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Schools across Kent

Local authority · 712 schools across 74 towns

New inspection results and open days, weekly by email.

Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 7 days

Deadline Monday 2 November 2026. Apply to Kent (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.

Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days

Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Kent (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.

Year 7 dates to calendar Reception dates to calendarHow to apply in Kent →

Schools in Kent (712)

Showing 20 of 712 schools

Total Schools

712

459 primary · 102 secondary

Total Pupils

266,371

93% capacity used

Ofsted Rated

210

37 outstanding · 173 good

Capacity

287,598

21,227 spare places

Ofsted Ratings

173
498
Outstanding: 37
Good: 173
Requires Improvement: 4
Not inspected: 498

Best Schools in Kent

View the full league table - ranked by Ofsted, Progress 8, KS2 results and more

Area Performance (2026)

Attainment 8

37.2

GCSE Eng+Maths

34.3%

School Capacity

Primary Schools

92% full
125,932 pupils137,367 capacity

11,435 spare places

Secondary Schools

96% full
110,897 pupils115,200 capacity

4,303 spare places

Pupil Absence

Avg Overall Absence

6.7%

2024/25

Avg Persistent Absence

17.9%

2024/25

Schools Reporting

574

2024/25

Absence trend across Kent schools

4.8%
18/19
4.7%
20/21
7.4%
21/22
7.2%
22/23
6.9%
23/24
6.7%
24/25

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Average across all open schools in this LA.

EHCP Timeliness

Issued Within 20 Weeks

57%

Plans Issued

1,758

Assessment Requests

4,401

Tribunal Cases

446

EHCP timeliness trend (% issued within 20 weeks)

29%
2019
31%
2020
41%
2021
41%
2022
18%
2023
32%
2024
57%
2025

Source: DfE EHCP timeliness statistics. Shows how quickly this LA issues Education, Health and Care Plans.

Admission Appeals

2026 admission appeals by school phase

Primary

21,645 admissions

237

Lodged

(1.1%)

166

Heard

18

Successful

(11%)

Primary (infant classes)

17,866 admissions

152

Lodged

(0.9%)

111

Heard

2

Successful

(2%)

Secondary

23,505 admissions

2,335

Lodged

(9.9%)

1,948

Heard

593

Successful

(30%)

Total

45,150 admissions

2,572

Lodged

(5.7%)

2,114

Heard

611

Successful

(29%)

Total appeals lodged per year

6745
2019
6695
2020
6964
2021
6266
2022
6026
2023
6104
2024
5787
2025
5296
2026

Source: DfE admission appeals statistics. Shows how competitive school places are in this area.

Towns in Kent

Maidstone

68 schools

Canterbury

53 schools

Ashford

52 schools

Gravesend

41 schools

Sevenoaks

38 schools

Tonbridge

38 schools

Sittingbourne

36 schools

Tunbridge Wells

35 schools

Dover

32 schools

Dartford

31 schools

Folkestone

29 schools

Ramsgate

19 schools

Margate

15 schools

Sheerness

15 schools

Faversham

14 schools

Deal

14 schools

Broadstairs

14 schools

Cranbrook

13 schools

West Malling

12 schools

Whitstable

9 schools

Questions parents ask about schools in Kent

How many schools are there in Kent?

Kent has 712 open schools: 459 state primary, 106 state secondary or all-through, 49 independent, 88 special and 10 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Kent are rated Outstanding?

90 schools in Kent were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: The Quest School, Life Skills Manor, Hilden Park, Small Haven School, Rodmersham School and 85 more. Counting Good as well, 93% of the 602 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.

The Quest SchoolLife Skills ManorHilden ParkSmall Haven SchoolRodmersham School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Kent get the best GCSE results?

Of the 117 schools in Kent with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Dartford Grammar School (selective grammar), with an Attainment 8 score of 78.9 and 100% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; The Judd School (selective grammar), with an Attainment 8 score of 78.3 and 99% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Dartford Grammar School for Girls (selective grammar), with an Attainment 8 score of 77.3 and 98% 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.

Dartford Grammar SchoolThe Judd SchoolDartford Grammar School for Girls

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Kent have the best SATs results?

4 of the 424 primary schools in Kent with 2025 Key Stage 2 results had every pupil reach the expected standard in both reading and maths, among them Four Elms Primary School, Halstead Community Primary School and Plaxtol Primary School. Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Four Elms Primary SchoolHalstead Community Primary SchoolPlaxtol Primary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Kent?

Yes. Kent has 32 state grammar schools, including Barton Court Grammar School, Borden Grammar School, Chatham & Clarendon Grammar School, Cranbrook School, Dane Court Grammar School and Dartford Grammar School. Grammar schools admit pupils by ability through an entrance test, usually sat at the start of Year 6.

Barton Court Grammar SchoolBorden Grammar SchoolChatham & Clarendon Grammar SchoolCranbrook SchoolDane Court Grammar SchoolDartford Grammar School

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Kent have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Kent have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, Kent allocates places on its published criteria - usually looked-after children first, then siblings, then home-to-school distance - so the practical cut-off moves each year. Each school's page here shows an estimate of its catchment radius.

How do I apply for a school place in Kent?

Apply to Kent 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.

Explore More

The Great School Divide
Anatomy of Outstanding
League Tables