Ofsted: Good trending_up Popular emoji_events #82 in Kent public Top 42% UK

Herne Bay High School

verifiedData: DfE 2024/25–2025/26 · Ofsted

personMr Jon Boyes

corporate_fareHERNE BAY HIGH SCHOOL

location_onHerne Bay, CT6 7NS

language Visit Website phone 1227361221

verified

Ofsted

Good

Inspected 2022

groups

Students

1,586

trending_up

Attainment 8

36.8

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GCSE Rank

#79 in Kent

#2,891 of 3,216 nationally

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Herne Bay High School is a Academy converter secondary school in Herne Bay, serving ages 11-18. Rated Good by Ofsted. Demand is above capacity (1.0×) — apply through your local authority on time.

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School Summary

Herne Bay High School is an academy converter in Herne Bay, Kent, admitting pupils aged 11-18. It has a sixth form offering post-16 education. It is part of HERNE BAY HIGH SCHOOL. The school has approximately 1,545 pupils on roll, of whom 33% are eligible for free school meals.

In 2025, pupils achieved an Attainment 8 score of 36.8, placing the school #79 in Kent and #2,891 of 3,216 nationally. 22.20% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in English and Maths. 6.0% of all GCSE entries were graded 9–7.

The sixth form offers 18 A-level subjects. 35.8% of A-level entries were graded A*–B, with 11.9% at A*–A. A-level value added: +0.21 — students made above-average progress at sixth form.

Ofsted last inspected the school in 2022. The school's current overall rating is Good. Inspectors assessed quality of education as Good, behaviour and attitudes Good, personal development Good, and leadership and management Good.

The school is oversubscribed — in the most recent cycle, there were 1.0× as many applications as places, making a successful application competitive.

The pupil-to-qualified-teacher ratio is 16.7:1. There are no current teaching vacancies.

In the 2024/25 academic year, there were no permanent exclusions. The average suspension rate was 2.8 per 1,000 pupils per term.

verified Source: DfE 2024/25–2025/26 · Ofsted

Academic Performance

verified Data: UK Gov 2024/25

analytics

Secondary Performance Trends (KS4)

2025

Progress 8 Score

Attainment 8

36.8

Grade 5+ E&M

22.20%

Grade 9–7 (all GCSEs)6.0%

Entering EBacc8.30%

EBacc APS2.89

2024

Progress 8 Score

-1.02

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

38.1

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc3.70%

EBacc APS2.95

2023

Progress 8 Score

-0.94

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

41.0

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc2%

EBacc APS2.95

2022

Progress 8 Score

-0.99

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

41.4

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc6%

EBacc APS3.22

2021

Progress 8 Score

Attainment 8

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc6%

EBacc APS-

2019

Progress 8 Score

-0.43

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

39.2

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc42%

EBacc APS3.24

2018

Progress 8 Score

-0.33

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc48%

EBacc APS3.19

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Student Destinations (After Secondary)

This module shows what students did after finishing Key Stage 4 (GCSEs). It reflects how well the school prepares pupils for the real world.

2025

Stayed in Education / Employment

90%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)83%

Apprenticeships5%

Employment3%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)6%

2024

Stayed in Education / Employment

94%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)85%

Apprenticeships3%

Employment6%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)5%

2023

Stayed in Education / Employment

92%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)82%

Apprenticeships5%

Employment5%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)7%

2022

Stayed in Education / Employment

93%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)86%

Apprenticeships3%

Employment3%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)6%

2021

Stayed in Education / Employment

91%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)82%

Apprenticeships4%

Employment5%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)6%

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Sixth Form (A-Level) Performance

A-level results for students who stayed in sixth form at this school. Value added measures how much progress students made relative to their GCSE starting point.

2025

A-Level Value Added

+0.21

vs expected from GCSEs

Pupils make above-average progress at A-level.

Students

Grade Breakdown

Achieving A*6.0%

Achieving A*–A11.9%

Achieving A*–B35.8%

VA Banding Above average

Retention rate97.4%

A-level subjects offered18

2024

A-Level Value Added

+0.22

vs expected from GCSEs

Pupils make above-average progress at A-level.

Avg Grade

Students

Retention rate94.30%

2023

Avg Grade

C-

Students

Retention rate96.30%

2022

Avg Grade

C+

Students

Retention rate97.3%

Source: DfE A Level and Other 16-18 Results

Ofsted History

Publication Timeline

Report Archive

24 May 2022

Inspection Report

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23 January 2018

Inspection Report

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06 March 2014

Inspection Report

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14 February 2012

Inspection Report

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15 June 2011

Inspection Report

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Inspection Report

Inspection History

3 Evaluations

2022-05-24

S8 No Formal Designation Visit EIF

Good

Education

Good

Behaviour

Good

Development

Good

Leadership

Good

2018-01-23

S5 Inspection Legacy

Good

Education

No Judgement

Behaviour

No Judgement

Development

No Judgement

Leadership

Good

2014-03-06

None Legacy

Good

Education

No Judgement

Behaviour

No Judgement

Development

No Judgement

Leadership

Good

Wellbeing, SEN & Pastoral Care

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Behaviour & Discipline (Suspensions & Exclusions)

Official Department for Education (DfE) data. Suspensions measure temporary removals due to behavior, while exclusions represent permanent removals.

Suspension Rate

3.1%per term

sentiment_satisfied Below Average (Good)

National average: 7.3% for this term (secondary).

Pupils Suspended 1+ Times

2.5%(38 pupils)

Spring term 2025

Represents the proportion of unique students suspended at least once in this term.

Permanent Exclusions

0pupils

verified Excellent (Zero)

National average: 7.398% of pupils excluded per term.

Pastoral Context: In the Spring term of 2025, this school served a headcount of 1,545 pupils. During this period, there were 48 temporary suspensions. The school's suspension rate was 3.1%, which is below the termly national average of 7.3%.

View Historical Disciplinary Records (2017–2025)keyboard_arrow_down

Year / Term	Headcount	Suspensions	Susp. Rate	Nat. Avg
2024/25 (Spring term)	1,545	48	3.1%	7.3%
2024/25 (Autumn term)	1,563	40	2.6%	7.8%
2023/24 (Summer term)	1,561	47	3.0%	7.4%
2023/24 (Spring term)	1,580	120	7.6%	7.1%
2023/24 (Autumn term)	1,594	83	5.2%	8.2%
2022/23 (Summer term)	1,577	44	2.8%	6.6%
2022/23 (Spring term)	1,586	37	2.3%	6.4%
2022/23 (Autumn term)	1,600	50	3.1%	5.9%
2021/22 (Summer term)	1,590	43	2.7%	4.7%
2021/22 (Spring term)	1,615	24	1.5%	4.9%
2021/22 (Autumn term)	1,632	29	1.8%	4.4%
2020/21 (Summer term)	1,610	20	1.2%	3.6%
2020/21 (Spring term)	1,620	5	0.3%	1.0%
2020/21 (Autumn term)	1,630	22	1.3%	3.9%
2019/20 (Summer term)	1,586	0	0.0%	0.0%
2019/20 (Spring term)	1,586	15	0.9%	3.2%
2019/20 (Autumn term)	1,602	12	0.7%	4.2%
2018/19 (Summer term)	1,550	13	0.8%	3.1%
2018/19 (Spring term)	1,561	24	1.5%	3.8%
2018/19 (Autumn term)	1,572	32	2.0%	3.8%
2017/18 (Summer term)	1,550	31	2.0%	3.4%
2017/18 (Spring term)	1,557	19	1.2%	3.0%
2017/18 (Autumn term)	1,564	25	1.6%	3.7%
2016/17 (Summer term)	1,548	13	0.8%	3.0%
2016/17 (Spring term)	1,564	27	1.7%	3.3%
2016/17 (Autumn term)	1,568	29	1.8%	3.1%

Source: DfE Suspensions and Permanent Exclusions in England. Data represents termly statistics as published by the Department for Education.

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Supported Special Educational Needs (SEN)

Primary areas of need currently supported by the school. A high number often indicates specialized internal units or high staff experience in these areas.

Social, Emotional & Mental Health 83 pupils

Specific Learning Difficulty 46 pupils

Autistic Spectrum Disorder 27 pupils

Moderate Learning Difficulty 19 pupils

Speech, Language & Communication 17 pupils

Other Difficulty/Disability 9 pupils

Physical Disability 3 pupils

Severe Learning Difficulty 2 pupils

Visual Impairment 1 pupils

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Herne Bay High School

School Summary

Academic Performance

Secondary Performance Trends (KS4)

Student Destinations (After Secondary)

Sixth Form (A-Level) Performance

Ofsted History

Publication Timeline

Inspection History

Admissions Insight

How Places Are Allocated

Distance to School

School Capacity

Secondary Admission Trends

Students & School Environment

School Size

Language Diversity

Inclusive Support

Attendance

Ethnicity Breakdown

Wellbeing, SEN & Pastoral Care

Behaviour & Discipline (Suspensions & Exclusions)

Supported Special Educational Needs (SEN)

Funding & Staffing

School Funding Allocation

Funding Breakdown

Staffing

Teacher Turnover

Top Secondary Schools in Kent

Dartford Grammar School

The Judd School

Tonbridge Grammar School

Dartford Grammar School for Girls

Tunbridge Wells Girls' Grammar School

Invicta Grammar School