The Skinners' Kent Academy Trust

"The Skinners' Kent Academy Trust is a publicly funded secondary school located in Tunbridge Wells, in the county of Kent, United Kingdom."

Rooted in a commitment to academic excellence and the holistic development of every student, the school serves its community by providing a rigorous, internationally recognised education within the state sector — an increasingly rare and valuable combination for families seeking quality schooling without independent school fees. Established in 2013, the academy is part of the broader Skinners' family of schools in Kent, a network with deep historical roots in the region tied to the Worshipful Company of Skinners, one of London's ancient livery companies. This heritage lends the institution a sense of tradition and civic responsibility, while its academy status ensures it remains forward-looking and responsive to the evolving needs of its students and wider community. What sets The Skinners' Kent Academy Trust apart most distinctly is its adoption of the International Baccalaureate framework across multiple year groups. The school offers three IB programmes: the Middle Years Programme (MYP), the Diploma Programme (DP), and the Career-related Programme (CP). Together, these pathways provide a coherent and connected educational journey from early secondary through to pre-university level. The MYP is designed to encourage students to make practical connections between their studies and the real world, fostering critical thinking and intercultural understanding from an early age. As students progress, they can choose between the academically demanding Diploma Programme — widely regarded as one of the most respected pre-university qualifications in the world — or the Career-related Programme, which blends academic study with professional and vocational learning, offering an excellent option for students with more applied interests and ambitions. All instruction at the school is delivered in English, making it accessible and straightforward for English-speaking expat families and relocating professionals settling in the Tunbridge Wells area. The town itself is a prosperous and picturesque market town in the High Weald of Kent, well connected to London by rail and offering an attractive quality of life for families relocating from abroad or from other parts of the UK. For international families in particular, the IB curriculum provides an important thread of continuity. Because the IB is taught in schools across more than 150 countries, students who have previously studied under the framework — or who may move again in the future — will find a familiar and globally transferable academic structure here. Equally, families new to the IB can be confident that its emphasis on inquiry-based learning, multilingualism, and global citizenship will equip their children well for universities and careers anywhere in the world. As a state school, The Skinners' Kent Academy Trust offers this exceptional educational provision without tuition fees, making it a genuinely distinctive choice for families who value internationally benchmarked education and the personal growth that the IB philosophy nurtures, within an accessible and well-regarded community school setting in one of England's most appealing counties.