Foundation school

The Archbishop's School

Mixed · ages 11–18 · with sixth form · Church of EnglandKent, South East · Canterbury CT2 7APSchool website
Pupils on roll
770of 900 places
Free school meals
56.6%
Year 11 cohort 2025
126
Ofsted
Good, 22 November 2023Read the Ofsted report
What the data says

Of the 116 pupils who finished Year 11 at The Archbishop's School in 2023, 58% stayed on in The Archbishop's School’s own sixth form (Kent average 56%), 26% went to a further education college and 1% started an apprenticeship.

Among the 37 students who left the sixth form in 2023, 46% went to university (Kent 39%, England 37%), and 0% of level 3 students progressed to one of the most selective universities, against 19% nationally.

GCSE results in 2025 were well below the national picture: Attainment 8 of 35.2 against 46.1 across England and 46.7 in Kent, with 21% of pupils getting grade 5 or above in both English and maths (England 45%).

Photography is unusually popular at GCSE: 35% of the year group took it, against 6% of pupils across England.

Where pupils went after Year 11

Destinations of the 2023 Year 11 leavers, measured the following year: the share in a sustained place for at least two terms. Compared with all state-funded schools in Kent and England.

The Archbishop's School
Kent
England
School sixth formSixth form collegeFurther education collegeOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
MeasureThe Archbishop's SchoolKentEngland
Pupils in the cohort11617,954607,348
Any sustained destination89%93%92%
Stayed in education85%88%86%
— school sixth form58%56%34%
— sixth form college1%13%
— further education college26%28%37%
— other education1%4%2%
Apprenticeship1%3%3%
Employment3%2%3%
No sustained destination6%5%6%
Destination unknown5%3%3%

Where students went after sixth form

Destinations of students who finished 16–18 study in 2023, measured the following year.

The Archbishop's School
Kent
England
University (higher education)Further educationOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
MeasureThe Archbishop's SchoolKentEngland
Students in the cohort3714,947541,441
Any sustained destination81%80%79%
University (higher education)46%39%37%
— most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students0%20%19%
Further education0%4%5%
Apprenticeship0%6%7%
Employment35%30%28%
No sustained destination11%15%16%

GCSE results 2025

MeasureThe Archbishop's SchoolKentEngland
Attainment 8 (average points per pupil)35.246.746.1
Grade 5 or above in English and maths21%47%45%
Grade 4 or above in English and maths44%65%65%
Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects14%47%41%
EBacc average point score2.884.184.09
Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort52%25%28%
Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils29.632.234.9
Attainment 8 — other pupils41.451.550.4
Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2)
English as an additional language22%12%19%

Progress 8 is not available for 2025 and 2026: these cohorts had no Key Stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021, so there is no baseline. Attainment 8 shows results without taking pupils’ starting points into account.

Subjects taken at GCSE

Entries in 2025 as a share of the Year 11 cohort, and the share of entries graded 7–9 and 4–9, compared with all entries in England.

SubjectEntriesShare of cohortEnglandGrades 7–9EnglandGrades 4–9
English Language12498%89%8%20%52%
Mathematics12498%88%4%22%55%
English Literature11994%86%7%21%50%
Combined Science11793%65%6%9%44%
Religious Studies11692%31%9%32%46%
Geography5644%41%4%25%48%
Art and Design4838%7%2%24%31%
Photography4435%6%0%19%25%
History3528%41%6%26%37%
Spanish1512%19%7%27%60%
Classical Civilisation65%1%0%40%50%
Russian32%0%87%
Arabic32%1%47%
Urdu11%1%42%
Polish11%1%84%
Persian11%0%77%
Portuguese11%0%50%

Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications

SubjectEntriesShare of cohortEngland
Hospitality / Catering Studies50100%
Small Business Management46100%
Sports Studies34100%
Health Studies32100%
Speech and Drama2687%
Computer Appreciation / Introduction2480%
Tourism1447%
Small Business Management27%
Health Studies13%

A levels and other level 3 courses

MeasureThe Archbishop's SchoolKentEngland
Students at the end of 16–18 study139
— of whom A level students307,794261,341
Average A level gradeD+C+B-
Average points per A level entry22.3634.8735.00
Average grade, best 3 A levelsD-B-B-
AAB or better with two facilitating subjects8%17%18%
Average grade, applied general courses
Average grade, T levels

A level subjects

Entries as a share of A level students, compared with the share across England.

SubjectEntriesShare of cohortEngland
History1033%13%
Sociology1033%13%
Photography827%3%
Psychology723%23%
Geography620%10%
Politics6%
Mathematics31%
Biology20%
Chemistry17%

Applied, technical and other level 3 courses

SubjectQualificationEntriesShare of cohortEngland
Social ScienceVRQ Level 3827%
Business StudiesBTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D*620%
Business StudiesBTEC National Foundation Diploma L3 - Band H - P-D*
Sports StudiesBTEC National Diploma L3 - Band J - PP-D*D*
Study SkillsExtended Project (Diploma)

Other secondary schools in Kent

Astor Secondary School

Academy converter · sixth form · 732 pupils

72% stayed in education · Attainment 8 27.9

Aylesford School

Academy sponsor led · sixth form · 916 pupils

73% stayed in education · Attainment 8 37.6

Borden Grammar School

Academy converter · sixth form · 938 pupils

94% stayed in education · Attainment 8 63.2

Sources: Department for Education school and college performance tables 2024/2025 (Key Stage 4 and 16–18 results, subject entries, destination measures for 2023 leavers); Get Information About Schools register as at 19 September 2026; Ofsted management information as at 31 August 2026. Small numbers are suppressed by DfE and shown as “—”. How to read these figures.