This guide is written for international families researching Kent College Pembury（肯特学院彭伯里校区）, an independent day and boarding school set in 75 acres of Kent countryside near Royal Tunbridge Wells, about a 35-minute train journey from London. The school covers ages 2–18 across a Nursery, Prep, Senior and Sixth Form structure, and has taught as a single-sex school since it was founded in 1886; from September 2026 it begins welcoming boys into the Senior School, moving to co-education. Every fact below comes from the school’s official website, accessed on August 5, 2026. One boundary is worth keeping in mind: what the school says about itself can only describe the school itself; it is not evidence for rankings, cross-school comparisons, or industry conclusions.
Kent College Pembury at a Glance: A Day and Boarding School in the Kent Countryside
Kent College Pembury describes itself as an inclusive, gently selective school with a broad ability range. The campus sits near the village of Pembury in South East England, 10 minutes from Royal Tunbridge Wells, with Tonbridge as the closest railway station; Gatwick and Heathrow airports are about an hour away. Facilities on the 75-acre site include a Science block, Art Centre, Sixth Form Centre, Theatre, Music Centre, two sports halls, an astro pitch, an indoor swimming pool and a purpose-built boarding house. The school runs 12 bus routes across Kent and East Sussex, collecting pupils for an 8.25am start and departing at 4.30pm.
For international families, one statistic matters: international students make up one fifth of the Senior School at Kent College Pembury, and the school’s international pages present a study programme designed around students whose first language is not English. The school is a member of the Boarding Schools’ Association and the Girls’ School Association, and its boarding house admits boarders from Year 7 in full, weekly and flexi forms.
Programs for International Students: GCSE, A Level and EAL Pathways
Kent College Pembury’s International Study Programme supports students whose first language is not English with English as an Additional Language (EAL) tuition in small groups or one-to-one, with EAL teachers working alongside subject teachers. The school lists three main routes for international students.
The One-Year GCSE is aimed at students looking to complete GCSE qualifications in a single year. The subjects offered are iGCSE English as a Second Language, GCSE Maths, GCSE Native Language, GCSE French or Spanish, iGCSE Single Science (covering Biology, Chemistry and Physics) and iGCSE Drama, with a bespoke timetable of 3 to 5 one-hour subject lessons per week alongside EAL lessons and Sport and Wellbeing.
The Three-Year Pre-A Level Programme is designed for students aged 15 or 16 whose English may not yet be ready for A Level study, who lack the GCSEs required for university entry, or who have not met entry requirements for their chosen A Levels. In the first year students take iGCSE English as a Second Language and GCSE Maths, both required for university entry in the UK, then spend the next two years studying three A Levels or BTECs; students are based in the Sixth Form throughout.
For shorter stays, the Short Term Study Programme runs from one to six weeks as an intensive course, or from one term to one year. Immersion programmes take students aged 11–16 into the school’s academic and co-curricular life with specialist EAL classes, and support group bookings of up to 20 students during term time, with one free group leader place per 10 students.
Beyond the international routes, the Senior School curriculum runs from a broad Years 7–8 core (English, Mathematics, Science, French and Spanish, plus Art, Computer Science, Dance, Drama, Nutrition and Food Science, Geography, History, Latin, Music and PE) to 18 GCSE/IGCSE option subjects, with students generally selecting four options to reach ten GCSEs. The Sixth Form offers 20 A Levels, 3 BTECs, a Diploma in Food Nutrition and a new AAQ in Medical Science, taught in small classes averaging 5 students, with students normally choosing three subjects and a fourth available to trial.
Entry Requirements and Application Timeline
For the Senior School, Kent College Pembury asks for a completed application together with a registration fee of £180, which includes VAT and is non-refundable. All candidates sit assessments, are observed in lessons, and have an interview; Year 7 and Year 9 applicants attend an Entrance Day. The school asks for the latest school reports and writes to the current school for a reference. Offers are made in writing, and accepting a place requires a signed contract plus a deposit of £600 for a UK/EU day place, £900 for a UK/EU boarding place, or one term’s boarding fees for a non-UK/EU boarding place.
For September 2027 entry, the published deadlines are: Friday 23rd October for Year 7 and Year 9 applications and scholarships, with the Year 7 Entrance Day on Saturday 14th November and the Year 9 Entrance Day on Monday 16th November; and Sunday 11th October for Year 12 (Sixth Form) applications and scholarships. Sixth Form entry requires at least six GCSEs at Grade 4 or above, with Grade 6 or above in the subjects pursued at A Level and Grade 7 or above in Maths and the Sciences for those subjects. Sixth Form applicants attend an assessment day, are observed in A Level/BTEC lessons, and interview with the Sixth Form team; predicted GCSE grades, reports and references feed into the offer.
For the Prep School, the registration fee is £120 for parents in the UK/EU or £180 for parents outside the EU, with assessment by classroom observation up to Year 3 and an online computer-based assessment from Year 4, followed by a taster day and a £300 deposit on acceptance.
2026/27 Costs: Tuition, Boarding and Extras
Kent College Pembury publishes its fees for the 2026/27 academic year by term, invoiced termly and payable on the first day of each term; fees are reviewed annually, normally with adjustments in September. Senior School termly fees are £11,207 for a day student in Years 7–13, £18,183 for a full boarder and £15,416 for a weekly boarder. Prep School termly day fees are £4,628 in Nursery, £4,881 in Reception, £6,148 in Years 1–2 and £7,597 in Years 3–6. Day fees include tuition; boarding fees include tuition and laundry; all listed fees include VAT where applicable.
Deposits are £600 for a day place, £900 for a UK/EU boarding place and one term’s boarding fees for a non-UK/EU boarding place, plus a £300 Prep deposit; registration fees for Prep are £120 (UK/EU parents) or £180 (outside the EU) and £180 for Senior. Fees exclude uniform and sports equipment, excursions, trips and weekend events, books and stationery, external examination fees, materials for Art, Ceramics and Food Tech, transport, some co-curricular activities, the Duke of Edinburgh Award and the Ivy House Award.
For international students, the EAL Standard and EAL Enhanced programmes are each £480 per term. Senior daily charges include flexi boarding at £84 per night (supper and breakfast included), breakfast at £6.50, lunch at £410 per term and supper at £7.35 for day students. Two siblings enrolled at the same time each receive a 5% reduction in fees, with 10% for a third child, and there is a 20% reduction for children of certain MOD personnel. Bursaries are available for the Senior School once a place is offered: paperwork is distributed in December, the application deadline is 31st January, and decisions are made by the end of February.
Boarding, Term Dates and Practical Planning
Boarding at Kent College Pembury starts at Year 7 in three forms: full boarding (staying for the whole term with flexible exeat weekends), weekly boarding (arriving Sunday night or Monday morning and staying until Friday), and flexi-boarding (one to three nights per week, regular or ad hoc). Rooms are shared by up to three students, with older boarders sometimes in their own rooms, some ensuite. The house is run by a house parent and assistant house parent, supported by an onsite medical centre, a pastoral team and house tutors for study support. Weekend and evening life includes clubs across the curriculum, cultural excursions to London, museums and the theatre, and boarder-organised events such as an International Evening and a Charity Ball.
The 2026/27 academic year runs as follows: the Autumn term starts Tuesday 8th September 2026, with half term 19th–30th October and the term ending Friday 11th December; the Spring term starts Tuesday 5th January 2027, with half term 15th–19th February and the term ending Tuesday 23rd March; the Summer term starts Thursday 15th April, with half term 31st May–4th June and the term ending Wednesday 7th July. Withdrawal requires a full term’s written notice, otherwise a full term’s fees are payable in lieu.
Visa and statutory eligibility requirements are not published within the school’s own pages; the current UK government rules are the authoritative reference. All figures in this guide come from the official Kent College Pembury website as of August 5, 2026, and should be checked against the latest official pages before you plan around them. If you would like to weigh up whether Kent College Pembury fits your child’s year group, English level and family plans, speak with our consultants — they can walk you through the specifics of your own case.