Beechwood Sacred Heart School
An Independent Co-educational Day School for ages 3 – 18, Boarding for Girls only, from 11 to 18, 400+ pupils, County of Kent
About Beechwood
Founded in 1915 by the Society of the Sacred Heart, Beechwood retains a special family quality, underpinned by standards and values derived from its Catholic tradition. The school is located close to the centre of Tunbridge Wells, less than one hour from London and within easy reach of main airports.The school welcomes both boys and girls and pupils of all creeds, including representatives from several different countries overseas. A strong partnership between family, staff and pupils encourages every child to develop and to excel at their individual talents.
Beechwood is a wide-ability school and yet academic results are consistently strong, with Beechwood regularly placed in the top 10% of all schools in England for A-level university points. In 2009, Beechwood was placed 236th in the Daily Telegraph national league table of top independent schools; having achieved 100% pass rate and 74% AB grades in the A-level examinations.
Admissions
Girls may be admitted to boarding normally at age 11, 13 or 16, although, where vacancies exist, it is possible to join the school in any year group. Pupils from overseas will be required to complete the school’s own tests in English and Mathematics. Selection will be based on performance in these tests and on a report from the pupil’s current school.
Boarding
Boarders at Beechwood live in the main school building, an elegant Victorian house built in 1855. The house was originally built as a home and still feels like a home for our boarders whose rooms are on the top floors. The school sits in twenty three acres of beautiful, landscaped grounds which overlook open countryside. A short walk or taxi ride takes you into the centre of the town of Tunbridge Wells, where you will find coffee shops, good shopping facilities and other entertainment. Tunbridge Wells is an historical town and destination for tourists who come to admire the impressive Pantiles and the Chalybeate Spring.
Beechwood Sacred Heart School is an independent school with its own integral Preparatory School. Previously a highly successful girls-only school, Beechwood Senior School began a plan for co-education in September 2008, welcoming day boys into Year 7 for the first time. This has been so successful that the school will be fully co-educational, including the Sixth Form, by 2011.
Boarding is available for girls aged 11 - 18. In the future Beechwood may extend our boarding provision to include senior boys; meanwhile boys who wish to board may be offered a home-stay arrangement with local families.
English as an Additional Language
The EAL department is a well-established centre for students whose first language is not English. Individually tailored programmes of study ensure that students can achieve their potential in all subject areas quickly and effectively. In small groups students gain competence in reading, writing, listening and speaking, allowing them to integrate with ease into school life. Sixth Formers are prepared for the IELTS examination for entrance into Higher Education. In addition, confidence in spoken English is enhanced by extra-curricular lessons in Oral Communication; this has become so popular that some students are now opting to take Speech and Drama lessons leading to LAMDA examinations.
Location
By air –London Heathrow Airport within 1 hour drive, Gatwick Airport within 30 minutes drive. By rail – Tunbridge Wells (20 minutes walk or short taxi ride) to London Charring Cross 50 minutes.
Visit the Beechwood School website.
