Goodwin Academy

About Goodwin Academy

Just over half of parents who responded to Ofsted’s Parent View survey for Goodwin Academy would recommend the school, with 53% saying yes. That figure sits alongside a mixed picture from the 136 responses collected between September 2024 and September 2025. On the positive side, 82% of parents agreed or strongly agreed that there is a good range of subjects available, and 75% felt their child can take part in clubs and activities. However, other areas drew more divided views: only 48% agreed that concerns are dealt with properly, and just 34% felt that SEND children receive the support they need. The school is oversubscribed for 2025/26, with 210 applications for 114 places and 90 first-preference offers, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.84. That demand suggests a fair number of local families still see it as a viable option, despite the mixed feedback from those already using the school.

Academically, Goodwin Academy’s most recent data from 2023/24 shows a Progress 8 score of -0.8, which is well below the national average and also below the Kent local authority average of -0.13. That places the school 80th out of 106 similar schools in the county, and in the bottom 50 nationally. Attainment 8 sits at 35, and just 20.9% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths. The EBacc entry rate is low at 15.3%, and only 6.7% achieved the EBacc at grade 5 or above. At sixth form, the picture is similarly challenging: the value added score is -1.11, with a points per entry of 15.83, equivalent to a D- grade. The sixth form is small, with just nine pupils in the data. On the plus side, Ofsted inspectors judged the school as Good across all areas in their January 2025 inspection, a clear improvement from the Requires Improvement rating it received in October 2022.

Goodwin Academy is a mixed secondary and sixth form in Dover, part of the Kent local authority, with 830 pupils on roll against a capacity of 1150. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is high at 46.3%. The school offers a broad range of facilities including a swimming pool, theatre, music rooms, and a sixth form centre, plus sports such as rowing, rugby, and cricket. There are also clubs like Model UN, Young Enterprise, and Eco Club. The school has a resourced provision and lists SEND support for autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language needs, and social, emotional and mental health difficulties, though parent satisfaction with SEND provision is notably low. For families considering this school, the key trade-off is between the improved Ofsted rating and the below-average academic outcomes. It may suit parents who prioritise the range of activities and facilities over headline exam results, or those whose children need the specific SEND support on offer.

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