Benenden School, an all girls' boarding school in Kent, has recently announced that they will be opening their doors to day pupils from September 2021. Prior to this, Benenden was the last remaining all girls' boarding school in the UK that did not allow day pupils and has been so since it opened roughly a century ago. Deputy Head, Anne Wakefield, explained that boarding “does not suit all families” and that “family life has evolved in recent decades”, which lead to this decision to adapt. 

Out of 1,374 private schools in the UK, there are only 13 that remain solely boarding schools including Eton College, Winchester College and Harrow School. According to the ISC census, the proportion of weekly and flexi-boarders has increased for the past four consecutive years and now makes up a fifth of all boarders.

Samantha Price, headmistress at Benenden, said: “We know from families living locally that there is a strong demand for girls to join us as day boarders and we are delighted to be able to welcome some of these girls to Benenden for the first time next year.

“In many ways this is an historic moment for Benenden – and a very exciting one for the School. This move is of significance because Benenden is the final all-girls’ boarding school in the UK to have moved away from offering ‘full boarding’ only, with day, weekly and flexi boarding having been widely introduced across the sector in recent years.”

Benenden school is without a doubt one of the UK’s finest and most prestigious girls’ boarding schools. The facilities are superb and the school’s exam results consistently keep it near the top of the league tables. The school occupies a vast site in the heart of the Kentish countryside yet within just over an hour’s journey from London. Read more about Benenden school here: https://www.best-schools.co.uk/schools/benenden-school-kent/

Read more: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/06/05/last-remaining-girls-boarding-school-introduce-day-pupils-acknowledge/

See top girls' boarding schools by A level and pre-u: https://www.best-schools.co.uk/uk-school-league-tables/list-of-league-tables/girls-boarding-schools/

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