG / shuffled-sentence fluency + handwritten creative writing
English
#2
Multi-step word problem fluency + careful early-question pacing on adaptive format
Maths
#3
Codes / analogies fluency + vocabulary breadth
Verbal Reasoning
#4
Digital-platform familiarity + matrix and shape-transformation patterns
Non-Verbal Reasoning
Academic Performance vs National Average
Cranleigh consistently outperforms national averages across both GCSE and A-Level examinations. These animated comparisons show where the school excels and how this translates to university placement opportunities.
A-Level Results Comparison
Camp Hill Girls vs. National Average — Higher percentages indicate stronger performance
What this means: Camp Hill Girls consistently exceeds national averages across all A-Level performance bands. With 65% A*/A compared to the national 38%, girls achieve top-tier results that support progression to leading universities, including Oxbridge, Russell Group institutions, and specialist programs in Medicine, Law, and STEM.
GCSE Grade Distribution Comparison
Cumulative percentage achieving each grade threshold — Camp Hill Girls vs. National Average
Grade Distribution Insight: Over 90% of Camp Hill Girls achieve grades 9-7 at GCSE, compared to 31% nationally. This exceptional spread demonstrates consistent high achievement across the cohort, with girls well-prepared for rigorous A-Level study.
Grade 9-8
52%
vs 18% national
Grade 9-7
90%
vs 31% national
Grade 9-6
98%
vs 64% national
Grade 9-5
99.5%
vs 82% national
University Placement Implications
- •
Oxbridge Eligibility
Strong A-Level performance (65% A*/A) makes girls competitive for Oxford and Cambridge, particularly in STEM and humanities.
- •
Russell Group Admission
90% GCSE 9-7 achievement provides strong foundation for Russell Group universities including Imperial, UCL, Durham, and Warwick.
- •
Competitive Edge
Results place girls in top 5% of UK cohort, giving advantage in Medicine, Law, and competitive STEM programs.
Supporting Strong Achievement
- •
No Pressure-Cooker Culture
Excellence achieved through supportive teaching, strong pastoral care, and girls' intrinsic motivation rather than relentless pressure.
- •
Well-Rounded Development
Balanced commitment to academics, co-curricular activities (sports, music, drama), and character formation.
- •
Resilience & Confidence
Girls develop confidence to tackle challenging subjects and university applications without anxiety-driven perfectionism.
GCSE Excellence
90%
Grade 9-7 achievement (vs 31% national)
A-Level Top Grades
65%
A*/A grades (vs 38% national)
Top Achievers
42%
A* grades at A-Level
University Ready
99.5%
Grade 5+ across GCSE
The January Assessment Day
For 13+ entry, successful ISEB candidates spend a day at Cranleigh in January of Year 6. The day combines a 1:1 interview with a senior staff member, a small-group discussion, a timed handwritten creative writing task, and observed team-building activities. The school describes it as the chance to form a 'rounded picture' of the candidate — not a re-test of academic ability. Cranleigh values a warm, conversational manner over polished CV-style answers. The Pre-Test has already filtered for ability; this day filters for fit.
Contact Admissions
Cranleigh School Admissions Team
Insider Intel: What Other Parents Don't Know
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- Exam-day patterns and trap questions verified across 21+ sources
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Common Mistakes Parents Make
The errors we see most often from families preparing for Cranleigh School. Avoid these and you're already ahead of the majority of applicants.
6 costly mistakes — and the fix for each
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- What to stop doing in the final 6 weeks
- The myth about practice papers that hurts most candidates
- Interview-day briefings that backfire
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Cranleigh vs Competitor Schools
How does Cranleigh School compare to the schools your child is most likely also applying to? This analysis covers the key factors that actually matter to families.
Important context: On pure academics, Cranleigh sits below Charterhouse and Brighton College but is meaningfully above the day-only Surrey commuter schools as of 2025 (83% A*–B at A-level, 25% of GCSE grades at 9). On grounds, breadth and the day/boarding mix, it is genuinely distinctive — no Surrey peer combines 280 acres, full boarding tradition, robotics on the international stage, and a brand-new Day-only price point.
| Factor | Charterhouse | Wellington College | FeaturedCranleigh School | Brighton College | Hurstpierpoint College | Reed's School (Cobham) | St John's School Leatherhead |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| School Type | Independent Co-Ed Boarding & Day | Independent Co-Ed Boarding & Day | Independent Co-Ed Boarding & Day (5–19) | Independent Co-Ed Day & Boarding | Independent Co-Ed Day & Boarding (Sussex) | Independent Boys Day & Boarding (girls 6th) | Independent Co-Ed Day & Flexi-Boarding |
| Co-educational | |||||||
| VR in Exam | |||||||
| Annual Fee | |||||||
| 11+ Difficulty | Higher | Higher | Medium-High | Higher | Medium | Medium-High | Medium-High |
| Interview Style | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Why Parents Choose Cranleigh
- True all-rounder breadth (sport + arts + engineering + academics)Cranleigh's seven scholarship strands and ISI-praised robotics, drama and music programmes mean a child with one strong specialism plus solid academics has more entry hooks here than at narrowly academic peers.
- 280 acres + boarding tradition without the elite price ceilingEton, Harrow, Winchester and Charterhouse all charge more, all run more aggressive selection, and all sit at the very top of academic league tables. For families who want the full country boarding experience without the elite-bracket entry profile, Cranleigh is the most natural choice.
- New 2026 Day-only structure repositions affordability£34,650 from September 2026 brings Cranleigh into the same conversation as Reed's, St John's Leatherhead and Caterham for genuinely-day families — a meaningful re-rating.
- Strong rising-trajectory under new head + recent ISI vindicationMrs Samantha Price (ex-Benenden, ex-GSA President) arrived September 2024 and her first inspection (Nov 2025) found all five standards met. The 2025 results are the strongest post-pandemic cohort.
Points to Consider
- Rural commute for day-only familiesNo railway station in Cranleigh village. Day families add 45–60 minutes of coach time vs the nearest day-school peers. Drive the route before deciding.
- Less academically intense peer group than Charterhouse / Brighton CollegeCranleigh's 2025 results are strong but the academic ceiling is below the most selective independent peers. If your child needs to be among genuinely top-decile academic peers, look at Charterhouse, Brighton College or — for selective day — Hampton.
- Boarding-first culture may not suit day-only families53% of pupils board. The week's rhythm — weekend activities, evening clubs, full-stay weekends in some houses — is built around boarders. Day pupils integrate well but the school is not configured day-first like Reed's.
Scholarships & Financial Support
Cranleigh offers scholarships across seven strands at 11+, 13+ and 16+: Academic, Music, Sport, Art, Drama, Performing Arts, and Design Engineering / Product Design. The Design Engineering and Product Design strands are unusual among peer schools and reflect the ISI-praised robotics and engineering programmes. The 13+ Academic strand has a later deadline (1 January 2027) than the practical strands (31 October 2026) — by design, so families can use ISEB Pre-Test results to decide tactically. Specific monetary values are not publicly disclosed — request the current scholarship brochure via admissions@cranleigh.org.
| Scholarship Type | Value | Available Places | Selection Method | Stackable? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11+ Academic Scholarship (Year 7 entry into prep) | Not publicly disclosed — request scholarship brochure via admissions | Limited annually | Premium | Yes |
| 13+ Academic Scholarship | Not publicly disclosed | Limited annually | Premium | Yes |
| 13+ Music Scholarship | Not publicly disclosed | Limited annually | Premium | Yes |
| 13+ Sport Scholarship | Not publicly disclosed | Limited annually | Premium | Yes |
| 13+ Art Scholarship | Not publicly disclosed | Limited annually | Premium | Yes |
| 13+ Drama Scholarship | Not publicly disclosed | Limited annually | Premium | Yes |
| 13+ Performing Arts Scholarship | Not publicly disclosed | Limited annually | Premium | Yes |
| 13+ Design Engineering / Product Design Scholarship | Not publicly disclosed | Limited annually | Premium | Yes |
| 16+ Scholarships (Sept 2027 entry) | Not publicly disclosed | Limited annually | Premium | Yes |
| Means-tested Bursary | Up to substantial fee remission (specific tiers not publicly disclosed) | Limited annually | Premium | Yes |
* Means-tested bursaries are available separately and can be combined with scholarship awards. Contact admissions@cranleigh.org or 01483 276377 for scholarship brochures and bursary application procedures.
The Preparation Roadmap
Everything here is built around Cranleigh School's specific exam format, interview style, and selection criteria. This is not generic 11+ advice. Every recommendation is calibrated to this school.
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Updated May 2026 (incl. ISI Nov 2025 report + 2025/26 fees PDF — both fully extracted) · 21 sources