Astor Secondary School
Academy converter · sixth form · 732 pupils
72% stayed in education · Attainment 8 27.9
Academy converter
The Canterbury Academy
- Pupils on roll
- 1,984of 1,300 places
- Free school meals
- 33.8%
- Year 11 cohort 2025
- 232
- Ofsted
- Report card, 6 January 2026Read the Ofsted report
Curriculum and teaching Expected standardAchievement Expected standardAttendance and behaviour Expected standardPersonal development and wellbeing Strong standardInclusion Strong standardLeadership and governance Expected standardPost-16 provision Strong standardSafeguarding Met
Results below include those reported under the school’s previous registration: The Canterbury High School (URN 118893, until 7 October 2010).
What the data says
Of the 214 pupils who finished Year 11 at The Canterbury Academy in 2023, 62% stayed on in The Canterbury Academy’s own sixth form (Kent average 56%), 21% went to a further education college and 3% started an apprenticeship.
Among the 358 students who left the sixth form in 2023, 31% went to university (Kent 39%, England 37%), and 5% of level 3 students progressed to one of the most selective universities, against 19% nationally.
GCSE results in 2025 were below the national picture: Attainment 8 of 39.0 against 46.1 across England and 46.7 in Kent, with 34% of pupils getting grade 5 or above in both English and maths (England 45%).
A level grades average C-, well below the England average of B-; 2% of students achieved AAB or better including two facilitating subjects (England 18%). The largest A level subjects are Sociology, English Literature and Business Studies.
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 Canterbury Academy | Kent | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils in the cohort | 214 | 17,954 | 607,348 |
| Any sustained destination | 89% | 93% | 92% |
| Stayed in education | 84% | 88% | 86% |
| — school sixth form | 62% | 56% | 34% |
| — sixth form college | 0% | — | 13% |
| — further education college | 21% | 28% | 37% |
| — other education | 1% | 4% | 2% |
| Apprenticeship | 3% | 3% | 3% |
| Employment | 2% | 2% | 3% |
| No sustained destination | 8% | 5% | 6% |
| Destination unknown | 3% | 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 Canterbury Academy | Kent | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students in the cohort | 358 | 14,947 | 541,441 |
| Any sustained destination | 75% | 80% | 79% |
| University (higher education) | 31% | 39% | 37% |
| — most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students | 5% | 20% | 19% |
| Further education | 2% | 4% | 5% |
| Apprenticeship | 6% | 6% | 7% |
| Employment | 33% | 30% | 28% |
| No sustained destination | 14% | 15% | 16% |
GCSE results 2025
| Measure | The Canterbury Academy | Kent | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 (average points per pupil) | 39.0 | 46.7 | 46.1 |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 34% | 47% | 45% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 55% | 65% | 65% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects | 11% | 47% | 41% |
| EBacc average point score | 3.27 | 4.18 | 4.09 |
| Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort | 35% | 25% | 28% |
| Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils | 31.9 | 32.2 | 34.9 |
| Attainment 8 — other pupils | 42.9 | 51.5 | 50.4 |
| Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2) | — | — | — |
| English as an additional language | 10% | 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 | 230 | 99% | 88% | 7% | 22% | 67% |
| English Language | 230 | 99% | 89% | 6% | 20% | 57% |
| English Literature | 226 | 97% | 86% | 5% | 21% | 54% |
| Combined Science | 198 | 85% | 65% | 2% | 9% | 44% |
| Geography | 156 | 67% | 41% | 5% | 25% | 40% |
| History | 74 | 32% | 41% | 8% | 26% | 53% |
| Fine Art | 27 | 12% | 9% | 11% | 28% | 89% |
| Biology | 23 | 10% | 23% | 35% | 45% | 96% |
| Physics | 23 | 10% | 23% | 48% | 46% | 96% |
| Chemistry | 23 | 10% | 23% | 35% | 47% | 87% |
| Music | 22 | 9% | 5% | 14% | 33% | 55% |
| Sociology | 22 | 9% | 4% | 5% | 21% | 55% |
| Physical Education | 22 | 9% | 11% | 9% | 24% | 59% |
| Business Studies | 22 | 9% | 18% | 0% | 20% | 0% |
| Photography | 19 | 8% | 6% | 5% | 19% | 79% |
| Computer Science | 19 | 8% | 13% | 16% | 30% | 47% |
| Textiles | 15 | 6% | 2% | 7% | 27% | 73% |
| French | 13 | 6% | 18% | 23% | 29% | 85% |
| Drama | 10 | 4% | 7% | 20% | 27% | 30% |
| Spanish | 10 | 4% | 19% | 20% | 27% | 90% |
| Religious Studies | 10 | 4% | 31% | 10% | 32% | 50% |
| Dance | 9 | 4% | 1% | 11% | 27% | 67% |
| Chinese | 3 | 1% | 1% | — | 75% | — |
| Statistics | 2 | 1% | 5% | — | 20% | — |
| Polish | 1 | 0% | 1% | — | 84% | — |
| Arabic | 1 | 0% | 1% | — | 47% | — |
| German | 1 | 0% | 5% | — | 33% | — |
| Japanese | 1 | 0% | 0% | — | 53% | — |
Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small Business Management | 91 | 57% | — |
| Sports Studies | 46 | 29% | — |
| Hospitality / Catering Studies | 43 | 27% | — |
| Beauty Care / Services | 40 | 25% | — |
| Childcare Skills | 31 | 19% | — |
| Building / Construction Operations (General / Combined) | 30 | 19% | — |
| Computer Appreciation / Introduction | 21 | 13% | — |
| Health Studies | 20 | 12% | — |
| Engineering Studies | 16 | 10% | — |
| Health Studies | 2 | 1% | — |
A levels and other level 3 courses
| Measure | The Canterbury Academy | Kent | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students at the end of 16–18 study | 830 | — | — |
| — of whom A level students | 161 | 7,794 | 261,341 |
| Average A level grade | C- | C+ | B- |
| Average points per A level entry | 26.59 | 34.87 | 35.00 |
| Average grade, best 3 A levels | D+ | B- | B- |
| AAB or better with two facilitating subjects | 2% | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sociology | 39 | 24% | 13% |
| English Literature | 22 | 14% | 11% |
| Business Studies | 21 | 13% | 13% |
| Photography | 16 | 10% | 3% |
| Fine Art | 15 | 9% | 3% |
| Film Studies | 13 | 8% | 2% |
| Graphic Communication | 12 | 7% | 2% |
| Environmental Science | 12 | 7% | 1% |
| Mathematics | 11 | 7% | 31% |
| Physical Education | 10 | 6% | 3% |
| English Language | 10 | 6% | 4% |
| Biology | 10 | 6% | 20% |
| Politics | 9 | 6% | 6% |
| Physics | 8 | 5% | 12% |
| History | 8 | 5% | 13% |
| Psychology | 8 | 5% | 23% |
| Dance | 8 | 5% | 0% |
| Product Design | 7 | 4% | 2% |
| Drama | 6 | 4% | 2% |
| Chemistry | 6 | 4% | 17% |
| Law | 6 | 4% | 4% |
| Economics | — | — | 13% |
| French | — | — | 1% |
| Modern Greek | — | — | 0% |
| Textiles | — | — | 1% |
| German | — | — | 0% |
| Geography | — | — | 10% |
| Religious Studies | — | — | 4% |
| Philosophy | — | — | 1% |
| Polish | — | — | 0% |
| English Language and Literature | — | — | 2% |
| Italian | — | — | 0% |
| Computer Science | — | — | 5% |
| Chinese | — | — | 0% |
Applied, technical and other level 3 courses
| Subject | Qualification | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speech and Drama | BTEC National Extended Diploma L3 - Band N - PPP-D*D*D* | 40 | 25% | — |
| Social Science | VRQ Level 3 | 39 | 24% | — |
| Finance / Accounting (General) | VRQ Level 3 | 37 | 23% | — |
| Tourism | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 28 | 17% | — |
| Business Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 24 | 15% | — |
| Psychology | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 21 | 13% | — |
| Study Skills | Extended Project (Diploma) | 20 | 12% | — |
| Business Studies | BTEC National Diploma L3 - Band J - PP-D*D* | 20 | 12% | — |
| Sports Studies | BTEC National Diploma L3 - Band J - PP-D*D* | 19 | 12% | — |
| Engineering Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 17 | 11% | — |
| Small Business Management | BTEC National Extended Diploma L3 - Band N - PPP-D*D*D* | 13 | 8% | — |
| Sports Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 11 | 7% | — |
| Health Studies | BTEC National Diploma L3 - Band J - PP-D*D* | 11 | 7% | — |
| Sports Studies | BTEC National Extended Diploma L3 - Band N - PPP-D*D*D* | 9 | 6% | — |
| Health Studies | BTEC National Extended Diploma L3 - Band N - PPP-D*D*D* | 8 | 5% | — |
| Childcare Skills | VRQ Level 3 | 7 | 4% | — |
| Computer Architecture / Systems | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 7 | 4% | — |
| Health Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | — | — | — |
| Mathematical Studies | Core Maths Qualifications at Level 3 | — | — | — |
| Small Business Management | BTEC National Diploma L3 - Band J - PP-D*D* | — | — | — |
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.