Astor Secondary School
Academy converter · sixth form · 732 pupils
72% stayed in education · Attainment 8 27.9
Academy converter
Highsted Grammar School
- Pupils on roll
- 793of 830 places
- Free school meals
- 12.5%
- Year 11 cohort 2025
- 142
- Ofsted
- Good, 17 January 2023Read the Ofsted report
Results below include those reported under the school’s previous registration: Highsted Grammar School (URN 118802, until 1 October 2010).
What the data says
Of the 143 pupils who finished Year 11 at Highsted Grammar School in 2023, 79% stayed on in Highsted Grammar School’s own sixth form (Kent average 56%), 17% went to a further education college and 1% started an apprenticeship.
Among the 99 students who left the sixth form in 2023, 74% went to university (Kent 39%, England 37%), and 34% of level 3 students progressed to one of the most selective universities, against 19% nationally.
GCSE results in 2025 were well above the national picture: Attainment 8 of 61.1 against 46.1 across England and 46.7 in Kent, with 82% of pupils getting grade 5 or above in both English and maths (England 45%) — as a selective grammar school, Highsted Grammar School admits pupils by test at 11, which drives these figures.
Sociology is unusually popular at GCSE: 65% of the year group took it, against 4% 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.
School sixth formSixth form collegeFurther education collegeOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | Highsted Grammar School | Kent | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils in the cohort | 143 | 17,954 | 607,348 |
| Any sustained destination | 98% | 93% | 92% |
| Stayed in education | 97% | 88% | 86% |
| — school sixth form | 79% | 56% | 34% |
| — sixth form college | 0% | — | 13% |
| — further education college | 17% | 28% | 37% |
| — other education | 0% | 4% | 2% |
| Apprenticeship | 1% | 3% | 3% |
| Employment | 0% | 2% | 3% |
| No sustained destination | 1% | 5% | 6% |
| Destination unknown | 1% | 3% | 3% |
Where students went after sixth form
Destinations of students who finished 16–18 study in 2023, measured the following year.
University (higher education)Further educationOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | Highsted Grammar School | Kent | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students in the cohort | 99 | 14,947 | 541,441 |
| Any sustained destination | 95% | 80% | 79% |
| University (higher education) | 74% | 39% | 37% |
| — most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students | 34% | 20% | 19% |
| Further education | 0% | 4% | 5% |
| Apprenticeship | 5% | 6% | 7% |
| Employment | 16% | 30% | 28% |
| No sustained destination | 3% | 15% | 16% |
GCSE results 2025
| Measure | Highsted Grammar School | Kent | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 (average points per pupil) | 61.1 | 46.7 | 46.1 |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 82% | 47% | 45% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 94% | 65% | 65% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects | 97% | 47% | 41% |
| EBacc average point score | 5.88 | 4.18 | 4.09 |
| Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort | 11% | 25% | 28% |
| Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils | 56.9 | 32.2 | 34.9 |
| Attainment 8 — other pupils | 61.6 | 51.5 | 50.4 |
| Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2) | — | — | — |
| English as an additional language | 11% | 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.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England | Grades 7–9 | England | Grades 4–9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 142 | 100% | 88% | 20% | 22% | 95% |
| English Language | 142 | 100% | 89% | 38% | 20% | 98% |
| English Literature | 139 | 98% | 86% | 40% | 21% | 98% |
| History | 102 | 72% | 41% | 49% | 26% | 94% |
| Sociology | 92 | 65% | 4% | 39% | 21% | 96% |
| Combined Science | 89 | 63% | 65% | 15% | 9% | 93% |
| German | 74 | 52% | 5% | 12% | 33% | 66% |
| French | 66 | 46% | 18% | 29% | 29% | 77% |
| Business Studies | 61 | 43% | 18% | 36% | 20% | 98% |
| Geography | 55 | 39% | 41% | 53% | 25% | 96% |
| Physics | 53 | 37% | 23% | 38% | 46% | 100% |
| Biology | 53 | 37% | 23% | 53% | 45% | 98% |
| Chemistry | 53 | 37% | 23% | 47% | 47% | 100% |
| Art and Design | 37 | 26% | 7% | 43% | 24% | 86% |
| Drama | 17 | 12% | 7% | 71% | 27% | 100% |
| Design and Technology | 15 | 11% | 11% | 33% | 23% | 100% |
| Music | 13 | 9% | 5% | 38% | 33% | 100% |
| Physical Education | 12 | 8% | 11% | 25% | 24% | 100% |
| Computer Science | 11 | 8% | 13% | 27% | 30% | 100% |
| Citizenship Studies | 2 | 1% | 3% | — | 19% | — |
| Portuguese | 1 | 1% | 0% | — | 50% | — |
| Spanish | 1 | 1% | 19% | — | 27% | — |
| Psychology | 1 | 1% | 3% | — | 22% | — |
| Fine Art | 1 | 1% | 9% | — | 28% | — |
Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal Health | 3 | 4% | — |
A levels and other level 3 courses
| Measure | Highsted Grammar School | Kent | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students at the end of 16–18 study | 163 | — | — |
| — of whom A level students | 76 | 7,794 | 261,341 |
| Average A level grade | C+ | C+ | B- |
| Average points per A level entry | 33.80 | 34.87 | 35.00 |
| Average grade, best 3 A levels | B- | B- | B- |
| AAB or better with two facilitating subjects | 10% | 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.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psychology | 29 | 38% | 23% |
| History | 27 | 36% | 13% |
| Sociology | 25 | 33% | 13% |
| English Literature | 23 | 30% | 11% |
| Mathematics | 22 | 29% | 31% |
| Business Studies | 17 | 22% | 13% |
| Economics | 16 | 21% | 13% |
| Photography | 15 | 20% | 3% |
| Chemistry | 14 | 18% | 17% |
| Biology | 14 | 18% | 20% |
| Art and Design | 11 | 14% | 1% |
| Film Studies | 11 | 14% | 2% |
| Geography | 10 | 13% | 10% |
| Media Studies | 9 | 12% | 4% |
| Further Mathematics | 8 | 11% | 5% |
| Politics | 7 | 9% | 6% |
| Drama | 6 | 8% | 2% |
| French | — | — | 1% |
| Physical Education | — | — | 3% |
| Physics | — | — | 12% |
| German | — | — | 0% |
| Law | — | — | 4% |
Applied, technical and other level 3 courses
| Subject | Qualification | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Study Skills | Extended Project (Diploma) | 68 | 89% | — |
| Sociology | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Computer Appreciation / Introduction | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | — | — | — |
| Health Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | — | — | — |
| Finance / Accounting (General) | VRQ Level 3 | — | — | — |
| Business Studies | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Chemistry | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Economics | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Politics | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| History | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Sociology | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Business Studies | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Chemistry | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Economics | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Politics | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| History | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
Other secondary schools in Kent
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Barton Court Grammar School
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Bennett Memorial Diocesan School
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Borden Grammar School
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Brockhill Park Performing Arts College
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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.