Orwell Park joins the Benenden Family of Schools

We are proud to announce an historic new chapter in our history; a strategic partnership and merger with Benenden School. 

Following careful evaluation, the Board, Head and Senior Leadership Team concluded that a partnership with a leading national senior school would best ensure that we continue to deliver the outstanding educational experience that Orwell provides.  

Benenden, one of the UK’s most highly regarded boarding schools, was chosen for its shared values, strong traditions and proven commitment to academic and co-curricular excellence. Importantly, Benenden is entirely independently run and not affiliated to any educational group or commercial backer, ensuring the partnership is rooted in shared ethos rather than financial transaction. 

Our two schools will work together across a range of educational and operational functions and Orwell Park will retain its own identity, ethos and leadership team. Crucially, Orwell will continue to prepare pupils for a wide variety of senior schools, maintaining its longstanding commitment to finding the right fit for every child. 

The partnership will also deliver significant benefits, including enhanced financial resilience, shared expertise across finance, HR, marketing and admissions, and expanded opportunities for pupils in academic and cultural areas. Consistent with this shared passion, Benenden has committed to work with us to further invest in the upgrade of the old middle school to develop and enhance the learning and wellbeing hub initiative commenced this summer. 

Benenden currently educates 550 girls aged 11 to 18 at its Kent campus and enjoys close ties with leading boys’ schools such as Tonbridge. Benenden currently has one international school, Benenden School Guangzhou, and Orwell is proud to join the group. 

Benenden’s Headmistress, Rachel Bailey, welcomed the announcement, saying: 

“This is a proud day for both Orwell Park and Benenden. Our schools have long enjoyed a close and mutually beneficial relationship so I am delighted that we will be working together even more closely. Whenever I have visited Orwell, it feels very similar to Benenden, with an undeniable sense of purpose and ambition within a friendly and welcoming environment.” 

Orwell Park’s Head, Simon O’Malley, described the move as a bold step forward: 

“At a time of uncertainty and disruption in the independent sector, this bold initiative will further strengthen Orwell Park’s position as the leading prep school in East Anglia. 

“Together as partners, the capacity to enhance and develop all that Orwell is renowned for will only grow.” 

There will be further updates as the partnership begins to take shape. As you would expect, Orwell’s ethos, values and commitment to every child’s individual journey remains firmly at the centre of this exciting new chapter.