Canford School
Canford School is a girls boarding and day school in Wimborne, Dorset, educating pupils aged 13 - 18 and founded in 1923. Boarding fees are £18,165 - £18,165 per term. Our advice on this school is independent and free.
- Type
- Girls boarding & day
- Boarders from
- 13 - 18
- Ethos
- Christian
- Guardian required
- Yes
About Canford
The story, ethos and character of Canford.
- Setting
- Rural
- Ethos
- Christian
- Head
- Mr Chris Wheeler
"Stand out academics come as standard, alongside exceptional facilities in a glorious setting and the top-notch staff who make it all happen." The Good Schools Guide The school vision is for every individual pupil to 'explore, express and excel' in a warm, welcoming and supportive school community where pupils are encouraged to lead by example and follow the four core Canford values - Courageous Attitude, Humble Ambition, Gracious Leadership and Purposeful Engagement.
Canford is among the top co-educational boarding schools in the UK for academic results. It is consistently ranked No.1 co-ed senior boarding school in the South/West region for A Level and GCSE top results in The Sunday Times Parent Power rankings.
Over 95% of our pupils currently move on to top universities in the UK and some internationally - Canford is a SAT testing centre.
Over 20 different sports, with 100+ teams playing nearly 1,000 sports fixtures each year. 2. Over 130 different trip and expeditions each year at home and abroad. 3. In general, around 60 music concerts and 15 different drama productions each year.
4. Adventure activities including CCF expeditions in Scotland, Wales and Norway, and diving in the Red Sea. 5. 8000+ hours of work in community service in the local area supporting 70+ community projects Boarding life is centred on ten houses of around 60 pupils in each, each including resident pastoral staff and offering modern, comfortable study bedrooms, garden areas and social spaces.
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Academics at Canford
What pupils study at Canford — and where it takes them.
This section provides information on: The curriculum, performing and creative arts, English as an additional , and special educational needs (SEN). About the curriculum Canford offers a broad and balanced curriculum. Our aim is to provide pupils with a long-lasting love of learning.
We achieve this through a variety of means, depending on the age group and ability level of each individual. Alongside inspirational curriculum teaching, we offer a challenging and exciting academic enrichment programme across all year where pupils are encouraged to think beyond the normal demands of subject material.
Programmes offered
Subjects offered
Where our leavers go
Our Upper Sixth leavers move on to top universities on a wide variety of courses, with over 90% taking up places at Russell Group/Sunday Times Top 12 institutions each year. 39 places at Oxbridge and 38 places to Medical Schools in the past 5 years.
Scholarships to US universities, degree apprenticeships with leading corporates and places at Music Conservatoires and Art Institutes are among the choices of our leavers recently. Our tailored, individual careers ensures that every pupil has the best opportunity to achieve their aspirations and future career path ambitions.
Figures are indicative — contact us for the latest results.
Boarding at Canford
Day-to-day boarding life and pastoral care at Canford.
- Boarding houses
- Girls 3, Boys 4, Mixed 0
- Exeat weekends
- Yes
- Guardian required
- Yes
- Saturday lessons
- Yes
Boarding at our school One school, ten houses. All pupils, whether boarding or day, belong to one of ten houses. Each house buzzes with a life of its own, but all are very much part of our one school, ten houses ethos. Each house is a physical building where pupils meet, relax and have fun, eat toast, do their prep and build friendships to last a lifetime.
Your child's house is the bedrock of their pastoral care, and quickly becomes their home-from-home through a tight-knit community of friends, tutors, house mentors and of course their Matron and Housemaster or Housemistress. We have four boys' boarding houses and three girls' boarding houses.
A genuine home away from home
School House (Boys) Boys house for pupils age 13 - 18 Monteacute (Boys) Boys house for pupils age 13 - 18 Franklin (Boys) Boys house for pupils age 13 - 18 Court (Boys) Boys house for pupils age 13 - 18 Marriotts (Girls) Girls house for pupils age 13 - 18 De Lacy (Girls) Girls house for pupils age 13 - 18 Beaufort (Girls) Girls house for pupils age 13 - 18
We can arrange trusted UK guardianship for international families.
Canford admissions
How children join Canford, and how we make it simple.
Tell us about your child
Share their age, interests and what you're looking for. Our advice is completely free.
We shortlist & introduce
We match you to the right schools and make the introductions to their admissions teams.
Assessment, offer & enrolment
We guide you through entrance assessments and interviews, and handle visas and guardianship if needed.
What you'll typically need
- Recent school reports or transcript
- Passport copy
- English-language evidence (if applicable)
- Completed registration form
- A reference from the current school
Prior to registering a new pupil, we request that you share with us the following documents so that we can make an initial assessment of your pupil: A copy of the child's passport A copy of the child's most recent school report Any formal English qualification e.
g. UKiset or IELTS Once an initial assessment has been made, we will confirm if a registration should be completed. Whilst early registration is recommended, you are welcome to contact us at any point to enquire about the possibility of testing outside of the specified test date windows.
As your advisors we manage the application end-to-end at no cost.
Canford fees & funding
What Canford costs, what's included, and how we help with funding.
What termly boarding fees include
- Tuition
- Boarding accommodation
- All meals
- Pastoral & house care
- Most academic materials
Funding & scholarships
Registration deposits, EAL tuition, uniform and trips are usually charged separately. Many schools offer academic, sport, music and art scholarships plus means-tested bursaries — ask us and we'll send a full, current breakdown for Canford.
Fees change year to year and by entry point. As your independent advisors we hold up-to-date figures and can compare Canford against similar schools so you know exactly what to budget.
Figures shown are the latest we hold — we'll confirm current fees on enquiry.
Canford location & travel
Where Canford is, and how to get there.
Travel details Address Canford Magna, Wimborne, Dorset, BH21 3AD, England Airport transfer Canford runs exeat and half term coach services including airport connections for our boarding pupils. The stops include, Poole Train Station, Southampton Airport, Liphook, London via Winchester, Fleet Services, Richmond and Tothill Street (SW1), and Heathrow (T5).
Travel time to London by train Less than 2 hours Telephone +44 (0)1202 847 202 Website https://www. canford. com/ Most convenient airports Airport Distance (miles) Drive time (minutes) 1. Southampton 33 40 2. London Heathrow 91 100 3. London Gatwick 115 125 Most convenient train stations Station Distance (miles) Drive time (minutes) 1.
Inside Canford
Canford — frequently asked questions
Where is Canford?
How much are Canford boarding fees?
What ages does Canford take?
Is Canford co-educational?
When was Canford founded?
Does Canford require a UK guardian?
How many pupils study A-levels at Canford?
What qualifications does Canford offer?
Does Canford support SEN or EAL students?
How many boarding houses does Canford have?
Are there compulsory exeat weekends at Canford?
Does Canford have Saturday lessons?
How do I apply to Canford?
Does Canford accept international students?
How much does Canford cost?
What's included in Canford's fees?
Are scholarships or bursaries available?
Where exactly is Canford?
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