Canterbury schools collage

2026 Best Secondary Schools in Canterbury Area

Canterbury secondary schools achieve an average Attainment 8 score of 39, well above the England average of 39, with an average FMS Inspection Score of 8/10, Excellent band, compared with England's 7.4/10 (Good). The city offers 3 selective grammar schools for boys, girls, and mixed entry, including Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys and Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School, alongside The King's School Canterbury, a top-ranked independent option. Families across Canterbury city centre, Harbledown, and Blean benefit from this mix of highly competitive grammar schools and inclusive comprehensives, with strong university preparation pathways evident in the area's exceptional GCSE performance. Use the search filters to compare schools by Attainment 8 or FMS Inspection Score.

All schools in Canterbury
Key Performance Metrics for Canterbury
% students achieving grades 9-7 (A*-A equivalent)
Canterbury
53%vsEngland
56%
Average Attainment 8 score (out of 90)
Canterbury
38.6vsEngland
39.1
% pupils entering EBacc subjects
Canterbury
19%vsEngland
41%
Average EBacc APS score (out of 10)
Canterbury
3.2vsEngland
4.1
Average FMS Inspection Score (out of 10)
Canterbury
8.0/10vsEngland
7.4/10

Top schools in Canterbury

Showing 1-13 of 13 schools

  1. The King's School Canterbury

    Cathedral Precincts

  2. Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys

    Nackington

  3. Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School

    St Dunstan's

  4. Barton Court Grammar School

    Longport

  5. St Edmund's School Canterbury

    St Thomas

  6. Kent College (Canterbury)

    Harbledown

  7. St Anselm's Catholic School, Canterbury

    Old Dover Road

  8. Orion Spires

    Sturry

  9. The Archbishop's School

    St Stephens

  10. The Canterbury Academy

    Sturry

  11. Barton Manor School

    St. Dunstan's

  12. Kent College International Study Centre

    Harbledown

  13. The Worthgate School

    St Dunstan's