Ages: 11-18

Registration: Two years before entry

Admissions: School’s own exam, plus interview and previous school’s reports; Common Entrance at age 13

No. of Pupils: 848

Curriculum: GCSE and A-levels

Noteworthy: Said to be the oldest continuously operating school in the UK, King’s School, Canterbury was founded in 597 CE and aims “to anchor a 21st-century education within the illustrious history of the oldest school in the country.”

Originally a boys-only boarding school, today it is co-educational. The school sits on a World Heritage site within the precincts of Canterbury Cathedral, and is just one hour from London. Each school year culminates in the traditional King’s Week, a fascinating festival of music, drama, art and sporting events that take place in various locations, and which often attracts thousands of visitors.

New: Kingsdown House, a girls’ boarding house, opened in October 2016. A new state-of-the-art science centre, on the site of the existing Mitchinson’s House, is set to open by 2020. The overall renovation project will include improved classrooms and dining facilities.

Term fees: Day: £8,900; boarding: £11,765

The Precincts, Canterbury, Kent, kings-school.co.uk