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For 17-year-old Nattakarn, joining Cobham Hall in Kent was like finding a new home. Ruk, as she’s known, found it “so friendly.” “I met so many wonderful new people, made friends from all over the world, and felt so welcome. We shared our culture, we shared foods from our home, and we were treated like family in boarding,” says the student from Bangkok, Thailand.
Having heard of the school from her aunt, who attended in the 1990s, and recognising its school grounds from the 2008 coming-of-age film “Wild Child,” she knew Cobham Hall was where she wanted to be. “I wanted a new challenge, to be involved in a global environment, and exposed to global thinking,” she says. “I suggested to my parents that I would like to go to school in the UK, and to my delight, they agreed.”
Cobham Hall is a school rich in history but with its eyes firmly focused on its students’ futures. Education at this school is not just about getting top marks in exams; it is about preparing you to tackle life’s mysteries, explore the unknown tomorrow, and secure future job prospects – stuff that textbooks do not teach you. These are all achieved through the school’s award-winning Perspectives courses.
Cobham Hall’s forward-thinking curriculum and broad co-curricular programme are designed to prepare young people for an ever-changing world. Source: Cobham Hall
Following the Round Square IDEALS theme, an educational approach formed by a network of international schools from different countries, Cobham Hall emphasises internationalism, democracy, environmentalism, adventure, leadership, and service in its learning experience. Alongside helping students understand different cultures and spurring them to voice their opinions and debate, this approach gets students to care about the planet’s future,step out of their comfort zones, take charge in a leadership role, and engage with local communities through voluntary service activities.
Other than gaining experiences that will last a lifetime, these six core values also build skills that shape young people into better people. They set them up for their future careers and lives. Skills like creativity, confidence, teamwork, communication, adaptability, empathy, resilience, and time management are all important attributes nurtured early in students here so that they may be the best versions of themselves. An effective approach, it’s earned the school a spot among the Highly Commended in the Muddy Stilettos Best Schools Awards 2024.
Many of these skills come to life through Cobham Hall’s co-curricular activities. They are expansive and include clubs like Creative Calm, Middle and Upper School Film, and Music Theory. Sports span running, cricket, and even trampolining. There are Model United Nations, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, and the University Challenge as well — all of which are great ways to get a feel of leadership.
Cobham Hall has a safe, happy, and family-like environment with maximum pastoral care. Source: Cobham Hall
“I have loved experiencing so many different activities, from taking the lead role in our performance of ‘Guys and Dolls’ earlier this year to being involved in the choir, ‘Benesonantes’,” 17-year-old Jude from Meopham, Kent says. “There is so much variety. And they’re not just activities; they’ve really built my character.”
On weekends, the Saturday Enrichment Programme runs activities and experiences that have sparked many new passions. In its 2023-2024 schedule alone, there were more than five activities ranging from day trips and cooking classes to songwriting workshops. These take students to out of their comfort zone to try something new.
Housed in a beautiful 16th-century mansion surrounded by 150 acres of glorious Kent countryside, Cobham Hall adopts a family-friendly and student-first setting. Although just 30 minutes from central London, this is a campus to enjoy life’s simpler pleasures and where every child is known by name. They are supported and given attention, a feature that’s won it the Small Independent School of the Year Award nomination in 2024. “In Cobham Hall, the class sizes are small, and the teachers are able to take time with you, to talk to each student and to answer all their questions,” Ruk says. “Here, teachers give maximum pastoral care by making sure you feel content, safe, and comfortable in this learning environment.
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