Folkestone Academy
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Folkestone Academy is a sponsored academy in Folkestone for boys and girls aged 11 to 19. It has 936 pupils and room for 1,720. About 55 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 9 out of 100. That puts it well below schools like it, ahead of 20% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted visited in May 2026 and gave it a report card, which is below.
Academy Lane, Folkestone, CT19 5FP01303 842400folkestoneacademy.comMr Benjamin WILLIAMS headteacherAll details
What Ofsted found
Ofsted visited on 19 May 2026. Instead of one overall word, it now gives a grade for each part of school life. Read the full report on Ofsted's website.
Ofsted says these new grades can't be lined up against the old one-word grades.
Earlier inspections (1)
| Date | Type | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 20 April 2022 | Academy First Section 5 | Good |
Results
GCSE results, summer 2025
166 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 | 166 | 184 | 183 | 266 | 267 | 277 | – | – |
| Average GCSE scoreAttainment 8 | 33.7 | 31.0 | 30.2 | 36.1 | 34.2 | 31.3 | 47.8 | 46.8 |
| Progress from age 11Progress 8 | – | -1.11 | -1.05 | -0.84 | -0.61 | -0.76 | – | – |
| Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths | 15% | 14% | 13% | 15% | 13% | 13% | 48% | 46% |
| Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths | 36% | 32% | 31% | 36% | 37% | 28% | 67% | 66% |
| Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score | 2.60 | 2.45 | 2.21 | 2.65 | 2.64 | 2.26 | 4.28 | 4.15 |
| Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry | 15% | 11% | 6% | 12% | 27% | 27% | 48% | 41% |
| Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged | 27.3 | 28.0 | 23.5 | 31.0 | 28.7 | 24.7 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged | 39.7 | 33.2 | 35.7 | 39.7 | 38.4 | 36.0 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers | – | 20.6 | 18.8 | 28.3 | 17.8 | 19.1 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers | – | 29.4 | 46.0 | 49.0 | 45.4 | 43.5 | – | – |
† These results are for Folkestone Academy, the school this one replaced in December 2017. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.
Subjects
Results came out for 10 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: Geography (8% here, 51% across England), Spanish (13% here, 54% across England), Mathematics (17% here, 53% across England), Combined Science (15% here, 36% 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 | 166 | 1% | 17% | 37% | 53% | 3,192 of 3,211 |
| English Language | 166 | 8% | 46% | 61% | 54% | 2,104 of 3,210 |
| English Literature | 163 | 7% | 37% | 63% | 58% | 2,824 of 3,202 |
| Combined Science | 149 | 2% | 15% | 34% | 36% | 2,852 of 3,084 |
| Geography | 99 | 1% | 8% | 24% | 51% | 3,103 of 3,116 |
| History | 72 | 7% | 33% | 47% | 52% | 2,645 of 3,126 |
| Art and Design | 58 | 7% | 40% | 79% | 58% | 2,235 of 2,818 |
| Spanish | 15 | 7% | 13% | 13% | 54% | – |
| French | 12 | 8% | 17% | 17% | 60% | – |
| Biology | 9 | 0% | 0% | 0% | 82% | – |
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.
Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2019
60 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.
All Year 6 measures, year by year
| Measure | 2019 | 2018† | 2017† | 2016† | Kent | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils tested | 60 | 60 | 59 | 59 | – | – |
| Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 60% | 55% | 78% | 44% | 70% | 67% |
| Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths | 5% | 12% | 12% | 5% | 13% | 11% |
| Reading scoreReading average scaled score | 104.0 | 103.0 | 107.0 | 102.0 | 105.2 | 104.6 |
| Maths scoreMaths average scaled score | 103.0 | 104.0 | 106.0 | 101.0 | 105.1 | 105.0 |
| Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score | 103.0 | 101.0 | 108.0 | 101.0 | 105.9 | 106.3 |
| Expected level: readingReading expected standard | 70% | 67% | 93% | 63% | – | – |
| Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard | 70% | 75% | 86% | 59% | – | – |
| Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed) | 80% | 82% | 81% | 68% | – | – |
| Reading progressReading progress score | -2.7 | -2.0 | +1.6 | +0.8 | – | – |
| Maths progressMaths progress score | -3.6 | -0.7 | +0.0 | -0.6 | – | – |
| Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged | 50% | 48% | 30% | 20% | – | – |
| Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged | 64% | 59% | 88% | 56% | – | – |
† These results are for Folkestone Academy, the school this one replaced in December 2017. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.
A level and sixth-form results, 2025
32 students finished sixth-form courses.
All sixth-form measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students | 32 | 81 | 76 | 47 | 213 |
| Average A level points per entryA level APS per entry | 29.55 | 22.24 | 23.01 | 28.67 | 23.36 |
| Average A level grade | C | D+ | D+ | C | D+ |
| Best three A levelsBest 3 A levels APS | – | – | 26.11 | 33.89 | 20.35 |
| AAB or better in subjects universities likeAAB+ in two facilitating subjects | – | – | 0% | 17% | 0% |
| A level progressA level value added | -0.17 | -0.28 | – | – | -0.33 |
| Applied general courses: points per entry | 31.70 | 28.94 | 28.85 | 40.10 | – |
| T levels: points per entry | – | 20.50 | – | 34.09 | – |
| Stayed and finishedRetained and assessed | 100% | 93% | 86% | 100% | 94% |
A level subjects
2 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.
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. 3 of the 6 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
At the end of primary school, 2019
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.
520 places were empty (36% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have fallen by 20% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.
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. Resourced provision (extra staff and funding within a mainstream school) with 10 pupils, for autism.
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 autism provision.
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (62), Moderate learning difficulty (34), Autistic spectrum disorder (32), language and communications needs (23), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (17), Specific learning difficulty (13).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 936 | 915 | 1,046 | 1,080 | 1,135 | 1,207 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 53% | 50% | 46% | 43% | 39% | 35% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 20% | 20% | 20% | 17% | 14% | 14% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 18% | 17% | 20% | 21% | 22% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 3% | 3% | 3% | 3% | 2% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 90.3% 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 | 9.7% | 13.9% | 13.4% | 15.6% | 8.6% | 9.6% | 8.6% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 4.0% | 6.6% | 2.8% | 3.8% | 2.1% | 3.0% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 5.8% | 7.3% | 10.7% | 11.7% | 6.5% | 6.6% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 30.3% | 42.8% | 42.0% | 48.0% | 28.2% | 26.7% | 23.9% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 13.1 | 16.8 | 13.9 | 10.7 | 10.5 | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
What pupils do next
After GCSEs
Where the 183 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Among pupils from low-income families it was 78%, compared with 90% for everyone else.
Earlier years
| Destination | 2022/23 leavers | 2021/22 leavers | 2020/21 leavers | 2019/20 leavers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 85% | 88% | 87% | 89% |
| Education | 78% | 82% | 78% | 83% |
| Apprenticeship | 2% | 2% | 2% | 2% |
| Work | 5% | 4% | 8% | 4% |
| Not in education, work or training | 8% | 9% | 10% | 9% |
After sixth form
Where the 74 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Among pupils from low-income families it was 92%, compared with 88% for everyone else.
Where the ones heading for university went
Among students from low-income families, 27% went on to degree-level study or training and 0% 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 | 89% | 80% | 86% | – |
| Education | 46% | 48% | 43% | – |
| Apprenticeship | 3% | 11% | 6% | 0% |
| Work | 41% | 22% | 37% | – |
| Not in education, work or training | 8% | 17% | 14% | – |
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Harvey Grammar School | Academy (grammar) | 0.6 miles | 1,005 | Outstanding 2022 | 93 | Compare |
| Turner Free School | Free school | 0.8 miles | 997 | Good 2022 | 25 | Compare |
| The Folkestone School for Girls | Academy (grammar) | 1.3 miles | 1,145 | Good 2024 | 79 | Compare |
| Brockhill Park Performing Arts College | Academy | 4.5 miles | 1,314 | Report card 2026 | 13 | Compare |
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares Folkestone 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 Folkestone 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turner Free School | Free school | 0.8 miles | 997 | Good 2022 | 25 | Compare |
How the score was worked out
The score is out of 100. A 9 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 9% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 6 to 12. 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 | -0.31 | 2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 166 pupils |
| Ofsted inspection | 20% | below | -0.12 | Ofsted report card, 0.3 years old |
| Progress pupils make | 20% | well below | -0.38 | DfE progress measure; 166 pupils |
| Direction of travel over five years | 10% | above | +0.08 | results and attendance rising year on year |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | below | -0.04 | 2024/25; 943 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 10% | well below | -0.11 | Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 166 pupils |
| What pupils do next | 5% | well below | -0.06 | 183 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 Folkestone Academy a good school?
The figures are weak. Folkestone Academy scores 9 out of 100. That is well below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 20% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 6 to 12, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.
What is Folkestone Academy's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted no longer gives schools one overall grade. When it visited on 19 May 2026 it rated teaching as as expected, achievement as needs attention, behaviour and attendance as as expected, leadership as as expected.
How good are Folkestone Academy's GCSE results?
In summer 2025, 15% 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 33.7, 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 good are Folkestone Academy's SATs results?
In summer 2019, 60% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 67%. 5% went further and reached the higher level.
How many pupils does Folkestone Academy have?
936 pupils aged 11 to 19 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 1,720 places, so it is 54% full.
Is Folkestone Academy oversubscribed?
Probably not. 520 places were empty in 2024/25 (36% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.
What is attendance like at Folkestone Academy?
Pupils were in school 90.3% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 30% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
How big are the classes at Folkestone Academy?
The average class had 21.9 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 5% of classes had more than 30 pupils.
Does Folkestone Academy have specialist SEND provision?
Yes. It has resourced provision (extra staff and funding within a mainstream school) for autism. To get a place there, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school.
Does Folkestone Academy have a sixth form?
Yes. The average A level grade in 2025 was C. 2 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
- Academy Lane, Folkestone, CT19 5FP
- Telephone
- 01303 842400
- Website
- www.folkestoneacademy.com
- Headteacher
- Mr Benjamin WILLIAMS
- Type of school
- Sponsored academy (Academy sponsor led, academies)
- Phase
- Secondary school, ages 11-19, with sixth form
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- None
- Multi-academy trust
- Turner Schools (8 schools)
- Local authority
- Kent
- Ward
- Broadmead
- Constituency
- Folkestone and Hythe
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 1 December 2017 (fresh start)
- URN
- 145420 · LAESTAB 8864020 · UKPRN 10066337
- Formerly
- Folkestone 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.
- Year 6 results: DfE key stage 2 tables, 2018/19.
- 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.
- 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.