Astor Secondary School
Academy converter · sixth form · 732 pupils
72% stayed in education · Attainment 8 27.9
Academy sponsor led
The Marsh Academy
- Pupils on roll
- 1,019of 1,110 places
- Free school meals
- 39.1%
- Year 11 cohort 2025
- 170
- Ofsted
- Good, 15 November 2022Read the Ofsted report
Results below include those reported under the school’s previous registration: Southlands Community Comprehensive School (URN 118877).
What the data says
Of the 174 pupils who finished Year 11 at The Marsh Academy in 2023, 37% stayed on in The Marsh Academy’s own sixth form (Kent average 56%), 40% went to a further education college and 3% started an apprenticeship.
Among the 85 students who left the sixth form in 2023, 29% went to university (Kent 39%, England 37%), and 10% of level 3 students progressed to one of the most selective universities, against 19% nationally; 13% started an apprenticeship, well above the 7% England average.
Photography is unusually popular at GCSE: 24% of the year group took it, against 6% of pupils across England.
GCSE results in 2025 were well below the national picture: Attainment 8 of 37.7 against 46.1 across England and 46.7 in Kent, with 25% of pupils getting grade 5 or above in both English and maths (England 45%).
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 | The Marsh Academy | Kent | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils in the cohort | 174 | 17,954 | 607,348 |
| Any sustained destination | 88% | 93% | 92% |
| Stayed in education | 81% | 88% | 86% |
| — school sixth form | 37% | 56% | 34% |
| — sixth form college | 0% | — | 13% |
| — further education college | 40% | 28% | 37% |
| — other education | 3% | 4% | 2% |
| Apprenticeship | 3% | 3% | 3% |
| Employment | 3% | 2% | 3% |
| No sustained destination | 10% | 5% | 6% |
| Destination unknown | 2% | 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 | The Marsh Academy | Kent | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students in the cohort | 85 | 14,947 | 541,441 |
| Any sustained destination | 79% | 80% | 79% |
| University (higher education) | 29% | 39% | 37% |
| — most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students | 10% | 20% | 19% |
| Further education | 0% | 4% | 5% |
| Apprenticeship | 13% | 6% | 7% |
| Employment | 33% | 30% | 28% |
| No sustained destination | 15% | 15% | 16% |
GCSE results 2025
| Measure | The Marsh Academy | Kent | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 (average points per pupil) | 37.7 | 46.7 | 46.1 |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 25% | 47% | 45% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 48% | 65% | 65% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects | 33% | 47% | 41% |
| EBacc average point score | 3.31 | 4.18 | 4.09 |
| Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort | 37% | 25% | 28% |
| Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils | 35.2 | 32.2 | 34.9 |
| Attainment 8 — other pupils | 39.1 | 51.5 | 50.4 |
| Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2) | — | — | — |
| English as an additional language | 5% | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 167 | 98% | 89% | 6% | 20% | 55% |
| English Literature | 167 | 98% | 86% | 6% | 21% | 53% |
| Mathematics | 167 | 98% | 88% | 11% | 22% | 59% |
| Combined Science | 162 | 95% | 65% | 6% | 9% | 54% |
| Geography | 97 | 57% | 41% | 8% | 25% | 45% |
| History | 93 | 55% | 41% | 6% | 26% | 31% |
| Business Studies | 46 | 27% | 18% | 4% | 20% | 39% |
| Photography | 40 | 24% | 6% | 3% | 19% | 53% |
| French | 34 | 20% | 18% | 6% | 29% | 47% |
| Art and Design | 34 | 20% | 7% | 0% | 24% | 44% |
| Spanish | 29 | 17% | 19% | 0% | 27% | 34% |
| Computer Science | 26 | 15% | 13% | 4% | 30% | 31% |
| Drama | 20 | 12% | 7% | 0% | 27% | 55% |
| Physical Education | 19 | 11% | 11% | 0% | 24% | 79% |
| Citizenship Studies | 18 | 11% | 3% | 0% | 19% | 0% |
| Media Studies | 17 | 10% | 4% | 6% | 20% | 65% |
| Statistics | 15 | 9% | 5% | 7% | 20% | 87% |
| Religious Studies | 14 | 8% | 31% | 21% | 32% | 71% |
| Chemistry | 3 | 2% | 23% | — | 47% | — |
| Physics | 3 | 2% | 23% | — | 46% | — |
| Biology | 3 | 2% | 23% | — | 45% | — |
Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal Health | 44 | 83% | — |
| Health Studies | 27 | 51% | — |
| Hospitality / Catering Studies | 21 | 40% | — |
| Music performance: Group | 12 | 23% | — |
A levels and other level 3 courses
| Measure | The Marsh Academy | Kent | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students at the end of 16–18 study | 129 | — | — |
| — of whom A level students | 53 | 7,794 | 261,341 |
| Average A level grade | C- | C+ | B- |
| Average points per A level entry | 25.14 | 34.87 | 35.00 |
| Average grade, best 3 A levels | D+ | B- | B- |
| AAB or better with two facilitating subjects | 0% | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| English Literature | 12 | 23% | 11% |
| Psychology | 11 | 21% | 23% |
| Business Studies | 10 | 19% | 13% |
| Photography | 10 | 19% | 3% |
| Media Studies | 9 | 17% | 4% |
| Mathematics | 8 | 15% | 31% |
| Politics | 7 | 13% | 6% |
| Sociology | 6 | 11% | 13% |
| Geography | 6 | 11% | 10% |
| Biology | 6 | 11% | 20% |
| History | — | — | 13% |
| Fine Art | — | — | 3% |
| Chemistry | — | — | 17% |
| Computer Science | — | — | 5% |
| Drama | — | — | 2% |
| Economics | — | — | 13% |
Applied, technical and other level 3 courses
| Subject | Qualification | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Social Science | VRQ Level 3 | 21 | 40% | — |
| Finance / Accounting (General) | VRQ Level 3 | 18 | 34% | — |
| Mathematics | GCE AS level (All) | 10 | 19% | — |
| Sports Studies | BTEC National Extended Diploma L3 - Band N - PPP-D*D*D* | — | — | — |
| Health Studies | BTEC National Extended Diploma L3 - Band N - PPP-D*D*D* | — | — | — |
| Sports Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | — | — | — |
| Health Studies | BTEC National Diploma L3 - Band J - PP-D*D* | — | — | — |
| Biology | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Computer Science | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Biology | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Computer Science | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Mathematics | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Music performance: Group | VRQ Level 3 | — | — | — |
| Sports Studies | BTEC National Diploma L3 - Band J - PP-D*D* | — | — | — |
| Mathematical Studies | Core Maths Qualifications at Level 3 | — | — | — |
Other secondary schools in Kent
Aylesford School
Academy sponsor led · sixth form · 916 pupils
73% stayed in education · Attainment 8 37.6
Barton Court Grammar School
Academy converter · sixth form · 995 pupils
97% stayed in education · Attainment 8 66.4
Bennett Memorial Diocesan School
Academy converter · sixth form · 1,913 pupils
95% stayed in education · Attainment 8 54.0
Borden Grammar School
Academy converter · sixth form · 938 pupils
94% stayed in education · Attainment 8 63.2
Brockhill Park Performing Arts College
Academy converter · sixth form · 1,314 pupils
86% stayed in education · Attainment 8 37.4
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.