Canford School
11+ Admissions Guide 2026

Canford School is an independent day and boarding school for boys and girls aged between 13 and 18, established in 1923 and set within 250 acres beside the River Stour near Wimborne, Dorset. The school has four boys' boarding houses, three girls' boarding houses, and three mixed houses for day pupils, and is governed by a board of trustees as a registered charity. The school aims to inspire its pupils to embrace learning in all its forms and to make a positive difference to their own lives and the lives of others. It seeks to nurture motivated, moral, socially responsible, and creative people within a community built on trust, mutual respect, and encouragement. The school is home to 652 pupils from a range of backgrounds, with boarders drawn primarily from the southern counties of England and overseas pupils representing 15 different countries. Pupils identified as having special educational needs and/or disabilities receive tailored support, and the school runs an academic enrichment programme that supports and develops both scholars and other pupils alongside the taught curriculum.

Pupils permitted to bring mobile phones but use restricted during school day. No mobiles allowed during lessons or in dining hall at lunch. In Year 9, mobile phones not allowed until end of formal school day and taken away at bedtime in boarding houses. Day pupil parents encouraged to follow same policy.