CANFORD GROUP: THE LEADING INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS IN ENGLAND’S SOUTH WEST

The Canford Group of Schools is an association of well-known Public Schools across the Southwest of England who share a common ethos, history and purpose. The organisation is comprised of 16 independent secondary schools that are all members of The Heads’ Conference and who come together to discuss educational methodologies and matters of school management.

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ABOUT

The organisation was founded at the behest of Martin Marriott, headmaster at Canford School between 1976 and 1992 and who would go on to chair The Headmasters’ Conference (HMC) (now called The Head’s Conference). Canford School was established in 1923 when a small but well-regarded boys’ school from Weston-super-Mare took up residency at Canford Manor, the ancestral home of the Dukes of Lancaster. Canford Manor is a celebrated architectural site which was partially designed by renowned architects, Edward Blore and, later, Sir Charles Barry. The school quickly achieved a national reputation as a leading example of the English Public School model and attracting the sons of the British noble and military officer classes. The school is renowned for its academic rigor, comprehensive co-curricular program, and strong emphasis on character development. With a sprawling 300-acre parkland campus, the school is regarded as one of the most beautiful in England with a proud sporting heritage.

A number of similar schools exist across the Southwest of England, particularly in the West Country counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset and Wiltshire. The lush scenery and warmer climate make the region an extremely popular choice for British and international families seeking great school options, particularly boarding schools in the Public School tradition. Some are amongst the oldest independent schools in the world, with some, such as Wells Cathedral School, having a foundation more than one thousand years old. Others, such as The King’s School, Bruton, King Edward’s School Bath, Blundell’s School, Downside School and Exeter School date back to the Renaissance era of the 1500s and 1600s.

With Canford School at the helm, the Canford Group was formed when the heads of peer schools in the region were invited to join the association. The schools, with the exception of Exeter School and King Edward’s School Bath, are all boarding schools (Exeter ended its boarding programme in 1999 but still helps international admissions find accommodation within their host family network, King Edward’s boarding programme closed when the school moved to its current site). They are all co-educational secondary schools, some offering primary level education (particularly preparatory schooling). Blundell’s School, Exeter School, King Edward’s School Bath, Millfield School, Mount Kelly School, Plymouth College, Truro School, Warminster School, Wellington School, Wells Cathedral School and West Buckland School all have well-regarded primary schools integrated within their structures.

Whilst some of the Canford Group of Schools members maintain a faith-based ethos (Canford and The King’s School, Bruton being traditionally Anglican, as is Wells Cathedral School which is aligned with the Church of England Wells Cathedral, Downside School being Roman Catholic and affiliated to the Benedictine Downside Abbey, Prior Park College is also Catholic, Truro School has a Methodist tradition and West Buckland School being Christian), pupils of all faiths and beliefs are welcomed.

The Canford Group of Schools is one of a number of groupings of private schools in England that foster cooperation and collaboration between regional peers (such as the Association of Junior Independent Schools (AJIS), the Haileybury and St Albans Group and the Monmouth Group). Nonetheless, owing to the reputation of its member schools, the group is often equated to other elite associations such as the Eton Group, Oxford Group and Rugby Group, or even the loose association of the Sevenoaks Group, which are nationwide and do not focus on advocating for their region. These groups all exist to enable the sharing of ideas and experiences between members and to support staff and management.

Canford Group meetings are regularly convened at differing host schools, bringing together faculty members for specific subject and curricula discussions or school management functions. The group hosts annual conferences of Heads and Deputy Heads as well as a regular programme of departmental head and administrative head meetings, often with external speakers invited.

Occasionally, Canford Group events and conferences are organised for students at the member schools, however the association primarily exists to serve faculty. That being said, the Canford Group is particularly good at assisting pupils at their member schools with career services and university admissions. The association does not extend to sporting competition, however the member schools share friendly rivalries across their various sports programmes and under regional and national sporting associations such as the Independent Schools Football Association (ISFA).

The Canford Group does not have a dedicated secretariat function, however, if you would like to find out more about the Canford Group of Schools, we would suggest getting in touch with any of the member schools as listed below.

We welcome readers’ contributions, perhaps you attended one of these schools or taught there? Please feel free to let us know your experiences in the comments below.

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MEMBERS AND ASSOCIATES

CHOOSE LIST VIEW FOR A SIMPLE LIST OF ALL LISTED SCHOOLS. ALTERNATIVELY, YOU CAN SELECT SCHOOLS USING THE MAP BELOW.

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