The Archbishop's SchoolOrion Spires
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side in Canterbury.
Summary of the comparison
The Archbishop's School and Orion Spires are secondary schools in Canterbury.
The Archbishop's School scores 40 out of 100 (grade D, below average) and Orion Spires scores 42 out of 100 (grade D, below average). Orion Spires is ahead on our composite score.
The Archbishop's School was judged Good and Orion Spires was judged Good.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 32.1 for The Archbishop's School and 39.2 for Orion Spires.
GCSE Attainment 8 has fallen at The Archbishop's School (37.8 in 2021-22, 32.1 in 2025-26) and has risen at Orion Spires (34.1 in 2021-22, 39.2 in 2025-26).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | CanterburyThe Archbishop's School | CanterburyOrion Spires | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | D40/100 | D42/100Stronger figure | |
| Local ranking | 90th of 102 in Kent | 87th of 102 in Kent Stronger figure | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: Good | Ofsted: Good | |
| School type | Foundation school | Academy sponsor led | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-18 | 11-16 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 770 | 620 | |
| Capacity | 900 | 750 | |
| Location | Canterbury, CT2 7AP | Canterbury, CT2 0HD | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 32.1 | 39.2 Stronger figure | 46.2 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 19.3% | 31.1% Stronger figure | 46.3% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 38.6% | 51.1% Stronger figure | 64.8% |
| Cohort | 140 | 135 | |
| A-level results | |||
| A-level entries | 30 | Not reported | |
| A-level average points | 22.4 | Not reported | 35.0 |
| A-level average grade | D+ | Not reported | |
| Best 3 A-levels points | 16.4 | Not reported | 35.8 |
| AAB+ incl. facilitating subjects | 7.7% | Not reported | 17.5% |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 791 | 667 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 55.3% | 41.2% | |
| English as an additional language | 27.3% | 11.2% | |
| SEN support | 14.2% | 13.8% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 4.3% | 6.2% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 15.3% | 8.6% Stronger figure | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 44.3% | 29.3% 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.
The Archbishop's School
Orion Spires
Full profiles: The Archbishop's School · Orion Spires