Dane Court Grammar School, Broadstairs

In its own words: "Dane Court is a happy, welcoming and inclusive community, and a great place to learn. We like to describe our school as a 'place of belonging', where our students feel at home and thrive. Our vision is to develop knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world."

From the headteacher's welcome: "The Sixth Form at Dane Court is underpinned by our world-class IB curriculum pathways, our culture of aspiration and our focus on individual support. Our International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum pathways are internationally-recognised, knowledge-rich programmes which are highly valued by leading universities and employers."

Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, netball, cricket, basketball, badminton, running, drama, choir, orchestra and ukulele.

In 2026, pupils at Dane Court Grammar School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 67.2, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 48.1 in Kent and 47 across England.

89% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 49% in Kent and 47% in England.

That is up from 65.3 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.69: pupils made well above average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 58.9, against 69.7 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 10.8 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 25 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Biology, Chemistry and Physics.

Dane Court Grammar School is a grammar school: places go to children who reach the required standard in its entrance test, and only then are the oversubscription criteria applied.

For September 2026 entry, 230 families put Dane Court Grammar School as their first choice and 572 named it as one of their preferences, for 165 places offered. That is 1.4 first choices for every place. 66 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

Dane Court Grammar School admits pupils through an entrance test - in Kent, the Kent Test. Children have to be registered for it in advance, normally in the spring or summer of Year 5; the test itself is usually sat in September of Year 6, and results come out in October, before the 31 October deadline for naming secondary schools.

Passing the test makes a child eligible rather than guaranteeing a place: when more children pass than there are places, Dane Court Grammar School ranks them by the criteria in its admissions policy, which can include test score and distance. Check Kent's admissions pages and the school's own policy for this year's registration deadline - a child who is not registered in time cannot sit the test.

Kent has 32 state grammar schools in all, so a child who passes may have several selective schools to choose between.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Dane Court Grammar School are The Charles Dickens School (0.2 miles, Good, Attainment 8 42.8); St George's Church of England Foundation School (0.4 miles, Good, Attainment 8 37.4); The Royal Harbour Academy (1.3 miles, Attainment 8 31.1); and Chatham & Clarendon Grammar School (1.7 miles, Good, selective, Attainment 8 62.2).

Dane Court Grammar School's 2026 results were higher than all 4 of them.

Dane Court Grammar School is one of 6 schools run by Coastal Academies Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 47.2 in 2024/25.

Of the 172 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 95% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 6% to a further education college, 1% to an apprenticeship and 1% into work.

Of the 175 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 45% went on to university or other higher education, 5% to apprenticeships and 26% into work. 22% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

11.2% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (71%), Mixed (9%) and Asian (6%).

In 2026, 133 pupils (11.5%) received SEN support and 6 (0.5%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.

The nearest railway station is Broadstairs Rail Station, about 1000 metres away (roughly a 13-minute walk).

14 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Dane Court School (adjacent), 60 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 210 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Kent (101), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, Dane Court Grammar School issued 60 suspensions, 4.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Dane Court Grammar School are Bromstone Primary School, Broadstairs (0.3 miles); Upton Junior School (0.4 miles); St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Broadstairs (0.5 miles); and St Mildred's Primary Infant School (0.7 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.