SchoolScoresThe Abbey School
Academy · Secondary, ages 11 to 19 · Mixed · Sixth form
Part of THE HOWARD ACADEMY TRUST
London Road, Faversham, ME13 8RZ
01795 532633 · School website · Map and directions
Ofsted inspection
Ofsted report card from the inspection that started on 13 January 2026 , published 28 May 2026.
In short: 2 strong, 4 expected, 1 needs attention, and safeguarding met.
Since November 2025 Ofsted grades each area on a five-point scale instead of giving one overall grade. How report cards work.
| Area | Grade |
|---|---|
| SafeguardingWhether pupils are kept safe. Met or not met. | Met |
| InclusionHow well the school supports disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs. | Expected standard Middle of five grades. Meets the standard Ofsted expects. |
| Curriculum and teachingWhat pupils are taught and how well they are taught it. | Expected standard Middle of five grades. Meets the standard Ofsted expects. |
| AchievementHow well pupils learn and the results they get. | Needs attention Fourth of five grades. Below the expected standard; the school needs to improve this. |
| Attendance and behaviourWhether pupils come to school and how they behave. | Expected standard Middle of five grades. Meets the standard Ofsted expects. |
| Personal development and wellbeingPupils' wider development, character and wellbeing. | Strong standard Second of five grades. Better than the standard Ofsted expects. |
| Post-16 provisionSixth form or other study after 16. | Strong standard Second of five grades. Better than the standard Ofsted expects. |
| Leadership and governanceHow well leaders and governors run the school. | Expected standard Middle of five grades. Meets the standard Ofsted expects. |
Read the full Ofsted reports for this school
Source: Ofsted state-funded schools inspection data.
What parents say
169 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey between 10 November 2025 and 6 April 2026.
Kent comparisons use the 11 of its 104 state secondary schools with comparable results. The other 93 have no published Parent View results (Ofsted only publishes a survey once at least 10 parents answer) or used Ofsted's newer questions, which we don't compare with the older ones.
| Statement | This school | Kent | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| My child is happy at this school 7th highest of 11 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in Kent. Higher than 34% of 442 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in England. | 72% | 83% | 83% |
| My child feels safe at this school 8th highest of 11 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in Kent. Higher than 30% of 442 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in England. | 74% | 87% | 85% |
| The school makes sure pupils are well behaved 6th highest of 11 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in Kent. Higher than 50% of 442 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in England. | 75% | 80% | 78% |
| Bullying was dealt with quickly and effectivelyOf 45 parents whose child had been bullied 10th highest of 11 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in Kent. Higher than 22% of 344 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in England. | 31% | 51% | 43% |
| Concerns were dealt with properlyOf 162 parents who had raised a concern 6th highest of 11 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in Kent. Higher than 45% of 431 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in England. | 68% | 75% | 74% |
| My child with SEND gets the support they needOf 77 parents of children with SEND 6th highest of 11 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in Kent. Higher than 55% of 356 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in England. | 61% | 61% | 63% |
| I would recommend this school to another parent 7th highest of 11 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in Kent. Higher than 28% of 442 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in England. | 70%said yes | 84% | 83% |
Parents choose whether to take part, so these answers may not represent all families (Ofsted puts the response rate at 15%). Figures are the share who agree or strongly agree. England figures are all parents answering the same questions over the same period, for state-funded schools. Kent figures pool parents at the Kent schools compared, from each school's latest survey, so survey dates differ between schools. The scales run from lower (left) to higher (right) agreement, and the dot marks this school among state schools of the same phase that used the same survey questions. The third it falls in is coloured: green for the top third, amber the middle, red the bottom. Source: Ofsted Parent View management information.
Results
GCSEs (key stage 4, age 16), 2024/25
203 pupils in this year group.
33% — 15 points below the Kent average, and 13 points below the England average.
| Measure | This school | Kent | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 33% | 47% | 45% |
| Attainment 8 scoreAverage of each pupil's grades across 8 GCSE-level subjects, with English and maths counted twice. Around 50 means grade 5s on average. | 35.5 | 46.7 | 46.1 |
| EBacc average point scoreAverage points across the English Baccalaureate subjects: English, maths, sciences, a language and history or geography. | 3.2 | 4.2 | 4.1 |
Progress 8 isn't shown. DfE didn't publish it for 2024/25 because this year group's key stage 2 tests in 2020 were cancelled, and older progress scores aren't comparable.
Source: DfE key stage 4 performance tables, 2024/25. England figures are for state-funded schools.
A levels (16 to 18), 2024/25
37 A level students in this year group.
| Measure | This school | Kent | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average A level grade | D+ | C+ | B- |
| A level exams graded A* or A | 3% | 26% | 26% |
| A level exams graded A* to B | 23% | 53% | 53% |
| Average points per A level entryAn A* is 60 points, an A is 50, a B is 40, and so on down to 10 for an E. | 24.6 | 34.9 | 35 |
A level subjects, 2024/25
10 subjects, 61 exams. England figures are for state-funded schools and colleges.
| Subject | Exams | A* | A* or A | England A* or A |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Psychology | 12 | 0% | 0% | 19% |
| History | 10 | 0% | 0% | 23% |
| Business Studies:Single | 9 | 11% | 11% | 16% |
| Geography | 7 | 0% | 0% | 23% |
| French | 6 | 0% | 0% | 38% |
Also taken, with too few exams for DfE to publish grades: Religious Studies, Dance, Economics, English Literature, Government and Politics.
Source: DfE 16 to 18 qualification and subject data, 2024/25.
Source: DfE 16 to 18 performance tables, 2024/25. England figures are for state-funded schools.
Admissions
Apply through the council where you live, even if the school is in a different council area. This school is in Kent. The national closing date for secondary applications is 31 October, and offers are sent on 1 March.
How hard is it to get in?
For the September 2026 intake there were fewer first-choice applications than places.
| Places offered | 168 |
|---|---|
| Families who put it first | 119 |
| Of those, offered a place | 119 (100%) |
| Families who listed it at all | 314 |
First-choice applications per place: 2024: 0.7 · 2025: 0.6 · 2026: 0.7
This isn't your chance of getting a place. That depends on the school's admissions rules (for example siblings, distance or faith) and where you live. Source: DfE applications and offers, September 2026 intake.
Pupils, staff and SEND
Specialist SEND provision: this school has resourced provision and a SEN unit with 88 places for autism. These places are usually allocated through the council's SEND team.
| Pupils | This school | Kent | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eligible for free school meals in the last 6 years 22nd highest of 103 state secondary schools in Kent. Higher than 75% of 3,448 state secondary schools in England. | 38.8% | 25.1%* | 28.9% |
| With an education, health and care plan 14th highest of 103 state secondary schools in Kent. Higher than 92% of 3,448 state secondary schools in England. | 6.0% | 2.8%* | 3.1% |
| Receiving special educational needs support 75th highest of 103 state secondary schools in Kent. Higher than 12% of 3,448 state secondary schools in England. | 7.8% | 11.5%* | 13.4% |
| English as an additional language 63rd highest of 103 state secondary schools in Kent. Higher than 40% of 3,448 state secondary schools in England. | 9.0% | 12.7%* | 19.2% |
| Overall absence (sessions missed) 95th lowest of 102 state secondary schools in Kent. Lower than 4% of 3,411 state secondary schools in England. | 13.1% | 8.0%* | 8.4% |
| Persistently absent (missed 10% or more) 93rd lowest of 102 state secondary schools in Kent. Lower than 5% of 3,411 state secondary schools in England. | 38.0% | 22.9%* | 23.4% |
| Suspensions per 100 pupils 92nd lowest of 103 state secondary schools in Kent. Lower than 23% of 3,445 state secondary schools in England. | 30.8 | 13.6 | 21.2 |
| Pupils suspended at least once 91st lowest of 103 state secondary schools in Kent. Lower than 16% of 3,445 state secondary schools in England. | 13.2% | 6.0% | 7.3% |
| Pupils permanently excluded0 pupils | 0.00% | 0.03% | 0.23% |
| Pupils per teacher Joint 55th highest of 104 state secondary schools in Kent. Higher than 52% of 3,442 state secondary schools in England. | 16.9 | 16.9 | 16.7 |
| Pupils per adult (teachers and support staff) Joint 22nd highest of 104 state secondary schools in Kent. Higher than 89% of 3,445 state secondary schools in England. | 14.0 | 12.0 | 11.8 |
| Teachers who left during the year 16th highest of 103 state secondary schools in Kent. Higher than 85% of 3,430 state secondary schools in England. | 21.6% | 13.6%* | 14.2%* |
Comparisons are with secondary schools. Scales run from lower (left) to higher (right) figures. For absence and suspensions lower is better, so their scales run green to red; blue scales describe the school's pupils and staff and aren't good or bad. * Calculated by SchoolScores from the council's or England's schools, weighted by pupils (or teachers, for turnover); other figures are published by DfE. Sources: DfE school census 2024/25; DfE pupil absence 2024/25; DfE suspensions and permanent exclusions 2024/25; DfE school workforce census 2025/26; DfE teacher turnover 2024/25.
SEND provision: Get Information about Schools (DfE).
Nearby secondary schools
- Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School 0.9 miles · Ofsted: Good (2023) · 87% grade 5+ English and maths
Straight-line distance. Distance isn't the same as a catchment area.
Questions parents ask
What is The Abbey School's Ofsted rating?
The Abbey School was inspected under Ofsted's report card format in 13 January 2026. Report cards grade each area on a five-point scale instead of giving one overall grade. Its grades were 2 strong, 4 expected, 1 needs attention, and safeguarding was met.
How did The Abbey School do in its GCSEs?
In 2024/25, 33% of pupils grade 5 or above in English and maths, 13 points below the England average of 45%.
Would parents recommend The Abbey School?
70% of the 169 parents who answered Ofsted's Parent View survey between 10 November 2025 and 6 April 2026 said they would recommend The Abbey School to another parent. Parents choose whether to respond, so this may not represent all families.
Is The Abbey School oversubscribed?
For the September 2026 intake, 119 families put The Abbey School as their first choice for 168 places: fewer first-choice applications than places. 119 of those families were offered a place. Whether you get a place depends on the school's admissions rules and where you live.
Sources
- School details: Get Information about Schools (DfE), 26 September 2026. URN 149893.
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, data to 31 August 2026.
- Parent views: Ofsted Parent View, 10 November 2025 to 6 April 2026.
- Results: DfE school performance tables, GCSEs 2024/25, A levels 2024/25.
Spotted a mistake? Report it and we'll check it against the source.
Page updated 26 September 2026.