Kent
Orchards Academy
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 38.3 is below the national average of around 46. Compare with progress data, which may show a different picture.
- 38.3
- Attainment 8
- 27%
- 5+ Eng & Maths
- 2025/2026
- Academic year
Progress is close to average or statistically uncertain because the confidence interval crosses zero. This does not necessarily mean the school adds or detracts from pupil progress.
- +0.03
- Progress 8
- [-0.25, 0.30]
- 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.
What to do next
- Verify the school's official admissions policy
- 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 | 139 | 95 | 95 (100%) | 186 |
| September 2025 | 109 | 100 | 94 (94%) | 169 |
| September 2024 | 112 | 86 | 81 (94%) | 168 |
| September 2023 | 145 | 95 | 95 (100%) | 181 |
| September 2022 | 113 | 84 | 84 (100%) | 156 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015/16 2018-2019 tables | 11 | 0% England 1% | 0% England 14% | 0% 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).
Historical results
| Year | Pupils | Att8 | P8 | 5+ E&M | 7+ E&M | EBacc % | EBacc APS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025/2026 (provisional) | 106 | 38.3 | — | 27.4% | 0.9% | — | — |
| 2024/2025 | 88 | 41.3 | — | 33.0% | — | 0.0% | 3.3 |
| 2023/2024 | 106 | 40.9 | +0.03 | 28.3% | — | 0.9% | 3.2 |
| 2022/2023 | 112 | 41.4 | -0.08 | 32.1% | — | 7.1% | 3.4 |
| 2021/2022 | 85 | 40.6 | -0.69 | — | — | 12.0% | 3.4 |
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 | 136304 |
| Local authority | Kent |
| Region | South East |
| Phase | Secondary |
| Type | Academy converter |
| Gender of entry | Mixed |
| Age range | 11-18 |
| Headteacher | Headteacher Hannah Carter |
| Trust | THE KEMNAL ACADEMIES TRUST |
| Admissions | Non-selective |
| Religious character | None |
| Postcode | BR8 7TE |
| Pupils | 545 |
| FSM eligible | 44.0% |
Contact and identifiers
St Mary's Road, Swanley, Kent, BR8 7TE
http://www.orchards-tkat.orgView local authority page1322665231| DfE number | 4031 |
| UKPRN | 10032208 |
| Opened | 1 Nov 2010 |
| GIAS updated | 10 Feb 2026 |
Data sources and freshness
| Official record updated | 10 Feb 2026 |
| Latest KS4 year | 2025/2026 |
| Latest KS2 year | — |
| Ofsted published | 28 Apr 2025 |
Latest Ofsted inspection
| Quality of education | Good |
| Behaviour and attitudes | Good |
| Personal development | Good |
| Leadership and management | Good |
| Safeguarding | Effective |
| Inspection type | S5 Inspection |
| Category of concern | — |
| Inspection date | 11 Mar 2025 |
| Publication date | 28 Apr 2025 |