School profile

The Norton Knatchbull School

Secondary · Academy converter · Ashford, TN24 0QJ

Good

Map showing The Norton Knatchbull School

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

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#168 of 3,312

Better than 94% of schools in England

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

A-level 2024/25

#1,138 of 2,536

Similar to most schools in England

Ranked by average points per A-level entry.

The Norton Knatchbull School Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 13 Dec 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 converter
Ages11 to 18
Pupils1,348
GenderBoys
Admissions policySelective
Head teacherMr Jamie Maclean
TrustTHE NORTON KNATCHBULL SCHOOL
Local authorityKent
Opened01 Apr 2012
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 138019.

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.64.2, better than England, better than Kent4746.2
Grade 4 or above in English and mathsGrade 4 is a standard pass.96.6%, better than England, better than Kent65.5%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and mathsGrade 5 is a strong pass.82.7%, better than England, better than Kent47.5%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and mathsGrade 7 is roughly an old A grade.35.1%, better than England, better than Kent15.9%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths94.2%, better than England, better than Kent61.2%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 4208--

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 10.34.6, similar to England, similar to Kent34.8735
Average A-level gradeC+--
Average points, best three A-levels34.21, similar to England, similar to Kent36.1435.78
Average grade, best three A-levelsC+--
AAB or better11.5%, worse than England, worse than Kent17.3%17.5%
A-level progress scoreCompared with students with similar GCSE results. 0 is average.-0.01, similar to England--
A-level progressAverage, similar to England--
Students at the end of 16 to 18 study135--
Average applied general gradeVocational qualifications, such as BTECs.z--

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 pupils1,348
Girls51
Boys1,297
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.7.7%
First language not English17.5%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.1,342
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.0%
Sixth form places2024/25292
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.15
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.8
Average class size23.9

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
59.8%
Other Asian
9.1%
Other White
7.1%
African
6.7%
Indian
5.3%
Other mixed
3.1%
White and Asian
2.6%
Other Black
1.5%
Chinese
1.1%
White and Black Caribbean
0.7%

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 teacher18
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.12.4
Teachers (FTE)75.04
Teaching assistants (FTE)13
Support staff (FTE)52
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2573.9
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2567.6
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/250
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/256.2

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.192
Applications (Year 7)Includes every preference parents listed.417
First preference applications (Year 7)Families who put this school as their first choice.225
First preference offers (Year 7)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.159
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)16

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 absence4%, better than England, better than Kent7.8%8%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.7.1%, better than England, better than Kent21.9%21.6%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.0.2%, better than England, better 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 rate2.6%
Pupils with one or more suspensions1.8%
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.98.5%
Staying in educationSixth form, college or further education.96.6%
School sixth form84.9%
Further education11.2%
Apprenticeship1.5%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.1%
Sixth form college0.5%
Employment0.5%

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.85.4%
Higher education53.1%
Employment27.1%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.9.4%
Apprenticeship3.1%
Further education2.1%

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 Norton Knatchbull School
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.3 miSecondaryThe North SchoolAcademy converter
Good
0.6 miNot applicableAshford SchoolOther independent school
Unrated
0.7 miPrimaryWillesborough Infant SchoolFoundation school
Good
0.7 miPrimaryWillesborough Junior SchoolFoundation school
Good
0.9 miPrimaryVictoria Road Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
1.1 miPrimaryEast Stour Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
1.2 miPrimaryAshford, St Mary's Church of England Primary SchoolVoluntary aided school
Good
1.2 miPrimarySt Teresa's Catholic Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
1.3 miSecondaryHighworth Grammar SchoolAcademy converter
Outstanding
1.3 miPrimaryPhoenix Community Primary SchoolFoundation school
Good

Frequently asked questions about The Norton Knatchbull School

What is The Norton Knatchbull School's Ofsted rating?

The Norton Knatchbull School is rated Good by Ofsted, last inspected on 13 Dec 2023.

How does The Norton Knatchbull School rank in England?

The Norton Knatchbull School ranks 168 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (better than 94% of schools) and 1,138 of 2,536 schools in England for A-level 2024/25 (similar to most schools).

What are The Norton Knatchbull School's GCSE results?

In 2025/26, 82.7% of pupils at The Norton Knatchbull School got grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 46.3%). The Attainment 8 score was 64.2 (England 46.2).

What are The Norton Knatchbull School's A-level results?

In 2024/25, the average A-level grade at The Norton Knatchbull School was C+, and 11.5% of students got AAB or better (England 17.5%).

How hard is it to get into The Norton Knatchbull School?

For Year 7 entry in 2026/27, The Norton Knatchbull School made 192 offers from 417 applications (2.2 per offer), and 159 of 225 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend The Norton Knatchbull School?

The Norton Knatchbull School has 1,348 pupils aged 11 to 18.

What is the capacity of The Norton Knatchbull School?

The Norton Knatchbull School had 1,342 school places in 2024/25.

Does The Norton Knatchbull School have a sixth form?

Yes, The Norton Knatchbull School has a sixth form with 292 places in 2024/25.

How big are classes at The Norton Knatchbull School?

At The Norton Knatchbull School, the average class had 23.9 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 18 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at The Norton Knatchbull School?

In 2025/26, pupils at The Norton Knatchbull School missed 4% of sessions (England 8%), and 7.1% 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.