Kent
Bennett Memorial Diocesan School
GCSE results 2026: every Kent school ranked · how England did
Dependable results for a comprehensive intake; the journey is the main thing to weigh.
What the data says
Published data, read plainly. It tells you what to check next; it does not guarantee a place or replace your local authority’s admissions guidance.
Attainment 8 of 53.4 is above the national average of around 46.
- 53.4
- Attainment 8
- 57%
- 5+ Eng & Maths
- 2025/2026
- Academic year
Pupils made above-average progress compared with similar pupils nationally. The confidence interval is entirely above zero, which is strong evidence of added value.
- +0.73
- Progress 8
- [0.55, 0.90]
- Confidence interval
Admissions realism depends on your home postcode and the school's published allocation data. Enter your postcode on this page to get a more specific assessment, and always verify the latest policy on the school's official admissions page.
This school has a Church of England religious character. Admissions may prioritise pupils who meet faith criteria. A Supplementary Information Form (SIF) may be required.
Watch-outs
- Faith admissions criteria apply (Church of England). A Supplementary Information Form may be required. Evidence of faith practice may be needed.
What to do next
- Verify the school's official admissions policy
- Download and review the Supplementary Information Form
- Book an open day or school visit
- Add this school to your shortlist and compare with backup options
Starting school in September 2027
- Secondary (Year 7): apply by 31 October 2026; offers on 1 March 2027.
National dates for England. You apply through the council where you live, even for a school in another council.
Applications and offers
National offer day figures that councils report to the Department for Education. These are counts only: they do not show how far away the last child offered a place lived.
Year 7 entry
| Year of entry | Places offered | Put it first | First choices offered | Applications (any preference) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026 | 293 | 384 | 270 (70%) | 1,134 |
| September 2025 | 293 | 321 | 261 (81%) | 1,098 |
| September 2024 | 292 | 282 | 249 (88%) | 955 |
| September 2023 | 287 | 349 | 252 (72%) | 1,028 |
| September 2022 | 295 | 327 | 262 (80%) | 964 |
Source: Department for Education: Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, school-level data, published 18 June 2026. “–” means the figure was not published. The council’s own allocation figures are the official record: check Kent’s admissions page for cut-off distances, the admission rules and this year’s dates.
Performance over time
Attainment 8 over time
Progress 8 over time(not available 2024/25 or 2025/26)
University destinations
Share of this school's sixth-form leavers who went on to Oxford or Cambridge, a Russell Group university, or a university in the top third by entry grades. Department for Education data for state-funded schools and colleges.
| Left sixth form | Students | Oxford or Cambridge | Russell Group | Top-third universities |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 2024-2025 tables | 164 | Not published | Not published | 27% England 19% |
| 2020/21 2023-2024 tables | 177 | Not published | Not published | 29% England 24% |
| 2019/20 2022-2023 tables | 188 | 2% England 1% | 25% England 18% | 30% England 20% |
| 2018/19 2021-2022 tables | 164 | 1% England 1% | 19% England 15% | 22% England 17% |
| 2017/18 2020-2021 tables | 141 | 1% England 1% | 18% England 16% | 21% England 18% |
| 2015/16 2018-2019 tables | 154 | 0% England 1% | 18% England 14% | 34% England 19% |
- The DfE stopped publishing Oxbridge and Russell Group shares for individual schools after the 2022-23 performance tables (students who left in 2019/20). Top-third figures continue.
- Figures are percentages of all students who finished 16 to 18 study at the school, counting those who sustained a university place in the two years after leaving.
- Rankings use the average across years weighted by the number of students; a school needs at least 2 years and 50 students to be ranked. The top-third ranking uses the latest 3 years. Ranks are among state-funded schools and colleges.
- '<0.5%' means above zero but under half a percent. 'Suppressed' means 5 or fewer students.
- Source: Department for Education, 16 to 18 progression to higher education or training (Compare school and college performance, Explore education statistics).
Admissions, open days and sixth form
Sixth form
Bennett Sixth Form Open Evening, Wednesday 11 th November, 5:00 – 8:00pm
Source · checked 26 October 2026
Copied from the school's and test organisers' own pages; check them before registering or applying.
Questions parents ask about Bennett Memorial Diocesan School
- How good are Bennett Memorial Diocesan School's GCSE results?
- In 2025/26 (provisional) pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 53.4, against 47.6 across England. 13.6% got grade 7 or above in both English and maths.
- How good are Bennett Memorial Diocesan School's A-level results?
- In 2024/25 students averaged 36.1 points per A-level entry (an average grade of B-). An A* is worth 60 points and an A 50.
- How hard is it to get into Bennett Memorial Diocesan School?
- For September 2026, 384 families put it first for 293 Year 7 places: 1.3 first choices per place, the 83rd highest around London.
- How many Bennett Memorial Diocesan School students go to Oxford or Cambridge?
- 1.1% of its sixth-form leavers went to Oxford or Cambridge, and 20.3% to Russell Group universities (2015/16–2019/20), from Department for Education destination data.
Historical results
| Year | Pupils | Att8 | P8 | 5+ E&M | 7+ E&M | EBacc % | EBacc APS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025/2026 (provisional) | 294 | 53.4 | — | 56.8% | 13.6% | — | — |
| 2024/2025 | 296 | 54.0 | — | 57.8% | — | 88.9% | 5.1 |
| 2023/2024 | 294 | 56.0 | +0.73 | 61.2% | — | 87.8% | 5.3 |
| 2022/2023 | 266 | 58.2 | +0.95 | 67.7% | — | 89.1% | 5.4 |
| 2021/2022 | 262 | 59.5 | +0.76 | — | — | 86.0% | 5.6 |
EBacc figures stop at 2024/2025: the DfE no longer publishes them from 2025/2026.
Nearby and similar schools
Other secondary schools in Kent for local comparison.
School information
| URN | 136603 |
| Local authority | Kent |
| Region | South East |
| Phase | Secondary |
| Type | Academy converter |
| Gender of entry | Mixed |
| Age range | 11-18 |
| Headteacher | Headteacher Karen Brookes |
| Trust | THE TENAX SCHOOLS TRUST |
| Admissions | Non-selective |
| Religious character | Church of England |
| Postcode | TN4 9SH |
| Pupils | 1,892 |
| FSM eligible | 9.6% |
Contact and identifiers
Culverden Down, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN4 9SH
https://www.bennettmemorial.co.uk/View local authority page1892521595| DfE number | 5464 |
| UKPRN | 10033233 |
| Opened | 1 Apr 2011 |
| GIAS updated | 27 Mar 2026 |
Data sources and freshness
| Official record updated | 27 Mar 2026 |
| Latest KS4 year | 2025/2026 |
| Latest KS2 year | — |
| Ofsted published | 30 Jan 2024 |
Latest Ofsted inspection
| Quality of education | Outstanding |
| Behaviour and attitudes | Outstanding |
| Personal development | Outstanding |
| Leadership and management | Outstanding |
| Safeguarding | Effective |
| Inspection type | S5 Inspection |
| Category of concern | — |
| Inspection date | 13 Dec 2023 |
| Publication date | 30 Jan 2024 |