School Chooser

Aylesford School

Secondary · ages 11-18MixedAcademy916 pupilsSixth formAylesfordKent
School Chooser Score
13
Well below
similar schools
Likely range 9 to 18
Out of 100. Better than 8% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedNo overall gradeLast Ofsted inspection, April 2025
Strong pass in English and maths20%England 46%
Attendance93.3%England 91.4%
Pupils from low-income families25%About the same as most schools in England
Places128 spare916 pupils, 1,044 places
Pupils per teacher17.4School workforce census

Aylesford School is a sponsored academy in Aylesford for boys and girls aged 11 to 18. It has 916 pupils and room for 1,044. About 25 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, about the same as most schools in England. We give it 13 out of 100. That puts it well below schools like it, ahead of 8% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was inspected 2025, no overall grade.

Teapot Lane, Aylesford, ME20 7JU01622 717341aylesford.kent.sch.ukMiss Tanya Kelvie headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 29 April 2025, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Not judged Between September 2024 and November 2025, Ofsted graded each area but stopped giving one overall word.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Requires improvement
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Good
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Good
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Requires improvement
Sixth formOfsted calls this “post-16”
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

GCSE results, summer 2025

162 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.

Average GCSE score37.6
England 46.8
Official name: Attainment 8
Strong pass in English and maths20%
England 46%
Official name: Grade 5+ in English and maths
Standard pass in English and maths49%
England 66%
Official name: Grade 4+ in English and maths
Progress from age 11-0.84In each subject, pupils here finished most of a grade behind children across England who started secondary school at the same level. (From 2023/24, the latest year there is. The government didn't work it out for the 2025 year group.)Official name: Progress 8
Trend
Average GCSE score
2018 to 2025
2018: 35.335.320182019: 37.337.320192022: 37.537.520222023: 39.739.720232024: 35.335.320242025: 37.637.62025
Since 2018: +2.3Steady overall
All GCSE measures, year by year
Measure2025202420232022†2019†2018†KentEngland
Pupils at the end of Year 11162143116119142122
Average GCSE scoreAttainment 837.635.339.737.537.335.347.846.8
Progress from age 11Progress 8-0.84-0.22-0.83-0.43-0.66
Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths20%20%27%21%18%12%48%46%
Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths49%47%56%46%47%34%67%66%
Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score3.313.153.283.252.972.704.284.15
Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry50%62%26%18%15%8%48%41%
Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged29.030.133.329.130.930.0
Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged40.137.541.940.039.036.5
Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers26.532.426.121.123.6
Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers44.748.153.548.143.1

† These results are for Aylesford School, the school this one replaced in September 2022. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

Subjects

Results came out for 14 GCSE subjects in 2025. Each figure is the share of pupils who got a grade 5 or better, next to the average for state secondaries in England.

Subjects that did worse than the England average: French (9% here, 60% across England), Business (7% here, 51% across England), English Literature (29% here, 58% across England), Mathematics (25% here, 53% across England).

What is taught hereOffers music.
LanguagesFrench81

The small number is how many pupils sat each subject. Subjects with fewer than six pupils aren't published.

Every subject against England, 2025
English Language162 entries · 83rd of 101 in Kent
32%England 54%
Mathematics161 entries · 89th of 101 in Kent
25%England 53%
English Literature159 entries · 92nd of 100 in Kent
29%England 58%
Combined Science158 entries · 54th of 87 in Kent
25%England 36%
History114 entries · 75th of 98 in Kent
28%England 52%
French81 entries · 63rd of 65 in Kent
9%England 60%
Geography44 entries · 55th of 99 in Kent
32%England 51%
Art and Design36 entries · 45th of 81 in Kent
53%England 58%
Business28 entries · 50th of 52 in Kent
7%England 51%
50%England 50%
Drama15 entries
47%England 60%
Music11 entries
9%England 61%
SubjectEntriesGrades 9 to 7Grades 9 to 5Grades 9 to 4England 9 to 5Rank in England
English Language1625%32%55%54%2,977 of 3,210
Mathematics1614%25%60%53%3,101 of 3,211
English Literature1596%29%55%58%3,094 of 3,202
Combined Science1581%25%46%36%2,243 of 3,084
History1144%28%41%52%2,846 of 3,126
French813%9%20%60%1,963 of 1,974
Geography442%32%41%51%2,539 of 3,116
Art and Design3617%53%81%58%1,704 of 2,818
Business280%7%21%51%1,790 of 1,806
Design & Technology1619%50%81%50%
Drama1513%47%67%60%
Music110%9%18%61%
Religious Studies922%56%56%60%
Dance617%50%83%58%

In combined science each pupil gets two grades and we count the lower one. Rankings only include state secondaries where 20 or more pupils sat the subject.

A level and sixth-form results, 2025

30 students finished sixth-form courses.

Average A level gradeD+22.5 points per entry
A level progress-0.39Against students elsewhere with the same GCSE grades. 0 is average.
All sixth-form measures, year by year
Measure202520242023
Students303747
Average A level points per entryA level APS per entry22.5021.9615.82
Average A level gradeD+D+D-
A level progressA level value added-0.39-0.45
Applied general courses: points per entry23.3122.3725.93
T levels: points per entry16.40

A level subjects

3 A level subjects had results in 2025. Each figure is the share of students who got an A* to B, next to the average for state sixth forms in England. When only a handful of students take a subject, its figures jump around from year to year.

A levels taught hereThe small number is how many students sat each one in 2025.
SubjectsHistory5English Literature5Economics5
Every A level subject against England, 2025
History5 entries · 0% A* or A · 0% passed
0%England 55%
English Literature5 entries · 0% A* or A · 0% passed
0%England 52%
Economics5 entries · 0% A* or A · 0% passed
0%England 57%

A levels only. BTECs, T levels and other courses are in the table above. Subjects with fewer than five students aren't published.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. 2 of the 3 gaps are smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At GCSE, 2025

Average GCSE scoreLow-income pupils vs other pupils
29.040.1
Gap 11.1England 12.2
Strong pass in English and mathsLow-income pupils vs other pupils
3%25%
Gap 23 ptsEngland 22 pts
Average GCSE scoreBoys vs girls
36.638.8
Gap 2.2England 3.0
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

Getting a place

Open to all. There is no entrance test.

Plenty of spare places904 pupils for 1,202 places, 2024/25
75% full

298 places were empty (25% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in.

Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Kent council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

Who goes here

Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll916Census January 2026
Places1,04488% full
Pupils from low-income families25%25% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English3%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support23%206 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan2%17 pupils with a plan
Average class size24.333 classes, January 2026; England 22.8
Classes with more than 30 pupils27%share of one-teacher classes; England 12%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)27%£251,900 extra funding in 2026/27; England 30%
Boys and girls498 / 418
White British pupils89%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (83), Specific learning difficulty (59), Autistic spectrum disorder (44), Moderate learning difficulty (15), language and communications needs (13), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (3).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census2026202520242023
Pupils on roll916905897873
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals25%23%23%20%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language3%4%5%5%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support21%21%19%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans1%1%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 93.3% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 91.4%.

Attendance93.3%
England 91.4%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school18.3%
England 23.9%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils20.12024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission3.8%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/22†2020/21†2018/19†England
Sessions missedOverall absence6.7%6.1%8.2%6.4%4.6%6.0%8.6%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence2.9%2.8%3.7%3.5%2.6%3.4%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence3.8%3.3%4.6%2.9%2.0%2.7%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence18.3%16.8%23.5%17.6%12.3%18.0%23.9%
SuspensionsSuspension rate20.113.010.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions000

† These attendance figures are for Aylesford School, the school this one replaced in September 2022. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

What pupils do next

After GCSEs

Where the 116 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.

Still in education, work or training83%and stayed there for at least six months

Among pupils from low-income families it was 62%, compared with 90% for everyone else.

After sixth form

Where the 47 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.

Still in education, work or training87%and stayed there for at least six months

Among pupils from low-income families it was 80%, compared with 89% for everyone else.

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers52.8full-time equivalent, 56 people
Pupils per teacher17.4Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers88%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants10.3full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£52,694
Teachers who left in the year17%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher4.62024/25

Money

From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other secondary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£8,264England £7,965. Total £7.5m
Income per pupil£8,856England £8,423. Total £8.1m
Spent on teachers per pupil£4,089England £4,444
Money in reserve3%Very little put by: £227k, £250 per pupil. England 10%
Money in against money out+£538kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£8,264spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m13612 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate82 per 1,000 people10% lower than the England average
Typical house price£415,000Tonbridge and Malling
Nearest bus stop90 mAylesford School, 7 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest secondary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
The Malling SchoolFoundation1.5 miles1,051Good 202337Compare
The Holmesdale SchoolAcademy2.1 miles606No overall grade 202535Compare
St Simon Stock Catholic SchoolAcademy2.3 miles1,148Report card 202659Compare
The Maplesden Noakes SchoolAcademy2.4 miles1,418Good 202419Compare
Maidstone Grammar School for GirlsFoundation (grammar)2.5 miles1,254Outstanding 202395Compare
St Augustine AcademyAcademy2.5 miles673Report card 202610Compare
Oakwood Park Grammar SchoolAcademy (grammar)2.5 miles1,100Good 202494Compare
Invicta Grammar SchoolAcademy (grammar)3.6 miles1,670Outstanding 202498Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Aylesford School with the 50 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 50 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats8%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
Near the bottom of its group. Its score of 13 is 21 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 2 · middle 34 · highest 81100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 50 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Aylesford School, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.

SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
The Malling SchoolFoundation1.5 miles1,051Good 202337Compare
Wrotham SchoolAcademy6.7 miles1,054Not inspected19Compare
Leigh Academy MascallsAcademy9.5 miles1,227Report card 202637Compare
Leigh Academy LongfieldAcademy9.6 miles992Good 202338Compare
The Lenham SchoolAcademy11.5 miles820Good 201922Compare
Skinners' Kent AcademyAcademy13.2 miles1,017Good 202339Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 13 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 13% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 9 to 18. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years20%below
-0.20
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 162 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%well below
-0.22
Ofsted grade, 1.4 years old
Progress pupils make20%well below
-0.28
DfE progress measure; 162 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%above
+0.05
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%above
+0.05
2024/25; 902 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well below
-0.13
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 162 pupils
What pupils do next5%well below
-0.06
116 pupils
What parents say0%no data

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is Aylesford School a good school?

The figures are weak. Aylesford School scores 13 out of 100. That is well below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 8% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 9 to 18, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Aylesford School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Aylesford School not judged at its last full inspection on 29 April 2025.

How good are Aylesford School's GCSE results?

In summer 2025, 20% of pupils got a grade 5 or better in both English and maths. Across England it was 46%. Its Attainment 8 score, which is the average grade across a pupil's best eight subjects times ten, was 37.6, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished most of a grade behind children across England who started secondary school at the same level.

How many pupils does Aylesford School have?

916 pupils aged 11 to 18 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 1,044 places, so it is 88% full.

Is Aylesford School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 298 places were empty in 2024/25 (25% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Aylesford School?

Pupils were in school 93.3% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 18% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Aylesford School?

The average class had 24.3 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 27% of classes had more than 30 pupils.

Does Aylesford School have a sixth form?

Yes. The average A level grade in 2025 was D+. 3 A level subjects had results in 2025; the full list is in the results section.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Teapot Lane, Aylesford, ME20 7JU
Telephone
01622 717341
Website
www.aylesford.kent.sch.uk
Headteacher
Miss Tanya Kelvie
Type of school
Sponsored academy (Academy sponsor led, academies)
Phase
Secondary school, ages 11-18, with sixth form
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
None
Multi-academy trust
Character Education Trust (2 schools)
Local authority
Kent
Ward
Aylesford South & Ditton
Constituency
Maidstone and Malling
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 September 2022 (new provision)
URN
149319 · LAESTAB 8864029 · UKPRN 10091142
Formerly
Aylesford School

Recent changes

  • New KS4 results for 2024/25

Where these figures come from