Highworth Grammar SchoolThe North School
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side in Ashford.
Summary of the comparison
Highworth Grammar School and The North School are secondary schools in Ashford.
Highworth Grammar School scores 83 out of 100 (grade B, strong) and The North School scores 54 out of 100 (grade D, below average). Highworth Grammar School is ahead on our composite score.
Highworth Grammar School was judged exceptional and The North School was judged Good.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 70.8 for Highworth Grammar School and 41.1 for The North School.
GCSE Attainment 8 has fallen at Highworth Grammar School (73.8 in 2021-22, 70.8 in 2024-25) and has held broadly level at The North School (42.7 in 2022-23, 41.1 in 2024-25).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | AshfordHighworth Grammar School | AshfordThe North School | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | B83/100Stronger figure | D54/100 | |
| Local ranking | 8th of 102 in Kent Stronger figure | 53rd of 102 in Kent | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: OutstandingStronger figure | Ofsted: Good | |
| School type | Academy converter | Academy converter | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-18 | 11-19 | |
| Gender | Girls | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 1,543 | 1,270 | |
| Capacity | 1,520 | 1,265 | |
| Location | Ashford, TN24 8UD | Ashford, TN24 8AL | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 70.8 Stronger figure | 41.1 | 46.0 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 95.3% Stronger figure | 39.5% | 45.4% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 99.5% Stronger figure | 61.0% | 64.8% |
| Entering EBacc | 95.8% Stronger figure | 36.8% | 40.5% |
| EBacc average point score | 6.70 Stronger figure | 3.67 | 4.09 |
| Cohort | 214 | 228 | |
| A-level results | |||
| A-level entries | 216 | 48 | |
| A-level average points | 40.0 Stronger figure | 30.3 | 35.0 |
| A-level average grade | B | C | |
| Best 3 A-levels points | 39.9 Stronger figure | 33.3 | 35.8 |
| AAB+ incl. facilitating subjects | 18.1% | 20.8% Stronger figure | 17.5% |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 1,543 | 1,270 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 8.3% | 32.9% | |
| English as an additional language | 29.5% | 16.7% | |
| SEN support | 7.1% | 11.7% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 0.3% | 4.6% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 4.8% Stronger figure | 9.8% | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 9.6% Stronger figure | 28.5% | 15.8% |
marks the stronger figure on measures with a clear direction. Rows describing a school's intake, such as free school meals, English as an additional language and SEN, carry no marker: they describe who a school serves, not how well it serves them.
Historical trends
Each solid line is one school; the dashed line is the national average.
GCSE Attainment 8
GCSE Progress 8
A-level average points
Overall absence
Free school meal eligibility (ever 6)
Pupils on roll
Ethnicity over time
One panel per school: the largest groups across this comparison, one colour per group, on a shared scale.
Highworth Grammar School
The North School
Full profiles: Highworth Grammar School · The North School