Sevenoaks School

Sevenoaks is an all-IB Sixth Form: every student in Years 12 and 13 takes the International Baccalaureate Diploma, which the school first introduced in 1978. Students choose from more than 60 courses and complete Theory of Knowledge, the Extended Essay and Creativity, Activity and Service. Alongside the Diploma, the school awards its own Sevenoaks School Diploma recognising wider achievements. The school publishes an average IB score of around 40 points, well above the global average.

Sevenoaks admits students at 11+, 13+ and 16+. The Lower School (Years 7 and 8) introduces a broad curriculum with courses such as Society and Change and Core Critical Thinking. The Middle School (Years 9 to 11) follows the school's own programme alongside GCSE and IGCSE courses. The Sixth Form (Years 12 and 13) is entirely IB, with every student taking the IB Diploma.

Sevenoaks describes itself as global in outlook and rooted in its local community, and aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people with the skills to help build a better and more peaceful world. Its stated ethos centres on enquiry, knowledge, care and inclusivity, and it promotes enrichment rather than acceleration, encouraging students to explore subjects in depth. Service to others is embedded in the weekly timetable.

The 100-acre campus borders Knole Park and combines historic buildings, such as the Palladian Old School of 1732 and the adjoining almshouses, with modern architecture. Facilities include the Johnson Library, a Science and Technology Centre, the Sixth Form Global Study Centre, an art department and The Space, an award-winning performing arts centre. The Sennocke Centre for PE and Sport houses a 25-metre swimming pool and sports hall, and there are three indoor and nine outdoor tennis courts, a climbing wall, a shooting range, 14 sports pitches, a running track and a cross-country trail. The grounds include eleven gardens and a student allotment.

The School Health Centre provides medical support around the clock, and more than 60 staff are trained Mental Health First Aiders. Each day starts in a small tutor group, overseen by divisional heads. A catering team prepares meals from scratch with fresh local produce, and fees include lunch on every school day. A Learning Support department helps students with additional needs, a minibus links the campus with Sevenoaks station, and means-tested bursaries and scholarships are available.

Around 450 students board in eight houses. Some are on the main campus and others a short walk away across Tonbridge Road. Younger boarders share rooms, while Sixth Formers usually have single or double study bedrooms. About three quarters of boarders stay at school at weekends, when trips and activities are organised, and evening prep is supervised by teaching staff. Boarders whose families live overseas must have an education guardian in the UK.

Sport offers more than 20 options, including archery, athletics, badminton, basketball, climbing, cricket, cross country, dance, fencing, football, golf, hockey, netball, rugby, sailing, shooting, squash, swimming, tennis and volleyball, and the school hosts the annual Knole Run cross-country race. There are over 70 clubs and societies, from debating, Model United Nations, chess and table tennis to student-led societies, as well as choirs, orchestras and ensembles, more than ten drama productions a year, visual arts, the Combined Cadet Force and the Duke of Edinburgh's Award, plus around 200 trips each year.