School profile

Hadlow Rural Community School

Secondary · Free schools · Hadlow, TN11 0AU

Requires improvement

Map showing Hadlow Rural Community School

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

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#2,749 of 3,312

Worse than 82% of schools in England

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

Hadlow Rural Community School Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 18 Jun 2024

Ofsted rating
Requires improvement
Quality of education
Requires improvement
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Requires improvement
Safeguarding
Effective

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeFree schools
Ages11 to 16
Pupils377 of 435 places
GenderMixed
Admissions policyNon-selective
Head teacherMr Paul Boxall
TrustHADLOW RURAL COMMUNITY SCHOOL LIMITED
Local authorityKent
Opened01 Sept 2013
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 139697.

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 score39.34746.2
Grade 4 or above in English and maths46.8%65.5%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and maths27.4%47.5%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and maths3.2%15.9%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths40.3%61.2%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 462--

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

Pupils

2025/26
MeasureThis school
Pupils377
Girls159
Boys218
Eligible for free school meals33.4%
First language not English0.8%
SEN support132
EHC plan32
Average class size22.3

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

Pupils ethnicity

2025/26

Pupils ethnicity

White British
89.9%
White and Black Caribbean
2.1%
Other White
1.9%
Gypsy/Roma
1.3%
Other mixed
1.1%
White and Asian
0.5%
Other ethnic group
0.5%
Irish
0.3%
Other Asian
0.3%
African
0.3%

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

Attendance

2025/26

Share of possible sessions missed. Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means missing 50% or more.

MeasureThis schoolKentEngland
Overall absence11.8%7.8%8%
Persistent absence30.3%21.9%21.6%
Severe absence6.8%3.2%3.6%

Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 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)77
Applications (Year 7)302
First preference applications (Year 7)109
First preference offers (Year 7)74
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)2

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

Capacity

2024/25
MeasureThis school
School places435
Pupils on roll383
Unfilled places12%

Source: DfE, School capacity, Academic year 2024/25, published 19 Mar 2026.

Teachers and staff

2025/26
MeasureThis school
Pupils per teacher12.4
Pupils per adult9.1
Teachers (FTE)30.38
Teaching assistants (FTE)6.14
Support staff (FTE)20.22
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2522.6
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2513.8
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/254
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/254.8

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

Suspensions and exclusions

2024/25
MeasureThis school
Suspension rate17.1%
Pupils with one or more suspensions7.9%
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 destination91.7%
Staying in education81.7%
Further education46.7%
School sixth form33.3%
Employment6.7%
Not sustained5%
Apprenticeship3.3%
Sixth form college1.7%

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 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 Hadlow Rural Community School
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.4 miPrimaryHadlow Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
1.6 miPrimaryWoodlands Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good

Frequently asked questions about Hadlow Rural Community School

What is Hadlow Rural Community School's Ofsted rating?

Hadlow Rural Community School is rated Requires improvement by Ofsted, last inspected on 18 Jun 2024.

How does Hadlow Rural Community School rank in England?

Hadlow Rural Community School ranks 2,749 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (worse than 82% of schools).

How many pupils attend Hadlow Rural Community School?

Hadlow Rural Community School has 377 pupils aged 11 to 16, with capacity for 435.

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.