Dover Christ Church Academy
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Dover Christ Church Academy is a sponsored academy in Dover for boys and girls aged 11 to 18. It has 761 pupils and room for 990. About 54 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 2 out of 100. That puts it well below schools like it, ahead of 6% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was requires improvement, back in 2022.
Melbourne Avenue, Dover, CT16 2EG01304 820126dccacademy.comDr Matt TATE headteacherAll details
What Ofsted found
Ofsted's last full inspection was on 18 October 2022, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.
Requires improvement overall.
Results
GCSE results, summer 2025
133 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 | 133 | 129 | 120 | 162 | 102 | 113 | – | – |
| Average GCSE scoreAttainment 8 | 30.4 | 27.7 | 26.7 | 29.6 | 30.9 | 30.3 | 47.8 | 46.8 |
| Progress from age 11Progress 8 | – | -1.13 | -1.30 | -1.34 | -0.94 | -0.66 | – | – |
| Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths | 8% | 9% | 4% | 7% | 7% | 11% | 48% | 46% |
| Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths | 28% | 24% | 22% | 28% | 30% | 32% | 67% | 66% |
| Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score | 2.35 | 2.25 | 2.04 | 2.23 | 2.37 | 2.29 | 4.28 | 4.15 |
| Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry | 1% | 4% | 0% | 1% | 4% | 8% | 48% | 41% |
| Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged | 24.7 | 23.4 | 23.5 | 25.9 | 26.8 | 27.4 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged | 35.9 | 32.9 | 29.0 | 32.3 | 34.3 | 32.2 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers | – | 19.3 | 17.7 | 20.1 | 18.9 | 15.1 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers | – | 45.7 | 38.8 | 48.7 | 44.4 | 43.8 | – | – |
† These results are for Dover Christ Church Academy, the school this one replaced in September 2023. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.
Subjects
Results came out for 11 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: Chemistry (15% here, 81% across England), Biology (17% here, 82% across England), Physics (17% here, 82% across England), Geography (3% here, 51% 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 | 128 | 0% | 10% | 31% | 53% | 3,206 of 3,211 |
| English Language | 128 | 6% | 31% | 48% | 54% | 3,024 of 3,210 |
| English Literature | 122 | 5% | 25% | 44% | 58% | 3,145 of 3,202 |
| History | 79 | 1% | 19% | 34% | 52% | 3,056 of 3,126 |
| Combined Science | 62 | 0% | 8% | 26% | 36% | 3,018 of 3,084 |
| Biology | 59 | 2% | 17% | 44% | 82% | 2,561 of 2,570 |
| Chemistry | 53 | 0% | 15% | 42% | 81% | 2,530 of 2,537 |
| Physics | 53 | 0% | 17% | 40% | 82% | 2,539 of 2,546 |
| Geography | 31 | 0% | 3% | 26% | 51% | 3,116 of 3,116 |
| Art and Design | 27 | 7% | 59% | 85% | 58% | 1,379 of 2,818 |
| Social Studies | 20 | 0% | 15% | 20% | 54% | 1,014 of 1,043 |
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
24 students finished sixth-form courses.
All sixth-form measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Students | 24 | 28 |
| Average A level grade | z | z |
| Applied general courses: points per entry | 21.06 | 26.05 |
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
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.
220 places were empty (23% 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.
Specialist SEND provision. SEN unit with 69 pupils, for profound and multiple learning difficulties.
To get a place in the unit or resourced provision, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school. Other schools in Kent with profound and multiple learning difficulties provision.
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (57), Specific learning difficulty (57), Moderate learning difficulty (49), Autistic spectrum disorder (25), language and communications needs (23), Physical disability (12).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 761 | 722 | 815 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 54% | 48% | 49% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 6% | 5% | 4% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 18% | 17% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 12% | 11% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 91.9% 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 | 8.1% | 11.8% | 10.4% | 11.2% | 6.7% | 6.9% | 8.6% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 4.3% | 5.9% | 7.9% | 7.7% | 4.9% | 4.9% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 3.8% | 5.9% | 2.5% | 3.5% | 1.7% | 2.0% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 28.0% | 39.4% | 39.0% | 41.0% | 23.4% | 21.0% | 23.9% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 6.7 | 14.7 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – |
† These attendance figures are for Dover Christ Church Academy, the school this one replaced in September 2023. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.
Staff
From the government's count of school staff in November 2025.
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Edmund's Catholic School | Academy | 1.1 miles | 644 | Good 2022 | 43 | Compare |
| Dover Grammar School for Girls | Council (grammar) | 1.2 miles | 847 | No overall grade 2025 | 85 | Compare |
| Duke of York's Royal Military School | Academy | 1.2 miles | 470 | Good 2023 | 84 | Compare |
| Dover Grammar School for Boys | Foundation (grammar) | 1.6 miles | 960 | No overall grade 2025 | 96 | Compare |
| Astor Secondary School | Academy | 1.7 miles | 732 | Report card 2026 | 1 | Compare |
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares Dover Christ Church Academy 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.
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 Dover Christ Church Academy, 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.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Archbishop's School | Foundation | 14.0 miles | 770 | Good 2023 | 10 | Compare |
How the score was worked out
The score is out of 100. A 2 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 2% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 1 to 3. 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% | well below | -0.46 | 2025 and 2024 results; 133 pupils |
| Ofsted inspection | 18% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old) | well below | -0.46 | Ofsted grade, 3.9 years old |
| Progress pupils make | 20% | well below | -0.50 | DfE progress measure; 133 pupils |
| Direction of travel over five years | 0% | no data | – | |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | in line | -0.01 | 2024/25; 751 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 10% | well below | -0.16 | Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 133 pupils |
| What pupils do next | 0% | no data | – | |
| 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 Dover Christ Church Academy a good school?
The figures are weak. Dover Christ Church Academy scores 2 out of 100. That is well below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 6% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 1 to 3, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.
What is Dover Christ Church Academy's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated Dover Christ Church Academy requires improvement at its last full inspection on 18 October 2022.
How good are Dover Christ Church Academy's GCSE results?
In summer 2025, 8% 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 30.4, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished about a grade behind children across England who started secondary school at the same level.
How many pupils does Dover Christ Church Academy have?
761 pupils aged 11 to 18 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 990 places, so it is 77% full.
Is Dover Christ Church Academy oversubscribed?
Probably not. 220 places were empty in 2024/25 (23% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.
What is attendance like at Dover Christ Church Academy?
Pupils were in school 91.9% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 28% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
How big are the classes at Dover Christ Church Academy?
The average class had 20.0 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 8% of classes had more than 30 pupils.
Does Dover Christ Church Academy have specialist SEND provision?
Yes. It has sen unit for profound and multiple learning difficulties. To get a place there, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school.
Does Dover Christ Church Academy have a sixth form?
Yes. The average A level grade in 2025 was z.
These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.
Contact and details
- Address
- Melbourne Avenue, Dover, CT16 2EG
- Telephone
- 01304 820126
- Website
- www.dccacademy.com
- Headteacher
- Dr Matt TATE
- 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
- Turner Schools (8 schools)
- Local authority
- Kent
- Ward
- Whitfield
- Constituency
- Dover and Deal
- Setting
- Urban: Further from a major town or city
- Opened
- 1 September 2023 (fresh start)
- URN
- 150278 · LAESTAB 8864034 · UKPRN 10093628
- Formerly
- Dover Christ Church Academy
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.
- 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.