OFSTED
14 January 2025
Latest graded inspection
Latest published outcome
Not judged
OEIF
Quality of education
Outstanding
Behaviour & attitudes
Outstanding
Personal development
Outstanding
Leadership & management
Outstanding
SCHOOL DETAILS
About this school
School type
Academy converter
Phase
Secondary
Gender
Girls
Religious character
Does not apply
Local authority
Kent
Trust
HIGHWORTH GRAMMAR SCHOOL TRUST
Census date
15 January 2026
PUPIL PROFILE
2025/26
School community
Latest published pupil characteristics for 2025/26.
Total pupils
1,553
1,553 full-time ·
0 part-time
Female pupils
1,462
94.1% of pupils
Male pupils
91
5.9% of pupils
Free school meals
Pupils eligible for free school meals.
16.8 pts
below England
School
8.0%
Ashford
24.1%
South East
19.0%
England
24.8%
English as an additional language
Pupils whose first language is not English.
8.2 pts
above England
School
28.5%
Ashford
14.6%
South East
15.6%
England
20.3%
Young carers
Pupils recorded as young carers.
4.3 pts
above England
School
5.3%
Ashford
3.2%
South East
1.7%
England
1.0%
Ethnicity
Largest recorded pupil groups.
White British
55.1%
856
Any other Asian background
9.7%
151
Indian
7.0%
108
African
6.3%
98
Any other White background
5.9%
92
Any other Mixed background
3.2%
50
Council, regional and national comparisons
are pupil-weighted using published school
census counts.
ADDITIONAL NEEDS
2025/26
Special educational needs
Pupils receiving SEN support or with an education, health and care plan.
Pupils with SEN
8.4%
130 of
1,553 pupils
12.5 pts
below England
England:
20.8%
England
14.8%
6.7 pts
below
England
6.0%
5.7 pts
below
PRIMARY NEEDS
Pupils
Most common identified needs
SEN comparisons are pupil-weighted using published 2025/26 Department for Education school-level data. Primary needs combine pupils receiving SEN support and pupils with EHC plans.
ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE
2024/25
Key stage 4 outcomes
Published Department for Education results for 2024/25.
ATTAINMENT 8
Average attainment score
70.8
31.6 pts
above England
Latest published: 0.65 · 2023/24
Comparisons are averages of published school-level results for open schools. They are not pupil-weighted official local authority attainment rates.
ATTENDANCE & ABSENCE
2024/25
Attendance profile
Published Department for Education absence data for 2024/25. Lower absence rates are generally better.
ABSENCE RATE
4.83%
Overall absence
Percentage of possible sessions missed.
1.39 pts
lower than
England
School
4.83%
Ashford
6.65%
South East
6.30%
England
6.22%
ABSENCE RATE
9.63%
Persistent absence
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
6.19 pts
lower than
England
School
9.63%
Ashford
17.11%
South East
15.75%
England
15.82%
ABSENCE RATE
0.64%
Severe absence
Pupils missing 50% or more of sessions.
1.17 pts
lower than
England
School
0.64%
Ashford
2.35%
South East
1.93%
England
1.80%
Council, regional and national
comparisons are averages of published
school-level percentages rather than
pupil-weighted official absence rates.
HOW DOES IT COMPARE?
School context
Comparison with open secondary schools.
CAPACITY
Capacity utilisation
102.2%
9.9 pts
above England
Highworth Grammar School
102.2%
Ashford
96.8%
South East
95.0%
England
92.3%
Benchmarks use open schools in the
same phase. Capacity utilisation is
calculated from published pupil and
capacity figures.