Sandwich Technology School

About Sandwich Technology School

Sandwich Technology School’s most recent Ofsted inspection, in 2024, rated the school Inadequate overall, a significant downgrade from its previous Good rating in 2019. The inspection found the quality of education, personal development, and behaviour and attitudes all to be Inadequate, while leadership and management also received the lowest grade. The one bright spot was the sixth-form provision, which retained a Good rating. On the most telling academic metric, the school’s Progress 8 score for the 2023/24 academic year was -0.85, placing it in the ‘well below average’ banding nationally. That score means pupils at the school achieved nearly a grade less per subject across their eight best GCSEs compared with pupils with similar starting points nationally. In the local authority of Kent, the average Progress 8 score is -0.13, so the school sits significantly below that benchmark. Within the Dover local authority area, it ranks 6th out of 8 schools on Progress 8, putting it in the bottom quarter of its immediate peers.

At GCSE, the school’s Attainment 8 score sits at 34.4, and just 41.3% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in both English and maths, with only 19.1% reaching the stronger grade 5 benchmark. The EBacc average point score is 2.8, and only 8.9% of pupils entered the EBacc combination of subjects, with just 3.1% achieving the full suite at grade 4 or above. In the sixth form, where 45 pupils took A-levels, the average points per entry was 25, equivalent to a C- grade, and the best three A-levels averaged a C grade. The value-added score for the sixth form was -0.12, which is banded as Average, and the progress banding for the sixth form is also Average. The school’s national ranking on Progress 8 places it in the bottom 6% of all schools in England, and in the South East region it ranks 433rd out of 461 schools.

The school is oversubscribed for 2025/26, with 321 applications for 211 places, and 90 first-preference offers made. It has a large roll of 1,235 pupils, with 36.6% eligible for free school meals, well above the national average. Facilities include a swimming pool, gymnasium, astro turf, playing fields, and a sixth form centre, and the school offers a range of clubs including Coding, Drama, Model UN, Debate, and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. SEND provision covers a wide spectrum, including support for autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language needs, and social, emotional and mental health difficulties. Parent View responses from 224 respondents show 79% would recommend the school, though concerns around behaviour and SEND support are notable — only 53% agreed the school ensures good behaviour, and 66% of parents with SEND children felt they received adequate support. This is a school that will suit families who value its inclusive sixth form and broad extracurricular offer, but who are prepared for the challenges flagged by Ofsted around behaviour, leadership, and academic outcomes.

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