Astor Secondary School
Academy converter · sixth form · 732 pupils
72% stayed in education · Attainment 8 27.9
Academy sponsor led
The Holmesdale School
- Pupils on roll
- 606of 959 places
- Free school meals
- 35.7%
- Year 11 cohort 2025
- 80
- Ofsted
- Inspected, 1 April 2025Read the Ofsted report
Results below include those reported under the school’s previous registration: The Holmesdale School (URN 118796, until 31 March 2020).
What the data says
Of the 99 pupils who finished Year 11 at The Holmesdale School in 2023, 41% stayed on in The Holmesdale School’s own sixth form (Kent average 56%), 33% went to a further education college and 4% started an apprenticeship.
A level grades average E-, well below the England average of B-.
Statistics is unusually popular at GCSE: 99% of the year group took it, against 5% of pupils across England.
11% of leavers were not in sustained education, employment or training six months on, compared with 6% nationally.
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 Holmesdale School | Kent | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils in the cohort | 99 | 17,954 | 607,348 |
| Any sustained destination | 84% | 93% | 92% |
| Stayed in education | 76% | 88% | 86% |
| — school sixth form | 41% | 56% | 34% |
| — sixth form college | 0% | — | 13% |
| — further education college | 33% | 28% | 37% |
| — other education | 1% | 4% | 2% |
| Apprenticeship | 4% | 3% | 3% |
| Employment | 4% | 2% | 3% |
| No sustained destination | 11% | 5% | 6% |
| Destination unknown | 5% | 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 Holmesdale School | Kent | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students in the cohort | 22 | 14,947 | 541,441 |
| Any sustained destination | 82% | 80% | 79% |
| University (higher education) | 27% | 39% | 37% |
| — most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students | — | 20% | 19% |
| Further education | 0% | 4% | 5% |
| Apprenticeship | 5% | 6% | 7% |
| Employment | 50% | 30% | 28% |
| No sustained destination | 18% | 15% | 16% |
GCSE results 2025
| Measure | The Holmesdale School | Kent | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 (average points per pupil) | 41.6 | 46.7 | 46.1 |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 35% | 47% | 45% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 56% | 65% | 65% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects | 10% | 47% | 41% |
| EBacc average point score | 3.39 | 4.18 | 4.09 |
| Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort | 34% | 25% | 28% |
| Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils | 37.3 | 32.2 | 34.9 |
| Attainment 8 — other pupils | 43.8 | 51.5 | 50.4 |
| Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2) | — | — | — |
| English as an additional language | 3% | 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 | 80 | 100% | 89% | 8% | 20% | 48% |
| Mathematics | 79 | 99% | 88% | 20% | 22% | 66% |
| Statistics | 79 | 99% | 5% | 0% | 20% | 53% |
| English Literature | 78 | 98% | 86% | 6% | 21% | 69% |
| Combined Science | 55 | 69% | 65% | 4% | 9% | 56% |
| History | 36 | 45% | 41% | 6% | 26% | 22% |
| Geography | 27 | 34% | 41% | 0% | 25% | 52% |
| Biology | 25 | 31% | 23% | 0% | 45% | 80% |
| Chemistry | 23 | 29% | 23% | 4% | 47% | 83% |
| Physics | 23 | 29% | 23% | 4% | 46% | 87% |
| Spanish | 15 | 19% | 19% | 7% | 27% | 47% |
| Design and Technology | 12 | 15% | 11% | 0% | 23% | 25% |
| Fine Art | 1 | 1% | 9% | — | 28% | — |
Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small Business Management | 28 | 100% | — |
| Sports Studies | 27 | 100% | — |
| Finance / Accounting (General) | 20 | 100% | — |
| Health Studies | 19 | 100% | — |
| Art and Design | 15 | 100% | — |
| Computer Appreciation / Introduction | 11 | 92% | — |
| Personal Health | 1 | 8% | — |
A levels and other level 3 courses
| Measure | The Holmesdale School | Kent | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students at the end of 16–18 study | 53 | — | — |
| — of whom A level students | 12 | 7,794 | 261,341 |
| Average A level grade | E- | C+ | B- |
| Average points per A level entry | 5.00 | 34.87 | 35.00 |
| Average grade, best 3 A levels | — | B- | B- |
| AAB or better with two facilitating subjects | — | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biology | 12 | 100% | 20% |
Applied, technical and other level 3 courses
| Subject | Qualification | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Psychology | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 13 | 100% | — |
| Biology | GCE AS level (All) | 12 | 100% | — |
| Finance / Accounting (General) | VRQ Level 3 | 9 | 75% | — |
| Health Studies | BTEC National Diploma L3 - Band J - PP-D*D* | 9 | 75% | — |
| Sports Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 8 | 67% | — |
| Business Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 8 | 67% | — |
| Business Studies | BTEC National Diploma L3 - Band J - PP-D*D* | 7 | 58% | — |
| Sports Studies | BTEC National Diploma L3 - Band J - PP-D*D* | — | — | — |
| Health Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | — | — | — |
| Health Studies | BTEC National Foundation Diploma L3 - Band H - P-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.