Bennett Memorial Diocesan School
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Bennett Memorial Diocesan School is a converter academy in Tunbridge Wells for boys and girls aged 11 to 18. It has 1,913 pupils, 461 more than it has places for. About 10 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 92 out of 100. That puts it well above schools like it, ahead of 100% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was outstanding, back in 2023.
Culverden Down, Tunbridge Wells, TN4 9SH01892 521595bennettmemorial.co.ukDr Karen Brookes headteacherAll details
What Ofsted found
Ofsted's last full inspection was on 13 December 2023, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.
Outstanding overall.
Results
GCSE results, summer 2025
296 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.
All GCSE measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2019 | 2018 | Kent | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of Year 11 | 296 | 294 | 266 | 262 | 234 | 229 | – | – |
| Average GCSE scoreAttainment 8 | 54.0 | 56.0 | 58.2 | 59.5 | 54.2 | 57.8 | 47.8 | 46.8 |
| Progress from age 11Progress 8 | – | +0.73 | +0.95 | +0.76 | +0.88 | +0.97 | – | – |
| Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths | 58% | 61% | 68% | 68% | 56% | 67% | 48% | 46% |
| Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths | 85% | 84% | 88% | 92% | 80% | 86% | 67% | 66% |
| Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score | 5.14 | 5.34 | 5.41 | 5.58 | 4.90 | 5.18 | 4.28 | 4.15 |
| Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry | 89% | 88% | 89% | 86% | 82% | 70% | 48% | 41% |
| Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged | 45.4 | 43.3 | 46.1 | 51.7 | 45.8 | 51.2 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged | 55.2 | 57.1 | 58.8 | 60.3 | 55.1 | 58.2 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers | – | 38.5 | 43.8 | 44.6 | 31.7 | 41.3 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers | – | 68.8 | 68.4 | 72.3 | 64.4 | 66.9 | – | – |
Subjects
Results came out for 22 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.
Strongest subjects
Subjects that did worse than the England average: Combined Science (11% here, 36% across England), German (41% here, 63% across England), Chemistry (64% here, 81% across England), Biology (65% here, 82% across England).
The small number is how many pupils sat each subject. Subjects with fewer than six pupils aren't published.
Every subject against England, 2025
| Subject | Entries | Grades 9 to 7 | Grades 9 to 5 | Grades 9 to 4 | England 9 to 5 | Rank in England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 294 | 25% | 70% | 89% | 53% | 451 of 3,211 |
| English Language | 294 | 18% | 63% | 85% | 54% | 803 of 3,210 |
| English Literature | 291 | 16% | 63% | 86% | 58% | 1,090 of 3,202 |
| Religious Studies | 291 | 23% | 63% | 74% | 60% | 883 of 1,825 |
| Chemistry | 273 | 24% | 64% | 86% | 81% | 2,114 of 2,537 |
| Physics | 247 | 24% | 71% | 87% | 82% | 1,906 of 2,546 |
| Biology | 235 | 19% | 65% | 87% | 82% | 2,123 of 2,570 |
| Geography | 193 | 27% | 70% | 83% | 51% | 440 of 3,116 |
| French | 139 | 22% | 62% | 75% | 60% | 1,002 of 1,974 |
| German | 121 | 10% | 41% | 63% | 63% | 483 of 571 |
| History | 111 | 32% | 62% | 74% | 52% | 826 of 3,126 |
| Art and Design | 103 | 49% | 93% | 98% | 58% | 129 of 2,818 |
| Computer Science | 81 | 14% | 44% | 59% | 56% | 1,232 of 1,861 |
| Design & Technology | 56 | 27% | 75% | 89% | 50% | 220 of 1,478 |
| Physical Education | 37 | 24% | 76% | 89% | 56% | 336 of 1,559 |
| Media / Film / TV | 30 | 30% | 73% | 87% | 55% | 108 of 580 |
| Combined Science | 18 | 0% | 11% | 33% | 36% | – |
| Other Modern Languages | 17 | 41% | 41% | 41% | 49% | – |
| Food Preparation & Nutrition | 13 | 8% | 23% | 62% | 52% | – |
| Drama | 11 | 18% | 82% | 82% | 60% | – |
| Latin | 11 | 55% | 100% | 100% | 82% | – |
| Music | 9 | 44% | 78% | 89% | 61% | – |
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
193 students finished sixth-form courses.
All sixth-form measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2019 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students | 193 | 210 | 192 | 171 | 364 | 318 |
| Average A level points per entryA level APS per entry | 36.15 | 34.22 | 35.97 | 40.27 | 35.55 | 33.75 |
| Average A level grade | B- | C+ | B- | B | B- | C+ |
| Best three A levelsBest 3 A levels APS | 36.86 | 34.88 | 36.19 | 40.34 | 35.57 | 34.50 |
| AAB or better in subjects universities likeAAB+ in two facilitating subjects | 14% | 17% | 19% | 23% | 16% | 12% |
| A level progressA level value added | +0.32 | +0.28 | – | – | +0.06 | +0.18 |
| Applied general courses: points per entry | 36.50 | 25.45 | 31.67 | 39.87 | – | – |
| T levels: points per entry | 39.29 | 34.21 | 39.60 | 44.74 | – | – |
| Stayed and finishedRetained and assessed | 98% | 94% | 94% | 96% | 95% | 87% |
A level subjects
21 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.
Strongest A levels
Every A level subject against England, 2025
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. 1 of the 3 gaps is 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
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. As a Church of England school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.
Fewer than one place in twenty is empty, so in most years more families apply than there are places. Living close by, or already having a child here, makes a real difference. Pupil numbers have grown by 5% since 2021/22, so places are getting harder to come by.
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.
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Specific learning difficulty (92), Autistic spectrum disorder (41), emotional and mental health (38), Other difficulty or disability (22), language and communications needs (17), Moderate learning difficulty (7).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 1,913 | 1,892 | 1,897 | 1,865 | 1,795 | 1,744 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 10% | 8% | 7% | 6% | 5% | 5% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 12% | 12% | 10% | 9% | 6% | 5% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 9% | 8% | 6% | 6% | 6% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 2% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 94.9% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 91.4%.
Attendance year by year
| Measure | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 | 2018/19 | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sessions missedOverall absence | 5.1% | 5.3% | 5.5% | 6.3% | 3.2% | 4.3% | 8.6% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 4.0% | 3.9% | 4.1% | 5.2% | 2.6% | 3.8% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 1.1% | 1.4% | 1.4% | 1.2% | 0.6% | 0.5% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 12.0% | 11.5% | 12.4% | 15.8% | 4.5% | 7.9% | 23.9% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 2.1 | 2.3 | 2.0 | 1.5 | 1.3 | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
What pupils do next
After GCSEs
Where the 266 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Among pupils from low-income families it was 93%, compared with 97% for everyone else.
Earlier years
| Destination | 2022/23 leavers | 2021/22 leavers | 2020/21 leavers | 2019/20 leavers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 97% | 99% | 98% | 99% |
| Education | 95% | 95% | 96% | 97% |
| Apprenticeship | 0% | 2% | 0% | 1% |
| Work | 2% | 2% | 2% | – |
| Not in education, work or training | 2% | 1% | 1% | 1% |
After sixth form
Where the 187 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Among pupils from low-income families it was 93%, compared with 87% for everyone else.
Where the ones heading for university went
Among students from low-income families, 79% went on to degree-level study or training and 11% to a top-third university.
Earlier years
| Destination | 2022/23 leavers | 2021/22 leavers | 2020/21 leavers | 2019/20 leavers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 88% | 84% | 87% | – |
| Education | 63% | 61% | 59% | – |
| Apprenticeship | 2% | 4% | 1% | 0% |
| Work | 24% | 19% | 27% | – |
| Not in education, work or training | 10% | 14% | 7% | – |
Staff and money
From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.
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.
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
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.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tunbridge Wells Girls' Grammar School | Foundation (grammar) | 760 m | 1,123 | Outstanding 2023 | 98 | Compare |
| The Skinners' School | Academy (grammar) | 920 m | 1,149 | Report card 2026 | 98 | Compare |
| St Gregory's Catholic School | Academy | 0.8 miles | 1,093 | No overall grade 2024 | 49 | Compare |
| Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys | Council (grammar) | 0.8 miles | 1,875 | Report card 2026 | 88 | Compare |
| Skinners' Kent Academy | Academy | 2.0 miles | 1,017 | Good 2023 | 39 | Compare |
| Tonbridge Grammar School | Academy (grammar) | 3.1 miles | 1,150 | Outstanding 2019 | 98 | Compare |
| Weald of Kent Grammar School | Academy (grammar) | 3.2 miles | 1,913 | No overall grade 2024 | 90 | Compare |
| Leigh Academy Tonbridge | Academy | 3.2 miles | 807 | Good 2022 | 53 | Compare |
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares Bennett Memorial Diocesan 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.
No school with a similar mix of pupils within 25 km scores clearly higher.
How the score was worked out
The score is out of 100. A 92 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 92% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 89 to 95. 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 at | How much it counts | Against schools like it | Effect on the score | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results over three years | 20% | above | +0.18 | 2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 296 pupils |
| Ofsted inspection | 20% | well above | +0.34 | Ofsted grade, 2.8 years old |
| Progress pupils make | 20% | well above | +0.26 | DfE progress measure; 296 pupils |
| Direction of travel over five years | 10% | below | -0.04 | results and attendance falling year on year |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | well above | +0.13 | 2024/25; 1,529 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 10% | well above | +0.12 | Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 296 pupils |
| What pupils do next | 5% | above | +0.05 | 266 pupils |
| What parents say | 0% | 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 Bennett Memorial Diocesan School a good school?
Yes, going by the figures. Bennett Memorial Diocesan School scores 92 out of 100. That is well above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 100% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 89 to 95, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.
What is Bennett Memorial Diocesan School's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated Bennett Memorial Diocesan School outstanding at its last full inspection on 13 December 2023.
How good are Bennett Memorial Diocesan School's GCSE results?
In summer 2025, 58% 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 54.0, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished most of a grade ahead of children across England who started secondary school at the same level.
How many pupils does Bennett Memorial Diocesan School have?
1,913 pupils aged 11 to 18 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 1,452 places, so it is 132% full.
Is Bennett Memorial Diocesan School oversubscribed?
Often. Fewer than one place in twenty was empty in 2024/25, so popular year groups fill up.
What is attendance like at Bennett Memorial Diocesan School?
Pupils were in school 94.9% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 12% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
How big are the classes at Bennett Memorial Diocesan School?
The average class had 24.9 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 19% of classes had more than 30 pupils.
Does Bennett Memorial Diocesan School have a sixth form?
Yes. The average A level grade in 2025 was B-. 21 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
- Culverden Down, Tunbridge Wells, TN4 9SH
- Telephone
- 01892 521595
- Website
- www.bennettmemorial.co.uk
- Headteacher
- Dr Karen Brookes
- Type of school
- Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
- Phase
- Secondary school, ages 11-18, with sixth form
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England, Diocese of Rochester
- Multi-academy trust
- The Tenax Schools Trust (9 schools)
- Local authority
- Kent
- Ward
- Culverden
- Constituency
- Tunbridge Wells
- Setting
- Urban: Further from a major town or city
- Opened
- 1 April 2011 (academy converter)
- URN
- 136603 · LAESTAB 8865464 · UKPRN 10033233
- Formerly
- Bennett Memorial Diocesan School
Recent changes
- New KS4 results for 2024/25
Where these figures come from
- School details: Department for Education, Get Information About Schools, refreshed daily (this page rebuilt 13 September 2026).
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, monthly; latest publication in our data 27 August 2026.
- GCSE results: DfE key stage 4 performance tables, 2024/25 final.
- Attendance: DfE pupil absence in schools in England, 2024/25 full year.
- Pupil characteristics: DfE school census, January 2026.
- Staff: DfE school workforce census, November 2025.
- Class sizes: DfE schools, pupils and their characteristics, January 2026.
- Pupil premium: DfE allocations and conditions of grant, 2026 to 2027.
- Money: DfE financial benchmarking and insights tool, academy accounts return 2024/25.
- A level subjects: DfE A level and other 16 to 18 results, subject entries and grades, 2024/25.
- Neighbourhood: police.uk street-level crime, HM Land Registry price paid data, NaPTAN bus stops, English Indices of Deprivation 2025.
- All under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Full list and update calendar.