The Holmesdale School
Snodland, ME6 5HS · Kent · secondary school
Check the area around this school
87th of 99 secondary schools in Kent we can score, 103 in total — the rest without enough published data. Local and same-phase on purpose: a national table mostly measures who attends.
Its results hold up when the comparison narrows to schools whose pupils have similar backgrounds — 1.2/10 against 624 of them, against 1.1/10 nationally. So this is not simply a reflection of who attends. Both figures are results only, without the inspection grade. A lower figure here means a stronger comparison group, not a weaker school.
How this is worked out
| Measure | Percentile | Weight | Adds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5+ English & maths 2025/26 | 22.1 · 5 | 46% | 0.24 |
| Progress 8 2023/24 | -0.52 · 15 | 38% | 0.58 |
| Attainment 8 2025/26 | 39.7 · 18 | 15% | 0.28 |
Each measure is read as a position among comparable schools, so a school in the middle of the country scores 5. Full method.
The Holmesdale School overview
How it's doing
In 2024/25, 35.0% of pupils achieved Grade 5 or above in English and maths. Attainment 8 was 41.6, compared to the national median of 44.6. Progress 8 was -0.52 in 2023/24, indicating pupils did worse than those nationally who started from the same place. Narrow the comparison to schools whose pupils have similar backgrounds and it does better still (3.2 out of 10 against similar schools, 2.3 out of 10 against all schools).
Getting in
The published school roll is 606 pupils against a stated capacity of 959. These whole-school figures do not establish entry-year vacancies or the likelihood of an offer. Confirm entry-year availability and admissions criteria with the school or local authority.
Worth asking on a visit
How does the school support pupils to close the gap between their current attainment and the national median? What specific interventions are in place to improve Progress 8 scores for students with similar backgrounds?
What Ofsted said about The Holmesdale School
Overview
The Holmesdale School is described as having a “very strong, warm and welcoming ethos” where pupils feel valued and supported. Leaders have a “secure understanding” of the school, and the institution provides a “highly personalised education” that helps pupils, including those with fragmented educational histories, to achieve positive outcomes.
Strengths
- Pupils benefit from “individualised pastoral care” and know who to approach with concerns, fostering a supportive community.
- The curriculum “precisely identifies what pupils need to know,” enabling students to build knowledge quickly in established subjects.
- Sixth-form students “achieve particularly well,” developing rich subject knowledge through precise learning and support.
- Staff manage behaviour consistently, ensuring “most learning is calm” and breaktimes are orderly.
- Reading, oracy, and vocabulary development are integral to the curriculum, with targeted support helping pupils become fluent readers.
Areas to improve
- Curriculum implementation is inconsistent in some subjects, meaning teaching approaches do not always match intent, leading to variability in how well pupils secure knowledge.
- Attitudes to learning in key stage 3 are not as strong as in older year groups, with some lessons lacking focus and occasional disruption affecting learning.
Safeguarding
The report states that “the arrangements for safeguarding are effective.”
Results over time
Attainment 8, the years we hold.
| Year | Attainment 8 |
|---|---|
| 2023/24 | 35.7 |
| 2024/25 | 41.6 |
| 2025/26 | 39.7 |
| England | 44.9 |
Source: DfE Explore Education Statistics. “England” is the median of the 3,682 state schools in England we hold a 2025/26 figure for — a school-level median, not the DfE's pupil-weighted national figure.
Your offer chance
—Based on official applications/offers, distance and catchment where we have it. Bands only — never a percentage.
Sibling, faith, looked-after and other criteria can override distance. Always confirm with the school or local authority.
Next dates
- Secondary application deadline31 Oct 2026
- Secondary National Offer Day1 Mar 2027
- Secondary application deadline31 Oct 2027
- Secondary National Offer Day1 Mar 2028
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