Dover Christ Church Academy, Dover

Ofsted's report card from its 16 June 2026 inspection grades Dover Christ Church Academy on 7 areas: 5 strong standard, 1 expected standard and 1 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Attendance and behaviour - Strong standard. "Leaders have made significant improvements in pupils' attendance."

Inclusion - Strong standard. "Leaders have established a highly inclusive culture in the school."

Leadership and governance - Strong standard. "Leaders at all levels have a precise understanding of the school's strengths and priorities for further improvement."

Personal development and wellbeing - Strong standard. "Leaders ensure that the personal development curriculum is taught well and tailored carefully to the needs of pupils."

Post-16 provision - Strong standard. "Leaders have developed a bespoke sixth-form offer that is highly tailored to the local context and students' needs."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders have put in place an ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum."

Achievement - Needs attention. "In recent years, pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, have not achieved well in national examinations."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that teaching is of a consistently high quality so that pupils achieve well across the school".

In its own words: "Our vision at Dover Christ Church Academy is that all of our pupils receive an excellent education which will allow them to develop as positive members of the community and become successful in the future. At Dover Christ Church Academy we want all of our pupils to be responsible, safe and inquisitive."

Clubs and activities named on the school's website include guitar, chess, film and homework club.

On phones, the school says: "Mobile phones must be handed in at the start of each lesson and collected at the end."

In 2026, pupils at Dover Christ Church Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 35.8, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 48.1 in Kent and 47 across England.

27% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 49% in Kent and 47% in England.

That is up from 30.4 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -1.13: pupils made well below 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 28.6, against 42.6 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 14 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 22 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, History and Sports Studies.

For September 2026 entry, 137 families put Dover Christ Church Academy as their first choice and 349 named it as one of their preferences, for 131 places offered. That is slightly more first choices than places. 20 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Dover Christ Church Academy are St Edmund's Catholic School (1 mile, Good, Attainment 8 33.7); Dover Grammar School for Girls (1.2 miles, Outstanding, selective, Attainment 8 56.7); Duke of York's Royal Military School (1.2 miles, Good, Attainment 8 58.9); and Dover Grammar School for Boys (1.6 miles, Good, selective, Attainment 8 63.1).

Dover Christ Church Academy's 2026 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.

Dover Christ Church Academy is one of 8 schools run by Turner Schools, an academy trust.

Of the 129 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 81% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 68% to a further education college, 2% to an apprenticeship and 2% into work.

Of the 28 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 25% went on to university or other higher education and 50% into work.

54% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 5.8% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

In 2026, 157 pupils (20.6%) received SEN support and 84 (11%) 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.

Dover Christ Church Academy has a SEN unit for profound and multiple learning difficulties: 72 places, 69 pupils on roll.

Dover Christ Church Academy had 57 teachers in 2026, one for every 13 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical secondary school, at about one for every 17.

The nearest railway station is Kearsney Rail Station, about 1.2 miles away in a straight line.

13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Christ Church Academy Grounds (in), 60 metres away.

In 2024/25, Dover Christ Church Academy issued 48 suspensions, 6.6 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Dover Christ Church Academy are Green Park Community Primary School (0.4 miles), Whitfield Aspen School (0.7 miles), Shatterlocks Infant and Nursery School (0.8 miles) and Barton Junior School (1.1 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.