Highsted Grammar School
Sittingbourne, ME10 4PT · Kent · Grammar school
Check the area around this school
34th 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.
Narrow the comparison to the 595 schools whose pupils have similar backgrounds — a tougher field — and it places 5.1/10 among them, against 7.7/10 nationally. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ofsted | 52 | 35% | 1.84 |
| Grade 5+ English & maths 2025/26 | 83.2 · 95 | 30% | 2.86 |
| Progress 8 2023/24 | -0.04 · 47 | 25% | 1.18 |
| Attainment 8 2025/26 | 61.9 · 93 | 10% | 0.93 |
Each measure is read as a position among comparable schools, so a school in the middle of the country scores 5. Full method.
Highsted Grammar School overview
How it's doing
The school was rated Good by Ofsted in March 2023. In 2024/25, 82.4% of pupils achieved Grade 5 or above in English and maths. Attainment 8 was 61.1, compared to the national median of 44.6. Progress 8 was -0.04 in 2023/24, indicating pupils did slightly worse than those nationally who started from the same place. Narrow the comparison to the schools whose pupils have similar backgrounds — a tougher field — and it places 5.0 out of 10 among them, against 7.6 out of 10 nationally.
Beyond the classroom
Pupils join the Reading Group and Young Enterprise. Arts activities include drama productions, musicals, concerts, and learning a musical instrument. Trips cover history visits to Belgium and Poland, work experience in Brussels, study visits to France, exchange partnerships in France and Germany, residential visits, theatre visits, ski trips, and a Year 13 Iceland Geography Trip. An after-school club is available.
Getting in
The published school roll is 793 pupils against a stated capacity of 830. 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 improve their Progress 8 scores? What specific support is available for students aiming for higher attainment in English and maths?
What Ofsted said about Highsted Grammar School
Overview
Highsted Grammar School is judged as ‘Good’ across all inspection categories. The report describes a school where ‘pupils and students flourish and succeed’, benefiting from an ‘ambitious’ curriculum that balances ‘academic rigour and pastoral support’. Leaders maintain high expectations, resulting in strong attendance, low bullying, and successful progression to higher education.
Strengths
- The curriculum is ‘well planned and thoughtfully constructed’, with ‘exceptionally strong’ subject knowledge among teachers.
- Pupils are ‘courteous, polite and welcoming’, with behaviour ‘well managed’ and incidents of poor behaviour being low.
- There is an ‘extensive programme of extra-curricular and enrichment activities’, including trips abroad and subject clubs.
- Safeguarding arrangements are ‘effective’, supported by a ‘culture of vigilance’ and rigorous recruitment practices.
- Sixth-form provision is ‘Good’, with students typically taking four A levels and achieving successful university entrance.
Areas to improve
- Curriculum implementation is not yet ‘securely and consistently embedded’ across all subjects, leading to inconsistencies in impact.
- Not all parents feel ‘sufficiently engaged’ with the school, leaving some feeling ‘negative’ and ‘uninformed’ about its intentions.
Safeguarding
The report states that ‘the arrangements for safeguarding are effective’, noting that staff receive timely training and that the school maintains a ‘culture of vigilance’ where safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility.
Results over time
Attainment 8, the years we hold.
| Year | Attainment 8 |
|---|---|
| 2023/24 | 60.6 |
| 2024/25 | 61.1 |
| 2025/26 | 61.9 |
| 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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