The North School

About The North School

The North School is a mixed state secondary in Ashford, part of the Kent local authority, which is home to 106 secondary schools. Among these, the top-performing peers are selective grammar schools: Dartford Grammar School, The Judd School, and Dartford Grammar School for Girls. The nearest school rated Outstanding by Ofsted is Highworth Grammar School, just 1.9 kilometres away. The North School itself holds a Good rating, a solid position in a competitive local landscape where 16 schools have achieved the top grade. With 1,270 pupils on roll and an age range from 11 to 19, it is a large, non-selective comprehensive that serves a broad cross-section of the community. Its religious character is listed as not applicable, and the headteacher is Clair Ellerby. The school offers a Sixth Form Centre, meaning students can continue their education on site through to age 19.

Academically, the school’s most recent Ofsted inspection judged it Good overall, though specific breakdowns of individual outcomes such as Progress 8 scores are not provided in the available data. For context, the Kent local authority average Progress 8 score is -0.13, which gives a benchmark for how schools in the area typically perform relative to national averages. Without the school’s own Progress 8 figure or Key Stage 2 SATs or A-Level results, it is not possible to compare its academic performance directly against the LA average or its grammar school peers. The Ofsted rating of Good suggests that pupils achieve well and that teaching, leadership, and behaviour are at least consistently effective. Parents researching the school should look for the most recent performance tables or the school’s own published exam data to get a clearer picture of attainment in specific year groups.

The school provides a wide range of facilities including a swimming pool, astro turf, sports hall, tennis courts, and a library, alongside music rooms and a chapel. Sports on offer include swimming, rugby, hockey, football, gymnastics, and martial arts, while clubs range from coding and science club to orchestra, choir, gardening, and a newspaper group. Young Enterprise is also available, giving students a taste of business and entrepreneurship. The school is non-selective and does not have a religious character, so it will suit families looking for a large, inclusive secondary with strong extracurricular breadth. Admissions information is not detailed here, but as a state school in Kent, it will follow the local authority’s coordinated admissions scheme. Given its Good rating and size, it is likely to be a popular choice for families in Ashford who want a well-resourced school with a sixth form and a varied enrichment programme.

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