The North School
Secondary · Academy converter · Ages 11–19 · Ashford, Kent
Last distance offered · Year 7 2026
1.741 miles
Published by Kent County Council · offers on 2 March 2026
2023–2025 trend 🔒
Nearby schools' earlier years 🔒
The North School is a secondary school in Ashford, Kent for ages 11–19 (academy converter). Its latest Ofsted outcome is Standards maintained, from the inspection on 13 November 2024. Kent has published a last distance offered for this school for Year 7 2023 to 2026 entry.
The North School catchment area: last distance offered
Parents often call this the catchment area: it's how far from the school the last child offered a place lived. It changes every year.
| Entry | Last distance offered |
|---|---|
| Year 7 2026 | 1.741 mi |
| Year 7 2025 | 🔒 With a pass |
| Year 7 2024 | 🔒 With a pass |
| Year 7 2023 | 🔒 With a pass |
What the pass includes · How to read it: one past year, not a catchment
What the figures show
- For Year 7 2026, the last place offered went to a child living 1.741 miles away, 16th shortest of 56 Kent secondary schools with a published Year 7 2026 last distance.
- Year 7 last distances stayed close to the year before in every published year, and the 2026 figure was the longest of the 4 years with a published distance.
- Year 7 2026 drew 197 first-choice applications for 206 offers; 170 offers went to first-choice families and 27 first-choice families (14%) were not offered a place.
- In 2024/25, 40% of pupils got grade 5 or above in GCSE English and maths (England 45%), with an Attainment 8 score of 41.1 (England 46).
Worked out by Catchmently from the published figures on this page and those for other Kent schools. Distances are as published; how they were measured differs between admission authorities.
Key facts
- Address
- Essella Road, Ashford, TN24 8AL
- Type
- Academy converter
- Phase
- Secondary
- Ages
- 11–19
- Admissions policy
- Non-selective
- Council
- Kent
- Pupils on roll
- 1,237 January 2026 school census
- Free school meals
- 33.5% of pupils eligible
- Pupils per teacher
- 16
Official record: Get Information about Schools · as at 15 September 2026
Ofsted
Standards maintained Inspected 13 November 2024
Strengths
- “This is a welcoming school that encourages pupils to take responsibility and develop resilience.”
- “For example, pupils in the young farmers’ club each raise an animal over a year in readiness to present it at a regional show, which requires skill and commitment.”
- “Pupils are well supported to learn an interesting and broad curriculum successfully.”
To improve
- “However, curriculum changes are recent.”
- “Pupils who left the school in 2023 did not have long enough to benefit from these changes in some subjects.”
- “As a result, published outcomes in national assessments do not reflect these changes.”
Safeguarding: Effective
Quoted from the Ofsted report published 18 December 2024 (read the report). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.
Exam results
| Measure | School | England |
|---|---|---|
| GCSE English and maths, grade 5 or above (2024/25) | 40% | 45% |
| Attainment 8 score (2024/25) | 41.1 | 46 |
| A level average grade (2024/25) | C | B- |
Department for Education school performance data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Applications and offers
- 2026 Year 7 entry: 197 first-preference applications, 206 offers in total, 170 offers to first-preference applicants.
Department for Education, school-level applications and offers, figures on national offer day. Earlier years are in the pass.
Nearby secondary schools
Straight-line distance, in Kent.
- The Norton Knatchbull School 0.3 mi Good Last distance published
- Highworth Grammar School 1.2 mi Not judged Last distance published
- Towers School and Sixth Form Centre 2.1 mi Not judged Last distance published
- Chilmington Green School 3.1 mi No Ofsted grade Last distance published
- Wye School 3.7 mi School remains Good Last distance published
- Brockhill Park Performing Arts College 8.9 mi No Ofsted grade Last distance published
- Homewood School and Sixth Form Centre 9.5 mi Good Last distance published
- The Lenham School 10.0 mi Standards maintained Last distance published