The Norton Knatchbull SchoolThe North School
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side in Ashford.
Summary of the comparison
The Norton Knatchbull School and The North School are secondary schools in Ashford.
The Norton Knatchbull School scores 71 out of 100 (grade B, strong) and The North School scores 53 out of 100 (grade D, below average). The Norton Knatchbull School is ahead on our composite score.
The Norton Knatchbull School was judged Good and The North School was judged Good.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 64.2 for The Norton Knatchbull School and 39.4 for The North School.
GCSE Attainment 8 has fallen at The Norton Knatchbull School (67.1 in 2021-22, 64.2 in 2025-26) and has fallen at The North School (42.7 in 2022-23, 39.4 in 2025-26).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | AshfordThe Norton Knatchbull School | AshfordThe North School | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | B71/100Stronger figure | D53/100 | |
| Local ranking | 26th of 102 in Kent Stronger figure | 55th of 102 in Kent | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: Good | Ofsted: Good | |
| School type | Academy converter | Academy converter | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-18 | 11-19 | |
| Gender | Boys | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 1,348 | 1,237 | |
| Capacity | 1,316 | 1,265 | |
| Location | Ashford, TN24 0QJ | Ashford, TN24 8AL | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 64.2 Stronger figure | 39.4 | 46.2 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 82.7% Stronger figure | 31.8% | 46.3% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 96.6% Stronger figure | 51.8% | 64.8% |
| Cohort | 208 | 220 | |
| A-level results | |||
| A-level entries | 130 | 48 | |
| A-level average points | 34.6 Stronger figure | 30.3 | 35.0 |
| A-level average grade | C+ | C | |
| Best 3 A-levels points | 34.2 Stronger figure | 33.3 | 35.8 |
| AAB+ incl. facilitating subjects | 11.5% | 20.8% Stronger figure | 17.5% |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 1,289 | 1,270 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 10.4% | 32.9% | |
| English as an additional language | 17.8% | 16.7% | |
| SEN support | 1.4% | 11.7% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 0.6% | 4.6% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 4.0% Stronger figure | 9.8% | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 6.7% 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.
The Norton Knatchbull School
The North School
Full profiles: The Norton Knatchbull School · The North School