Orion SpiresHerne Bay High School
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side.
Summary of the comparison
Orion Spires and Herne Bay High School are secondary schools.
Orion Spires scores 42 out of 100 (grade D, below average) and Herne Bay High School scores 43 out of 100 (grade D, below average). Herne Bay High School is ahead on our composite score.
Orion Spires was judged Good and Herne Bay High School was judged Good.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 39.2 for Orion Spires and 35.5 for Herne Bay High School.
GCSE Attainment 8 has risen at Orion Spires (34.1 in 2021-22, 39.2 in 2025-26) and has fallen at Herne Bay High School (41.4 in 2021-22, 35.5 in 2025-26).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | CanterburyOrion Spires | Herne BayHerne Bay High School | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | D42/100 | D43/100Stronger figure | |
| Local ranking | 87th of 102 in Kent | 83rd of 102 in Kent Stronger figure | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: Good | Ofsted: Good | |
| School type | Academy sponsor led | Academy converter | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-16 | 11-18 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 620 | 1,507 | |
| Capacity | 750 | 1,494 | |
| Location | Canterbury, CT2 0HD | Herne Bay, CT6 7NS | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 39.2 Stronger figure | 35.5 | 46.2 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 31.1% Stronger figure | 22.9% | 46.3% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 51.1% Stronger figure | 47.5% | 64.8% |
| Cohort | 135 | 240 | |
| A-level results | |||
| A-level entries | Not reported | 83 | |
| A-level average points | Not reported | 30.8 | 35.0 |
| A-level average grade | Not reported | C | |
| Best 3 A-levels points | Not reported | 30.9 | 35.8 |
| AAB+ incl. facilitating subjects | Not reported | 0.0% | 17.5% |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 667 | 1,545 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 41.2% | 33.3% | |
| English as an additional language | 11.2% | 1.9% | |
| SEN support | 13.8% | 10.7% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 6.2% | 2.9% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 8.6% Stronger figure | 9.7% | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 29.3% | 28.7% Stronger figure | 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
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.
Orion Spires
Herne Bay High School
Full profiles: Orion Spires · Herne Bay High School