Best Schools in Ashford

How many schools are there in Ashford?

Ashford has 62 open schools: 47 state primary, 6 state secondary or all-through, 3 independent and 6 special.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Ashford are rated Outstanding?

6 schools in Ashford were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: St Michael Catholic Primary School & Nursery, Challock Primary School, Great Chart Primary School, Goldwyn School, Lady Joanna Thornhill Endowed Primary School and 1 more. Counting Good as well, 96% of the 52 graded schools here are rated Good or better. Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall grades in September 2024, so these are the grades from each school's last full inspection.

St Michael Catholic Primary School & NurseryChallock Primary SchoolGreat Chart Primary SchoolGoldwyn SchoolLady Joanna Thornhill Endowed Primary School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Ashford get the best GCSE results?

Of the 8 schools in Ashford with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Highworth Grammar School (selective grammar), with an Attainment 8 score of 69.2 and 93% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; The Norton Knatchbull School (selective grammar), with an Attainment 8 score of 64.2 and 83% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Towers School and Sixth Form Centre, with an Attainment 8 score of 42.4 and 38% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Selective schools admit by ability, so their raw results are not a like-for-like comparison with comprehensives. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Highworth Grammar SchoolThe Norton Knatchbull SchoolTowers School and Sixth Form Centre

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Ashford have the best SATs results?

Of the 45 primary schools in Ashford with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Stowting Church of England Primary School (100% in reading, 100% in maths); St Michael Catholic Primary School & Nursery (95% in reading, 97% in maths); and Charing Church of England Primary School (93% in reading, 93% in maths). Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Stowting Church of England Primary SchoolSt Michael Catholic Primary School & NurseryCharing Church of England Primary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Ashford?

Yes. Highworth Grammar School and The Norton Knatchbull School are state grammar schools in Ashford. Grammar schools admit pupils by ability through an entrance test, usually sat at the start of Year 6.

Highworth Grammar SchoolThe Norton Knatchbull School

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

How close do you need to live to get into schools in Ashford?

It depends on the school, and the cut-off moves every year with the number of applications. Surrey published how far the last place offered went at these schools: Clarendon Primary School, 0.42 km for 2023 entry; The Echelford Primary School, 1.63 km for 2023 entry; Thomas Knyvett College, 19.51 km for 2021 entry. These are the authority's own figures, not fixed boundaries.

Clarendon Primary SchoolThe Echelford Primary SchoolThomas Knyvett College

Source: Surrey admissions booklets

How do I apply for a school place in Ashford?

Apply to your council - Kent or Surrey, depending on your address - through its coordinated admissions process, even for academies and faith schools. In England the closing date is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts. Independent schools run their own admissions, so apply to those directly.