Turner Free School, Folkestone

In its own words: "At Turner Free School, our ethos and values run through everything we do. Through our character curriculum, we focus on explicitly teaching the interpersonal skills which are so important to our pupils’ success beyond school."

In 2026, pupils at Turner Free School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 39.4, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 48.1 in Kent and 47 across England.

30% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 49% in Kent and 47% in England.

That is up from 37.6 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.55: 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 36.4, against 41.4 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 5 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 19 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, History and Geography.

For September 2026 entry, 174 families put Turner Free School as their first choice and 587 named it as one of their preferences, for 168 places offered. That is slightly more first choices than places. 26 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Turner Free School are The Harvey Grammar School (0.5 miles, Outstanding, selective, Attainment 8 65.2); Folkestone Academy (0.8 miles, Good, Attainment 8 38); The Folkestone School for Girls (1 mile, Good, selective, Attainment 8 62.3); and Brockhill Park Performing Arts College (3.7 miles, Good, Attainment 8 36.1).

Turner Free School's 2026 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.

Turner Free School is one of 8 schools run by Turner Schools, an academy trust.

Of the 171 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 89% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 54% to a further education college, 1% to an apprenticeship and 1% into work.

43.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 7.3% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

In 2026, 229 pupils (23%) received SEN support and 61 (6.1%) 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.

Turner Free School has a resourced provision for speech, language and communication needs: 40 places, 40 pupils on roll.

The nearest railway station is Folkestone West Rail Station, about 720 metres away (roughly a 9-minute walk).

4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Stoddart Road (adjacent), 240 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 154 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Kent (101), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, Turner Free School issued 74 suspensions, 7.3 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Turner Free School are Morehall Primary School and Nursery (0.2 miles), All Soul's Church of England Primary School (0.3 miles), Harcourt Primary School (0.4 miles) and Sandgate Primary School (0.7 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.