Fulston Manor School, Sittingbourne

Ofsted's report card from its 21 April 2026 inspection grades Fulston Manor School on 7 areas: 3 expected standard, 2 needs attention and 2 urgent improvement. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Leaders work closely with external advisers to improve pupils' attendance."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "The school ensures that pupils learn a comprehensive programme of personal development."

Post-16 provision - Expected standard. "Sixth form leaders are committed to ensuring that as many students as possible can continue their education after GCSE examinations."

Curriculum and teaching - Needs attention. "The effectiveness of teaching is variable across the curriculum."

Inclusion - Needs attention. "Strategic leadership and oversight of inclusion lack rigour."

Achievement - Urgent improvement. "Pupils' achievement in GCSE examinations has been very low over time."

Leadership and governance - Urgent improvement. "Leaders' strategic planning lacks precision and rigour."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Governors and trustees should ensure that they have the skills and knowledge needed to hold leaders to account for improving the quality of pupils' education and experiences"; "The school must take urgent action to improve the achievement of all pupils, but particularly disadvantaged pupils, so that they acquire essential knowledge that enables them to achieve well and be prepared for their next steps in education, training o employment"; "Leaders must improve their processes for evaluating the effectiveness of their work to ensure it is helping pupils to overcome barriers to learning successfully"; "Leaders should ensure that teaching is consistently effective across subjects, particularly in checking understanding, so that teachers are skilled at addressing misconceptions and matching work precisely to pupils' needs and prior learning"; "Leaders should ensure that staff apply effective strategies so that disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive reliable support and access the curriculum securely".

In its own words: "New for September 2023, our school values were introduced to help further enhance our mission to make Fulston Manor School a safe, welcoming and friendly place to learn. Developed in conjunction with our School Councils, School Governors and our Senior Leadership Team, these collaborative values celebrate all that is best about the Fulston Family."

From the headteacher's welcome: "It is an honour to welcome you to Fulston Manor School. We are a large non-selective school with an outstanding reputation for developing young people who make a positive contribution to their community."

In 2026, pupils at Fulston Manor School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 36.8, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 48.1 in Kent and 47 across England.

22% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 49% in Kent and 47% in England.

That is up from 35.3 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.7: 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 31, against 38.9 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 7.9 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 24 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, History and Art and Design.

For September 2026 entry, 196 families put Fulston Manor School as their first choice and 910 named it as one of their preferences, for 204 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 18 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Fulston Manor School are Highsted Grammar School (under 0.1 miles, Good, selective, Attainment 8 61.9); Borden Grammar School (0.3 miles, Good, selective, Attainment 8 62.7); The Sittingbourne School (0.9 miles, Good, Attainment 8 34.8); and Westlands School (1.3 miles, Good, Attainment 8 42.3).

Fulston Manor School's 2026 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.

Fulston Manor School is one of 2 schools run by Fulston Manor Academies Trust, an academy trust.

Of the 204 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 81% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 38% to a further education college, 5% to an apprenticeship and 5% into work.

Of the 145 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 45% went on to university or other higher education, 11% to apprenticeships and 29% into work. 7% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

10.3% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (77%), Black (8%) and Mixed (5%).

The nearest railway station is Sittingbourne Rail Station, about 1030 metres away (roughly a 13-minute walk).

9 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Fulston Manor and Highsted Schools (outside), 60 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 285 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, violence and sexual offences and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Kent (101), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, Fulston Manor School issued 161 suspensions, 12.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Fulston Manor School are South Avenue Primary School (0.4 miles), The Oaks Infant School (0.5 miles), St Peter's Catholic Primary School (0.5 miles) and Minterne Junior School (0.6 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.