School profile

The Sittingbourne School

Secondary · Academy sponsor led · Sittingbourne, ME10 4NL

Good

Map showing The Sittingbourne School

Schools
Numbers on map: pupil ages
Outstanding
Good
Requires improvement
Inadequate
Not rated

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#3,130 of 3,312

Worse than 94% of schools in England

Ranked by Attainment 8 score, state-funded mainstream schools.

A-level 2024/25

#2,351 of 2,536

Worse than 92% of schools in England

Ranked by average points per A-level entry.

The Sittingbourne School Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 21 Mar 2023

Ofsted rating
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good
Sixth form provision
Good
Safeguarding
Effective

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeAcademy sponsor led
Ages11 to 19
Pupils1,556
GenderMixed
Admissions policyNon-selective
Head teacherMr Nick Smith
TrustSWALE ACADEMIES TRUST
Local authorityKent
Opened01 Jan 2012
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 137687.

GCSE results

2025/26

GCSE and equivalent results at the end of year 11. Attainment 8 averages results across 8 subjects.

MeasureThis schoolKentEngland
Attainment 8 scoreResults across 8 subjects, English and maths count twice. 50 is about a grade 5 average.34.8, worse than England, worse than Kent4746.2
Grade 4 or above in English and mathsGrade 4 is a standard pass.43.1%, worse than England, worse than Kent65.5%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and mathsGrade 5 is a strong pass.24.2%, worse than England, worse than Kent47.5%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and mathsGrade 7 is roughly an old A grade.1.8%, worse than England, worse than Kent15.9%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths38.4%, worse than England, worse than Kent61.2%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 4281--

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 performance, Academic year 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

A-level results

2024/25

Results for students at the end of 16 to 18 study.

MeasureThis schoolKentEngland
Average points per A-level entryA* is 60, A is 50, B is 40, C is 30, D is 20, E is 10.24.02, worse than England, worse than Kent34.8735
Average A-level gradeD+--
Average points, best three A-levels21.11, worse than England, worse than Kent36.1435.78
Average grade, best three A-levelsD--
AAB or better0%, worse than England, worse than Kent17.3%17.5%
A-level progress scoreCompared with students with similar GCSE results. 0 is average.-0.25, similar to England--
A-level progressAverage, similar to England--
Students at the end of 16 to 18 study103--
Average applied general gradeVocational qualifications, such as BTECs.Dist---

Source: DfE, 16 to 19 performance, Academic year 2024/25, published 23 Apr 2026.

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census.

MeasureThis school
Total pupils1,556
Girls773
Boys783
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.37.7%
First language not English7.1%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.1,650
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.5.7%
Sixth form places2024/25300
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.478
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.120
Average class size20.5

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics and School capacity, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Pupils ethnicity

2025/26

Share of pupils in each ethnic group, as recorded at the January school census.

Pupils ethnicity

White British
78.4%
African
7%
Other White
4.9%
Other mixed
1.8%
Gypsy/Roma
1.5%
White and Black Caribbean
0.9%
White and Black African
0.8%
Other ethnic group
0.8%
White and Asian
0.7%
Caribbean
0.4%

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Teachers and staff

2025/26

Staff numbers are full-time equivalent (FTE). Teacher turnover shows where the school's teachers were by the following year's census.

MeasureThis school
Pupils per teacher15.4
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.9.7
Teachers (FTE)101.2
Teaching assistants (FTE)37.75
Support staff (FTE)82.47
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2597.8
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2584.7
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/259.7
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/253.4

Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.

Admissions

2026/27

Applications and offers for the main entry points. Offers from oversubscribed schools depend on each school's admissions criteria; check the local authority admissions page.

MeasureThis school
Offers made (Year 7)Places offered on national offer day.275
Applications (Year 7)Includes every preference parents listed.808
First preference applications (Year 7)Families who put this school as their first choice.187
First preference offers (Year 7)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.187
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)4

Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, published 18 Jun 2026.

Attendance

2025/26

Share of possible sessions missed.

MeasureThis schoolKentEngland
Overall absence9.7%, worse than England, worse than Kent7.8%8%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.30.4%, worse than England, worse than Kent21.9%21.6%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.5.6%, worse than England, worse than Kent3.2%3.6%

Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Suspensions and exclusions

2024/25

Suspension rate is the number of suspensions per 100 pupils, so one pupil can be counted more than once. A permanently excluded pupil is removed from the school roll.

MeasureThis school
Suspension rate6.9%
Pupils with one or more suspensions4.4%
Permanent exclusion rate0%
Permanent exclusions0

Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.

Destinations after GCSEs

2023/24

Where pupils went after year 11, sustained for at least two terms.

MeasureThis school
Sustained destinationIn education, an apprenticeship or work for at least two terms.81.7%
Staying in educationSixth form, college or further education.77%
School sixth form37%
Further education37%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.10.5%
Apprenticeship2.3%
Employment2.3%
Sixth form college0%

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.

Destinations after A-levels

2023/24

Where students went after 16 to 18 study, sustained for at least two terms.

MeasureThis school
Sustained destinationIn education, an apprenticeship or work for at least two terms.77.8%
Employment38.9%
Higher education33.3%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.18.5%
Apprenticeship2.8%
Further education1.9%

Source: DfE, 16 to 18 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.

Nearby schools

Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.

Schools near The Sittingbourne School
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.3 miPrimaryLansdowne Primary SchoolAcademy sponsor led
Good
0.4 miPrimaryCanterbury Road Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.4 miPrimaryBapchild and Tonge Church of England Primary School and NurseryVoluntary aided school
Good
0.6 miPrimarySouth Avenue Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
0.7 miNot applicableVTC Independent SchoolOther independent school
Good
0.7 miPrimarySunny Bank Primary SchoolAcademy sponsor led
Good
0.8 miSecondaryHighsted Grammar SchoolAcademy converter
Good
0.9 miSecondaryFulston Manor SchoolAcademy converter
Inadequate
1.0 miSecondaryBorden Grammar SchoolAcademy converter
Good
1.1 miPrimaryRodmersham SchoolCommunity school
Outstanding

Frequently asked questions about The Sittingbourne School

What is The Sittingbourne School's Ofsted rating?

The Sittingbourne School is rated Good by Ofsted, last inspected on 21 Mar 2023.

How does The Sittingbourne School rank in England?

The Sittingbourne School ranks 3,130 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (worse than 94% of schools) and 2,351 of 2,536 schools in England for A-level 2024/25 (worse than 92% of schools).

What are The Sittingbourne School's GCSE results?

In 2025/26, 24.2% of pupils at The Sittingbourne School got grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 46.3%). The Attainment 8 score was 34.8 (England 46.2).

What are The Sittingbourne School's A-level results?

In 2024/25, the average A-level grade at The Sittingbourne School was D+, and 0% of students got AAB or better (England 17.5%).

How hard is it to get into The Sittingbourne School?

For Year 7 entry in 2026/27, The Sittingbourne School made 275 offers from 808 applications (2.9 per offer), and 187 of 187 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend The Sittingbourne School?

The Sittingbourne School has 1,556 pupils aged 11 to 19.

What is the capacity of The Sittingbourne School?

The Sittingbourne School had 1,650 school places in 2024/25.

Does The Sittingbourne School have a sixth form?

Yes, The Sittingbourne School has a sixth form with 300 places in 2024/25.

How big are classes at The Sittingbourne School?

At The Sittingbourne School, the average class had 20.5 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 15.4 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at The Sittingbourne School?

In 2025/26, pupils at The Sittingbourne School missed 9.7% of sessions (England 8%), and 30.4% were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of sessions (England 21.6%).

Figures are the latest published by the Department for Education for each measure. Small numbers are suppressed by the publisher to protect pupils' privacy. Read how Area360 school ratings and rankings work.