What Cranleigh School does

Cranleigh School is an independent co-educational day and boarding school located in Cranleigh, Surrey, England, founded in 1865. It serves pupils from Pre-School age through Sixth Form, with the Prep School and Senior School sharing a single 280-acre campus. The school is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference (HMC) and is inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI), and it offers a curriculum that includes GCSEs, A-Levels and the International Baccalaureate (IB). The core proposition is a full pre-university education for UK and international families, with the school explicitly marketing itself to overseas boarders and operating an international network under the 'Cranleigh International' brand.

The primary revenue stream is tuition fees — £15,825/year for Pre-Prep, £30,480/year for Senior School day pupils, and up to £36,795/year for boarders — with ancillary income from fees, lettings, and endowment drawdowns. Beyond the UK campus, the school licenses its brand and educational approach to operate international schools in Abu Dhabi (with Aldar Education, since 2014), Changsha, Wuhan, and a planned Hanoi campus in 2026, collectively accommodating more than 1,800 pupils. These international schools are operated through local partners rather than direct ownership, making the model a fee- and royalty-based licensing business layered on top of the UK operating school.

The school's digital infrastructure is modest: it uses Firefly as its Virtual Learning Environment, Microsoft Clarity and Google Analytics for website analytics, and platforms such as Open Apply for admissions. There is no evidence of proprietary technology, research-led product development, or sophisticated data assets. Positionally, Cranleigh competes for fee-paying UK and international families against other HMC schools; its differentiation rests on 160 years of heritage, a continuous Pre-School-to-Sixth-Form pathway, alumni network, and the international licensing network that supplies both prestige and a feeder pipeline for the UK campus.

Name

Cranleigh School

Legal name

Cranleigh School

Website

https://cranleigh.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1865

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Cranleigh School is an independent co-educational day and boarding school in Surrey, UK, founded in 1865, serving pupils from Pre-School to Sixth Form on a single campus and operating a network of licensed international schools in Abu Dhabi, China, and Vietnam.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent K-12 Education (Day and Boarding School)

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Nonsectarian Independent Boarding Schools (EDAJABAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

On-Ground Orientation, Travel, Transfers & Logistics Support (EDAIAHAL)

Keywords

• Independent boarding school
• Preparatory school education
• Senior secondary education
• International school licensing
• Co-curricular enrichment programmes

Headquarters

HQ city

Cranleigh

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition Fees - Boarding: Full boarding fees for Years 7-8 covering accommodation, meals, and all school activities
2. Tuition Fees - Day: Day pupil fees across Pre-Prep, Prep, and Senior school year groups with tiered pricing by year
3. Pre-School Fees: Session-based fees for 3-4 year olds, with both funded and unfunded rate options
4. Additional Activities: Optional extras including wraparound care, extended school hours, and specific activities not covered in base fees
5. Cranleigh International Licensing: International school partnerships generating income through brand licensing, quality assurance, and governance participation (Abu Dhabi, China, Vietnam)
6. Venue and Facilities Hire: Cranleigh Activities generates income through low-impact use of school facilities when not in use by pupils

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Cranleigh School delivers independent co-educational day and boarding education for pupils aged 3 to 18 across two integrated sites (Cranleigh Prep and Cranleigh Senior) on a 280-acre Surrey Hills campus. Core delivery comprises academic programmes (GCSE, A-Levels, EPQ, Scholars' Programme), flexible boarding (weekly, flexi, full), pastoral care, and an extensive co-curricular programme of 50+ activities. Revenue is generated primarily from termly tuition fees, supplemented by international school licensing via Cranleigh International (Abu Dhabi, China, Vietnam) and venue hire income through Cranleigh Activities.

Product overview

Cranleigh School is a co-educational independent day and boarding school offering one seamless educational journey from ages 3 to 18 through two integrated institutions: Cranleigh Preparatory School (ages 3–13, including Pre-School opening 2026) and Cranleigh Senior School (ages 13–18, including Sixth Form). The school operates on a 280-acre campus in the Surrey Hills, combining a rigorous academic curriculum with an extensive co-curricular programme of over 50 activities spanning sport, music, drama, dance, outdoor education, and clubs. Boarding options (weekly, flexi, and full) are available at both sites. The portfolio includes the Cranleigh International network of branded schools (Abu Dhabi and China), the Cranleigh Foundation (charitable arm), Cranleigh Activities (venue hire), the Old Cranleighan Society (alumni network), and Cranleigh Network (careers programme). Academic offerings extend through the Scholars' Programme, EPQ, and Futures university preparation. Learning support, medical facilities, wraparound care, and school bus services provide comprehensive pupil welfare.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cranleigh Preparatory School (Cranleigh Prep) Cranleigh Preparatory School is a co-educational day and boarding school for children aged 3–13, spanning Pre-School (ages 3–4), Pre-Prep (Reception–Year 2), and Prep (Years 3–8). It is the preparatory division of Cranleigh School, offering a seamless journey from early years through to senior school entry preparation, with 50+ co-curricular activities, 120 boarders, and shared facilities with the Senior School on the 280-acre campus.
• Cranleigh Senior School Cranleigh Senior School is Surrey's leading co-educational independent boarding and day school for pupils aged 13–18, offering academic programmes (GCSE, A-Levels, EPQ), co-curricular activities, flexible boarding options, and Sixth Form preparation for university and the world of work. Termly fees range from £15,825 (Reception) to £36,795 (Boarding Years 7–8) per annum inclusive of VAT.
• Cranleigh Pre-School Cranleigh Pre-School is a new nursery provision for children aged 3–4, set within the Pre-Prep and opening in September 2026. It offers session-based fees (£34.79 funded / £53.81 unfunded per session) with lunch included, dedicated play areas, forest school access, qualified Early Years practitioners, and preparation for Reception entry with focus on pastoral care, emotional wellbeing, reading, writing, and early numeracy.
• Boarding

Quantifiable outcome

• Best post-pandemic A-level results achieved in 2025 with most pupils receiving first-choice university offers
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Cranleigh Vietnam (Hanoi)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026New state-of-the-art campus announced in 2026 for expansion into Southeast Asia. Launch event held in Vietnam.
• Cogdel EducationflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Partnership to launch Cranleigh China schools in mainland China. First school in Changsha opened September 2020 with 500 students. Second school in Wuhan opened 2022.
• Aldar EducationflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Partnership to operate Cranleigh Abu Dhabi, founded in 2014. School has grown to 1,300+ pupils and received top ADEK rating. One of the most renowned schools in the UAE.
• Harrison Catering ServicescoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerExternal catering provider supplying fresh, nutritious and balanced meals for both boarding and day pupils, prepared on-site by skilled chefs.
• VectarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTransport service partner running dedicated school bus routes. Vectare provides journey planning, booking, and parent portal with technology for efficiency, safety, and reliability. Carries 1.5 million passengers annually.
• KV Academy of DanceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDance academy partnership providing specialist classes in ballet, tap, modern, jazz and street dance for Prep School pupils.
• The Diana AwardminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnti-Bullying Ambassador Training provider. Staff and pupils participate in training from The Diana Award, with ongoing resources and training for ambassadors.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Millfield School: Large UK independent co-educational boarding school with a particularly strong sporting proposition that overlaps with Cranleigh's extensive sports and co-curricular programme.
• Wellington College: Major UK independent co-educational boarding school in Berkshire with similar broad academic/co-curricular offering and Surrey/South-East catchment overlap with Cranleigh.
• Repton School: Historic UK independent co-educational boarding school with similar Prep-to-Senior structure and international school licensing through Repton International, providing a comparable model to Cranleigh's international arm.
• Tonbridge School: UK independent co-educational boarding school in Kent with similar age range, boarding model and university-prep focus; explicitly listed by Cranleigh Prep as a destination school, indicating direct competition for senior school places.
• Charterhouse School: Historic UK independent boarding school in Surrey with comparable full-boarding co-educational model and academic profile; named by Cranleigh Prep as a destination, evidencing head-to-head competition for senior school applicants.
• Epsom College: Surrey-based independent co-educational boarding school in the same catchment as Cranleigh, competing directly for day and boarding pupils from the same South-East family demographic.
• Brighton College: Top-ranked UK independent co-educational boarding school with strong academic results comparable to Cranleigh's 2025 best-ever A-level performance; direct competitor for premium UK boarding pupils.

Broad incumbents

• Nord Anglia Education: Large global operator of premium international schools (including in China and Southeast Asia) with a similar premium positioning to Cranleigh International and direct overlap in target geographies.
• Dulwich College International: Dulwich College's network of international schools across Asia operates a similar UK-brand-licensing model to Cranleigh International and is a broader incumbent competing for premium British-branded international school partnerships in the same geographies.
• Harrow School: Prestigious UK independent boarding school with its own Harrow International Schools network in Asia, mirroring Cranleigh's home-and-international structure and competing for both UK pupils and international brand licensing opportunities.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/cranleighschool1
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cranleigh-school
• Instagraminstagram.com/cranleighschool

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cranleigh School