Borden Grammar School
98%
Capacity
928
Pupils
2.6x
Demand
About Borden Grammar School
Borden Grammar School sits within the Kent local authority, a county with 106 secondary schools, 16 of which are rated Outstanding by Ofsted. In the Swale district specifically, Borden ranks first out of seven schools based on its Progress 8 score, placing it well ahead of local peers. Across the wider Kent authority, it ranks 27th overall. The top-performing grammar schools in the county — Dartford Grammar School, The Judd School, and Dartford Grammar School for Girls — all post higher Progress 8 scores, but Borden holds its own as a strong academic option for boys in the Swale area. The school is a selective state grammar for boys aged 11 to 18, with a non-religious character, and is led by headteacher Ashley Tomlin. With 928 pupils on roll against a capacity of 949, it is close to full, and its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2021 judged it to remain Good, a rating it has held consistently across its previous graded inspection in 2013.
Academically, Borden Grammar School delivers results that are comfortably above the Kent average. Its Progress 8 score of 0.26 is rated as Above average, and it sits well above the local authority average of -0.13. The school’s Attainment 8 score is 63.1, and 85.4% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths. The EBacc entry rate is high at 76.4%, with 57.7% of pupils achieving the EBacc at grade 5 or above. In the sixth form, the picture is more mixed. The school’s value-added score of -0.24 is rated as Below average, and the average points per entry is 33.63, equivalent to a C+ grade. The best three A-levels average out at a B- grade. While the sixth form does not match the strength of the school’s GCSE performance, it still offers a solid route for boys who want to stay on, with 121 pupils in the cohort.
The school is well equipped with facilities including a theatre, swimming pool, sports hall, gymnasium, science labs, music rooms, and a dedicated sixth form centre. Sports on offer include rowing, rugby, cricket, and gymnastics, while clubs range from the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award to Model UN, Young Enterprise, and a school newspaper. SEND provision covers specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, speech and language needs, and social, emotional and mental health support. For the 2025/26 admissions cycle, the school was oversubscribed: 323 applications were received for 126 places, with 111 offers going to first-preference applicants. The oversubscription ratio of 2.56 reflects strong local demand. Borden Grammar School is best suited to academically able boys who are likely to thrive in a selective environment and who want a strong GCSE foundation, with the option of continuing into a sixth form that, while less strong on value-added, still offers a broad curriculum and good facilities.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 18 years |
| Gender | Boys |
| Religious Character | None |
| Address | Avenue of Remembrance, Sittingbourne, Swale, ME10 4DB |
| Headteacher | Ashley Tomlin |
| Local Authority | Kent |
| Number of Pupils | 928 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 11.1% |
| School Capacity | 928 / 949 (98% full) |
| Sixth Form | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
24 Nov 2021Overall Effectiveness
Good
Latest inspection (24 Nov 2021): School remains Good
Source: Ofsted, 4 Dec 2013. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (+0.26)
922nd of 3,141
Nationally
144th of 461
In South East
1st of 7
In Swale
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make more progress than similar students nationally
Attainment 8 (vs national avg)
Students achieve significantly higher grades than the national average
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. Progress 8 compares to students with similar Key Stage 2 results.
A-Level Results
2023/24Average Points per Entry
Value Added Score
Best 3 A-Levels (Average)
'21/22
34.4
'22/23
33.6
'23/24
33.6
Source: Department for Education 16-18 Performance Tables, 2023/24. Value Added measures progress compared to students with similar GCSE results.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/2393%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 121 pupils).
- School sixth form (stay)93%
- FE college6%
- Employment1%
99% of leavers had a sustained destination 6 months on.
Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance, KS4 pupil destinations 2022/23 (revised). Only state-funded schools are required to report.
Where school leavers go
2022/2361%
of A-level / Level 3 leavers go to higher education (cohort: 108 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
9%
Russell Group
15%
Top-third HE
1%
Oxford / Cambridge
Percentages of the whole cohort (not just HE-goers). Russell Group = 24 elite research universities. Top-third HE = top by mean UCAS tariff.
- University (HE)61%
- Employment22%
- Not sustained6%
- Apprenticeship4%
- Further education2%
Sources: DfE 16-18 destination measures (broad bucket); DfE KS5 student destinations file (Russell Group / top-third HE / Oxbridge). Level 3 cohort. “Sustained” means the pupil was in education, apprenticeship or employment for 6 months in the year following completion.
Sixth form A-level subjects
2022/23- Business Studies:Single34
- Mathematics32
- Biology28
- Geography25
- History25
- Psychology21
- Government and Politics16
- Chemistry15
- Physical Education / Sports Studies14
- Physics13
- English Language and Literature12
- Film Studies10
Subjects with at least 3 entries in 2022/23. Number shown next to each subject is the number of pupils who sat that A-level exam — a rough indicator of subject popularity at this school. Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
11Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
18Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed126
323
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
139 families put this school as their 1st choice (43% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
Class profile
2024/25Better than 75% of schools in England.
Better than half of schools in England.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Below the national average (25%).
Lower than the national median (10%) — mostly English as first language.
Ethnic background
- White British70.4%
- Mixed5.9%
- Asian5.0%
- White (other)4.8%
- Black0.3%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/25Better than 75% of schools in England.
Better than 75% of schools in England.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Like most schools in England, no pupils were permanently excluded this year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
13
Total schools
12
Oversubscribed
9
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Borden Grammar School
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
Understanding Progress 8
Learn how Progress 8 measures pupil progress from primary to GCSE
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Understanding School Catchment Areas
How admission distances work and tips for maximising your choices
Contact Information
Avenue of Remembrance, Sittingbourne
Swale, ME10 4DB
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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