Cobham Hall Independent School

• Location: Cobham, Kent, England,
• Year of foundation: 1962,
• Language of instruction: English,
• Type of education: mixed.

Cobham Hall Independent School is a private school for international students aged 11 to 18, offering secondary education programmes in the National English System with GCSE and A-Level examinations.

Having opened its doors in 1962, for a long time the institution was focused on women's education in grades 7-11. The mixed form of education was introduced only in 2022, but at the Sixth Form level. From 2025, students of both genders will be admitted to all stages of schooling, making the school accessible to all. Another advantage of Cobham Hall is its commitment to international education - the student community includes local and international students of more than 25 different nationalities. Each student is given comprehensive attention, academic and personal support: from additional subject, language classes, assistance in admission and transition to higher education to psychological, career sessions, drawing up an individual plan for the development of strengths and talents.

Cobham Hall Independent School is a small institution in terms of the number of students, thanks to which it creates a family atmosphere: all students know each other, know the teachers and school leaders, and they, in turn, know their students well. Students' families are also deeply immersed in the process of learning and extracurricular development: constant communication with teachers, regular face-to-face meetings, participation in events allow parents to be aware of everything that is happening in the lives of their children.

Students are offered comprehensive support, including additional academic classes in challenging subjects. The school has two departments – the Student Support Office and the English as a Foreign Language Unit – that focus on relevant elements of learning, helping to support students in pastoral terms, whether it's helping them adjust to life in a British school, cultural differences, or providing extra support in the classroom, at exams. The Support Department works with students who have special learning difficulties, such as dyslexia and dyspraxia; Educational staff strive to prove to students that the difference in learning is not an obstacle to success.

Given the international spirit of Cobham Hall, which attracts students from all over the world, having an English as a Foreign Language department is a must. EAL provides language support lessons to ensure that all Cobham Hall students, no matter where they come from, are able to achieve excellent academic results. Lessons are not limited to preparing for tests or exams – English is taught in such a way as to allow students to live and interact with other people, to transcend national and cultural boundaries.

Educational process in the institution is carried out at two levels of school education: middle classes from 7 to 11, Sixth Form - grades 12-13.

Short-term and summer courses are also available.

Cobham Hall provides its students not only with up-to-date knowledge at the school curriculum level, but also with the opportunity to see the world – events such as the International Conference, the Student Exchange Project, and the Volunteer Program give students the opportunity to gain a multifaceted academic, personal experience.

The international conference is a tour of some of the most famous places in the world, immersing yourself in an exciting new culture, exploring new surroundings, meeting new people, attending sessions with specialists in various fields, and supporting and helping those less fortunate. Cobham Hall welcomes a delegation of six students from partner institutions each year. Over the past few years, conferences have been held in Thailand, South Africa, England, India, Singapore, Germany and Canada.

With a network of more than 180 partner schools, the choice for exchange studies is huge: Australia, India, Canada, China, America, Singapore, Africa are open to students wishing to improve their language skills by attending a school with a different language of instruction. Exchanges can last from two weeks to full holidays, students can stay either with a host family or at a school (depending on availability).

Year 12 students have the opportunity to join international teams of students from other Round Square schools to help some of the world's poorest communities. Charitable projects have already included working with local residents to build, repair or renovate schools and community centers. In addition to working in the service sector, students have the opportunity to experience the culture, sights and experiences of the country they are visiting – Cobham Hall alumni have already taken part in projects in Peru, South Africa.

Foreign and local students have the opportunity to choose one of the forms of education that is most suitable for them:

• Full-time – the student visits campus during educational days, extracurricular activities,
• Weekly boarding – the student spends the night in the residence for several days a week,
• Full board – the student lives in residence for the entire academic year,
• Flexible boarding - the ability to customize the length of stay to the needs of the family: from one day to a full week.

There are three residencies prepared for students: Bligh and Brooke Houses are home to girls in grades 7 to 11 and Sixth Form respectively, the newly opened Stuart House accepts all Sixth Form boys.

• Bligh House, located opposite the tennis courts, offers spacious bedrooms, a kitchen and a dining room, a large common room for watching movies, socializing, board games. Computers in small self-study classrooms will help students prepare for classes, and a large courtyard garden provides outdoor areas for barbecues, yoga, walks and outdoor snacks,
• Brooke House, next door to Bligh House, is home to Sixth Form girls. Some grade 13 students may have a separate bedroom, but the residence mainly has double rooms. In common use there is a kitchen, a common living room,
• In the main building there is a separate boarding house for boys Stuart House - with a kitchen, a cozy common room, double bedrooms.

Students are invited to equip the rooms to their liking - in the first days of the school year, all students go to IKEA to buy décor, the necessary accessories for life and study.

The school's catering team works tirelessly to provide students with delicious, nutritious meals throughout the day, starting with breakfast, when students can enjoy a variety of hot and cold meals. For lunch and dinner, hot, vegetarian dishes are available, a well-stocked salad bar. Kitchen staff take into account individual nutritional needs, providing individual students with individual sets of dishes. The dining room menu reflects a multicultural community, meets the government's recommendations for healthy eating standards. In addition to the main menu, the chefs prepare fresh salads and baked potatoes every day. Whenever an event is held at Cobham Hall, the kitchen is happy to take part in it, giving students the opportunity to try a wide variety of ingredients and recipes, even participate in the preparation of dishes.

Upon admission to Cobham Hall, each student and educational staff member is assigned to one of four houses: Clifton, Darnley, Lenox or Richmond. Each faculty has distinctive signs: a coat of arms, colors, clothes with patches. There are many competitions between faculties throughout the year, and participation in them is an important part of the school's life. Winning points are awarded for academic achievement, and a shield and cup are awarded on Festival Day to the faculty and the person with the highest score for the entire academic year.

There are plenty of activities on weekdays and weekends: on Saturdays, events range from baking, themed parties, and ice skating to the annual trip to Pantomime, and on Sundays, there are trips to London, Brighton, visits to Thorpe Park, the Panic Room, paintball, and go-karting. From time to time, boarding students arrange a non-commute Sunday to spend their free time as they wish. On Friday evenings, students come together to have fun with board games, quizzes, bowling or barbecues, international cooking classes as students prepare their countries' dishes. Educational staff always strive to make life in the boarding house as homely as possible, so birthdays, national holidays of different countries are celebrated with thematic dishes and fun.

Students in grades 11-13 can choose which trips they attend. With parental permission, Year 11 students can go on their own exploration of the area, to shopping centers on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Sixth Form students have the opportunity to spend their after-school time off-campus as they wish, even going to London.

Sport is not only an important element of the academic plan, but also one of the main areas of extracurricular activities. Students have the opportunity to try their hand at a dozen areas of team and individual sports, to maintain their physical skills at a more professional level. Regular national team matches in most sports are played against other schools, giving students the opportunity to stand out, earn respect, and defend the honor of their school.

The Department of Physical Education offers two-year trips, such as skiing, a netball tour to Barbados. Student-athletes play with national teams at a professional level, thereby building a reputation for themselves even before entering university.

• Cobham Hall is a member of the Round Square International Network of Schools, the Association of Girls' Schools,
• Accredited Middle School and Sixth Form programs based on the National Education System of England,
• Excellent results in GCSE, A-Level exams,
• High school students who complete their studies enter leading universities around the world,
• A multicultural student community represented by more than 25 different nationalities,
• Individual career support,
• Extensive opportunities for extracurricular development,
• In addition to the main academic programs, short-term, summer courses are available.

Cobham Hall is located in a beautiful 16th-century mansion surrounded by 150 acres of Kent countryside, just 30 minutes from central London. Thanks to the location, natural beauty and infrastructure, foreign students have a wide range of extracurricular opportunities: from practice under the Duke of Edinburgh Award program to barbecues, hiking, cycling. The territory is actively used in academic, extracurricular activities - students conduct research, study the environment, play sports and creativity, using natural scenery for music, drama, art.

Classes are held in bright classrooms, subject laboratories, computer rooms and open areas. The educational infrastructure corresponds to the latest technology - high-tech computers, installations and materials for experiments are used in educational process, and the library offers a wide selection of scientific, fiction, historical literature and access to online resources. High-speed WiFi is available throughout the campus, including residences.

The sports infrastructure includes a swimming pool, multifunctional halls that can be converted for team or individual training. In the open areas of the campus, you can find tennis courts, basketball and netball courts, jogging tracks and much more, which contributes to the development of students' physical skills and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

The academic year consists of three semesters:

• Autumn: September-December,
• Spring: January-March,
• Summer: April-June.

Classes are held on weekdays, after which events, excursions, and additional lessons are organized. Free time is provided on weekends, on national and international holidays, vacations.

The tuition fee includes the full curriculum, all mandatory academic trips, in-school activities, stationery, and full meals. In addition, students will have to pay:

• Registration fees,
• Residence accommodation,
• Some extracurricular activities outside campus,
• Individual Digital Device,
• Additional academic support,
• Personal expenses.

Applicants go through several registration stages:

• Submission of the application, required documents,
• Payment of the international registration fee,
• Passing entrance exams: CAT4 tests for knowledge of basic subjects, language test,
• Receiving an official invitation to enroll,
• Arrival at campus and start of classes.

Before applying, the applicant's families have the opportunity to attend an Open Day or communicate with school representatives in an online format to learn about the curriculum, extracurricular opportunities, and additional support.

Admission of new students is based on the results of entrance exams and is not strict, limited only by the number of free places in classes - Cobham Hall is a small institution, thanks to which it preserves a family atmosphere, the possibility of an individual approach to each student.

According to statistics from previous years, about 30% of high school students, after graduating from school, enter prestigious universities of the Russell Group:

• London School of Economics and Political Science,
• University of Oxford,
• University of Warwick,
• University of Exeter,
• University of Leeds,
• University of York,
• Royal Holloway, University of London,
• University of East Anglia,
• Kings College, London,
• University of Glasgow.

Foreign applicants wishing to study at Cobham Hall must provide the following documents:

• Passport, health insurance, visa or residence permit. Documents from a guardian living in the UK will also be required,
• Two academic report cards.

In addition, you can provide recent IELTS test results, TOEFL or equivalent, individual achievements, or any other documents that can describe the child's abilities. The decision on enrollment is made on the basis of entrance exams.

Cobham Hall Scholarships are awarded to students in recognition of exceptional ability, potential, and dedication. The awards are divided into fields of activity: sports, art, music, drama and studies. The scholarship covers part of the annual tuition fee or other expenses.

• Guardianship services during the studies
• Student supervision