Cranbrook School (formerly Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School) is a

co-educational Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to ...

state funded boarding and day

grammar school A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and other English-speaking countries, originally a Latin school, school teaching Latin, but more recently an academically oriented Se ...

in the

market town A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rura ...

Cranbrook, Kent Cranbrook is a town in the civil parish of Cranbrook and Sissinghurst, in the Weald of Kent in South East England. It lies roughly half-way between Maidstone and Hastings, about southeast of central London. The smaller settlements of Sissin ...

, England. Selection is made of pupils at age 11 and 13.

History

The school was founded after the death of John Blubery, a yeoman of the King's Armoury. In his will he decreed that if the child of his daughter be a girl, then his mansion house be turned into a free school for the poor children of Cranbrook. Queen Elizabeth I granted the school charter in 1574, which is now housed in the library.

Recent history

In 2003 alumnus Piers Sellers, a NASA astronaut, took a copy of the school charter into space with him. A photo is exhibited in the school cafeteria. In 2005 Sellers opened the school's

observatory An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial, marine, or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geophysics, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed. Th ...

, which is named after him. This observatory houses the 22.5-inch Alan Young telescope operated by the Cranbrook and District Science and Astronomy Society (CADSAS). In May 2010 Sellers took into outer space aboard the Space Shuttle an original watercolour portrait of Cranbrook School painted by Brenda Barratt. The painting was later returned to the school with official

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the federal government of the United States, US federal government responsible for the United States ...

verification that it has travelled into space.BBC News report, 25 January 2010 In 2018, a new day house specifically for the 120 students in Years 7 and 8 was named after Sellers.

Campus

Queen's Hall Theatre

The Queen’s Hall Theatre was first opened in 1976; the original vision for the building was to provide a local community theatre which was funded by Cranbrook school, by the Education Authority and by Public subscription. The subsequent refurbishment twenty years later in 1996 was financed by a generous grant from Tunbridge Wells Borough Council, the Lottery Agency and by the Governors of the School, to capitalise upon the venue’s ability to attract visiting Arts Companies of a high calibre to the local area. Today the Queen’s Hall Theatre provides a diverse range of professional shows to appeal to all ages and tastes within the Cranbrook community, such as live music events and The Cranbrook Comedy Club. As well as professional productions, The Cranbrook Operatic and Dramatic Society puts on 3 shows a year, whilst the school puts on a musical and a play each year, both are done to a very high standard. Seating a maximum of just over 350 people, The performance space is very flexible with adaptable seating allowing performances in the round, as well as on stage within the traditional proscenium arch. The building is well equipped with state-of-the-art technical equipment and includes a large retractable cinema screen, a comprehensive lighting rig including intelligent moving fixtures, and a high-quality sound system. There are two good-sized dressing rooms backstage as well as a classroom and green room which can double as extra-large dressing/band rooms when required.

Performing Arts Centre

The Performing Arts Centre (PAC) was opened in 2004. It contains the Wilkinson Studio, Music Practice Rooms, Vickers Auditorium, and a Recording Studio. The PAC is used for drama and music lessons and is open to students for practice during break.

Notable Old Cranbrookians

* General Sir John Akehurst, Deputy Supreme Allied Commander, Europe (1987–1990), and president of the United Kingdom Reserve Forces Association (1991–1999) * Sir Anthony Barnes Atkinson, professor of economics at the

University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...

Air Chief Marshal Air chief marshal (Air Chf Mshl or ACM) is a high-ranking air officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many Commonwealth of Nations, countries that have historical British i ...

Sir John Barraclough, station commander of RAF Biggin Hill (1954–1956) *

Emma Biggs Emma Biggs (born 1956) is a London-based mosaic artist and author of a number of standard textbooks on contemporary mosaic practice. Having completed the large public art project, "Made in England", based on the visual culture and ideology of the ...

, mosaic artist * Hugo Burnham, drummer (

Gang of Four The Gang of Four () was a Maoist political faction composed of four Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials. They came to prominence during the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976) and were later charged with a series of treasonous crimes due to th ...

) and associate professor at the New England Institute of Art * Jon Cleary, Grammy award-winning musician * Canon John Collins, radical clergyman and political campaigner * Michael Croucher TV film producer *

Barry Davies Barry George Davies MBE (born 24 October 1937) is an English retired sports commentator and television presenter. He covered a wide range of sports in a long career, primarily for the BBC. Although best known for his football commentary, Da ...

, sports commentator * Louise Dean, novelist * Phil Edmonds, cricketer *

Henry Ford Henry Ford (July 30, 1863 – April 7, 1947) was an American Technological and industrial history of the United States, industrialist and business magnate. As the founder of the Ford Motor Company, he is credited as a pioneer in making automob ...

professor of arabic and principal of

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* Karin Giannone, journalist and news presenter at

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* Henri Gillet, professor of mathematics at the

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* Harry Hill, comedian * Sir

Victor Horsley Sir Victor Alexander Haden Horsley (14 April 1857 – 16 July 1916) was a British scientist and professor. He was born in Kensington, London. Educated at Cranbrook School, Kent, he studied medicine at University College London and in Berlin, G ...

, neurosurgeon *

Wing Commander Wing commander (Wg Cdr or W/C) is a senior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. Wing commander is immediately se ...

Sir Norman Hulbert, Conservative MP for

Stockport Stockport is a town in Greater Manchester, England, south-east of Manchester, south-west of Ashton-under-Lyne and north of Macclesfield. The River Goyt, Rivers Goyt and River Tame, Greater Manchester, Tame merge to create the River Mersey he ...

(1935–1950) and Stockport North (1950–1964) * Arthur Surridge Hunt, papyrologist * Richard L. Hunter, Regius Professor of Greek at the

University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...

(2001–) *

Hammond Innes Ralph Hammond Innes (15 July 1913 – 10 June 1998) was a British novelist who wrote over 30 novels, as well as works for children and travel books. Biography Innes was born in Horsham, Sussex, and educated at Feltonfleet School, Cobham, Surrey ...

, novelist * Hugh Kennard, wing commander, World War II pilot civilian aviator *

Kevin Lygo Kevin Lygo (born 19 September 1957) is a British television Executive (management), executive, currently Director of Television at ITV Network, ITV. Early life Lygo is the son of Royal Navy officer Raymond Lygo. Educated at Cranbrook School, Ken ...

, television executive and

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Director of Television and Content (2007–) * Ruaridh McConnochie, silver medal-winning member of the Great Britain national rugby sevens team at the

2016 Olympics The 2016 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXXI Olympiad () and officially branded as Rio 2016, were an international multi-sport event held from 5 to 21 August 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with preliminary events i ...

and England Rugby Union player * Richard Barham Middleton, poet and short-story writer * Brian Moore, football commentator * Sir David Muirhead, Ambassador to Peru (1967–1970),

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

(1970–1974), and

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

(1974–1978) * Tony Nicklinson, right-to-die campaigner * Stuart Organ, actor * Colonel Mike Osborn, British military officer and former commander of the 22nd Special Air Service Regiment * Caspar Phillipson, actor * Richard Pilbrow, theatre producer * William Rootes, co-founder of the

Rootes Group The Rootes Group was a British automobile manufacturer and, separately, a major motor distributors and dealers business. From headquarters in the West End of London, the manufacturer was based in the English Midlands, Midlands and the distribu ...

* Piers Sellers, astronaut * Sir

Nicholas Shackleton Sir Nicholas John Shackleton (23 June 1937 – 24 January 2006) was an English geologist and paleoclimatologist who specialised in the Quaternary Period. He was the son of the distinguished field geologist Robert Millner Shackleton and great- ...

, professor of quaternary palaeoclimatology at the

(1991–2004) * Edwin Shirley, rock and roll tour organiser * Sir Tim Smit, co-founder of the

Eden Project The Eden Project () is a visitor attraction in Cornwall, England. The project is located in a reclaimed china clay clay pit, pit.Ordnance Survey (2005). ''OS Explorer Map 107 – Fowey, Looe & Lostwithiel''. . The complex is dominated by two h ...

* Henri Tebbitt, painter * Air Vice-Marshal Sir John Weston, station commander of RAF Halton (1952–1953) * Peter West, television presenter * Sir Charles Wheeler, BBC journalist * Wallace Duffield Wright, VC recipient * Katie Kittermaster, musician * Es Devlin, artist and stage designer * Sarah Keith-Lucas, meteorologist * Vijay Rangarajan, British diplomat * Annabel Gallop, head of the Southeast Asia Section at the British Library * Henry Shields, playwright * John Bluett, cricketer * Alfred Daldy, priest * Georgina Henry, journalist * Jacqueline Winspear, author * Toby Rowland-Jones, founder Big Sur Food and Wine Festival, California

References

Duncan H. Robinson, ''Cranbrook School - A Brief history'', 1972
* Nigel Nicolson, ''Cranbrook School - An Illustrated History 1518-1974'', 1974

External links

School website

EduBase

News items

{{authority control Grammar schools in Kent 1518 establishments in England Educational institutions established in the 1510s Boarding schools in Kent Schools with a royal charter State funded boarding schools in England Academies in Kent Cranbrook, Kent