Dane Court Grammar School Review 2026: Academic Excellence Meets International Perspective

In Broadstairs, a quiet coastal town in Kent, students pass through the gates of a school that was officially founded in 1957 as a selective technical college before transforming into one of England's most distinctive grammar schools. A £20 million rebuild completed in recent years created modern, naturally lit facilities that feel simultaneously purposeful and inviting. Dane Court ranks 331st in England for GCSE outcomes (top 7%, FindMySchool ranking), and holds the distinction of being one of only a handful of state-funded grammar schools in the UK to offer both the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme and the Careers-related Programme at sixth form level. With 1,227 students aged 11-18, the school attracts ambitious learners from across Thanet and beyond, supported by a team of subject specialists who prioritize evidence-informed teaching. Entry via the Kent Test (11+) is highly competitive, with 534 applications for just 163 places in 2025. The overwhelming demand reflects the school's proven track record in both traditional academic achievement and international-minded education.

Step into the campus and the character becomes immediately clear. The modern, light-filled buildings with glass-walled classrooms and thoughtfully designed social spaces create an environment where learning feels central but never intimidating. Students move between lessons with purposefulness without the frenetic intensity of some selective schools. The atmosphere is notably calm and organized.

Martin Jones, who has led the school since 2014, commands genuine respect from staff, students and parents. Observers note his principled approach to leadership and his ability to foster a culture where academic ambition coexists comfortably with genuine warmth. His vision has shaped a school that genuinely embraces being a "place of belonging," a phrase that appears throughout school communications but which students and parents credit as authentically lived rather than merely stated. The Ofsted report from May 2022 praised the clarity of purpose and commitment to improvement evident in the leadership team, describing senior leaders as having strong understanding of their school's strengths and areas for development.

The school's values center on being caring, open-minded and principled. These manifests practically. The house system, organized and run partly by sixth formers elected as captains, creates competing teams for drama, music and quiz competitions. House art competitions and even tug-of-war contests feature prominently in the social calendar, embedding leadership and community from Year 7 onwards. The emphasis on service is genuine; students engage in meaningful volunteering through the IB mission, working with organizations like the Margate Arts Club and The Zone Youth Club Broadstairs.

There is also a specialist unit for visually impaired students, supported by seven learning support assistants (five trained in Braille). This specialist provision exists comfortably alongside the selective entry, reflecting an inclusive approach to academic excellence that extends support rather than excluding need.

GCSE Results

GCSE performance consistently exceeds national benchmarks. In 2024, 57% of grades achieved the top three bands (9-7, equivalent to A*-A), compared to the England average of 54%. The school ranks 331st (FindMySchool ranking), placing it in the top 7% in England, a position labeled well above England average (top 10%) on the FindMySchool data. Locally, the school ranks first among Broadstairs schools.

The Attainment 8 score of 68.6 represents substantial progress from entry point. The Progress 8 score of +0.69 indicates that pupils make above-average progress from their starting points, even within a selective cohort where starting points are already high. This matters: selective schools can sometimes show lower value-added because their intake begins at a higher baseline.

English Baccalaureate achievement stands at 60%, exceeding both the local and national context. The school teaches sciences separately from Year 7, allowing pupils to develop specialist understanding in biology, chemistry and physics before specializing. Languages are treated with genuine seriousness, with specialist language college status (achieved in 2003) continuing to shape investment in modern foreign languages. German, French and Spanish are taught from Year 7, with Mandarin and Japanese available at GCSE and A-level.

A-Level and IB Results

The sixth form presents a distinctive offer. Students choose between three pathways: the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP), the International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme (IBCP), and an IB Bespoke option allowing maximum subject choice flexibility. This choice, almost unique among English state grammar schools, immediately signals the school's internationalist outlook.

A-level results (for those taking traditional qualifications) show 67% achieving A*-B, with 35% at A* alone. The school ranks 473rd in England for A-level performance (FindMySchool ranking), placing it in the top 18%. Within the selective sixth form context, where every student entered sixth form having passed the competitive 11+ exam years earlier, results cluster at the higher end.

For IB students, the average diploma score reached 36 points in 2024, equivalent to AAA at A-level and substantially above the global average of 29. 59% achieved 35+ points, with 17% exceeding 40 points. These figures place the school among the most successful state-funded IB schools in England, reflecting both student quality and teaching excellence in IB pedagogy.

The curriculum at key stages 3 and 4 follows a carefully sequenced programme across English, mathematics, science, languages, humanities, technology and the arts. The Ofsted report rated quality of education as Good, noting that the curriculum is ambitious and that most subjects provide detailed end points describing what pupils should know and be able to do. In a few subjects, notably PE and mathematics, inspectors suggested further refinement of the breakdown of core knowledge might ensure more consistently high outcomes, a finding the school has since addressed through ongoing curriculum review.

Evidence-informed teaching is embedded as an expectation. Subject specialists actively engage with educational research and apply findings to classroom practice. Teaching is characterized by subject expertise, clear explanation and high expectations. Pupils describe lessons as engaging and well-paced, with teachers who know their subjects deeply.

The school offers a very wide range of extracurricular activities throughout the whole curriculum, including visits to community organizations and meaningful enrichment opportunities. This is not merely pastoral add-on; academic enrichment is woven through, Olympiad competitions, essay prizes, and subject-specific lectures integrate challenge beyond the basic curriculum.

University Destinations

The 2023/24 cohort data shows 51% of leavers progressed to university, with 27% entering employment, 5% to apprenticeships and smaller numbers to further education. For sixth form leavers specifically, the picture is considerably stronger. In 2024, the school achieved one Oxbridge place (Cambridge), with two applications submitted from the cohort. While this represents a modest Oxbridge figure, it reflects the school's honest positioning: excellent academic results but not a school defining itself by Oxbridge numbers.

The school provides dedicated Oxbridge Programme support, including mock interviews, entrance test practice, one-to-one mentoring, super-curricular talks and guidance on summer schools. Medicine and law also receive dedicated programming. An Emerging Medics Programme includes advanced dissection club, work experience placements, UCAT entrance test workshops and talks from medical professionals. An Emerging Lawyer Programme covers mock trials, wider reading, debating, LNAT preparation and courthouse visits to Canterbury Crown Court.

Career and Apprenticeship Support

All Year 12 students complete a week of work experience and receive extensive one-to-one support with university and apprenticeship applications. An apprenticeship programme includes a careers fair, skills workshops and personalized support with applications and interviews. Careers education is embedded throughout the school, with particular strengthening of vocational guidance highlighted in recent Ofsted feedback, a change reflecting the reality that not all talented students pursue traditional universities.

The extracurricular offer is genuinely impressive, with breadth extending to virtually every interest. The school encourages 54% of students to participate in at least one regular activity, a substantial figure within a selective grammar school context.

Music: A Defining Strength

Music is woven through school life. The senior choir performs regularly, the orchestra rehearses weekly, a jazz band showcases versatility, and a ukulele club provides accessible entry for those without prior experience. Annual concerts and performances in the purpose-designed theatre create performance opportunities for musicians at every level. The annual school production, recent years have featured Grease and Annie, employs professional staging, full orchestration and costuming standards that rival polished professional productions.

Chamber ensembles, specialist jazz instruction and smaller performance groups provide depth for those with serious musical commitment. Informal lunchtime performances and house music competitions create regular occasions for musicians to perform.

Drama and Creative Arts

Visual art, drama and music are offered at GCSE and A-level, with enrichment events and house drama competitions offering performance opportunities beyond the curriculum. The theatre itself, newly built as part of the recent campus renovation, provides professional facilities. Student successes have been celebrated in online galleries, poetry contests and exhibitions.

STEM and Technology

The school embedded a fortnight STEM day into Years 7 and 8 curriculum (once per fortnight, students dedicate the entire day to science, technology, engineering and mathematics), incorporating visits to local universities, project management challenges with industry partners, and workshops with specialized organizations. Computer science is taught at GCSE and IB levels, with coding and technology clubs providing additional hands-on learning.

Sport: Rowing, Rugby League, and Breadth

Sport at Dane Court operates on two levels: accessible participation for all and elite pathways for the exceptionally talented. Football teams, both girls and boys, regularly reach the Kent Cup finals, reflecting genuine competitive success. Girls' rugby has become particularly strong, with county-level representation. The school table tennis team achieved national championship status. Rugby League teams compete at national level, with recent years seeing Year 8, 9 and 10 all winning county titles and reaching national tournaments in Roehampton (South East Regionals) and beyond.

Sixth form sports clubs include netball, football, badminton, trampolining, American football, rounders, basketball and cricket. The PE Department actively accommodates new requests and links students to county trial pathways for those with particular aptitude.

Leadership and Service

Students can aspire to leadership positions including Head Student Team, House Captains, peer mentors and mental health ambassadors. These roles develop communication, public speaking, organizational and event management skills. Mental Health Ambassadors, trained to support younger pupils, embed wellbeing as a peer-led responsibility.

The Creativity, Action and Service element of the IB curriculum (and Service Learning in the Career-related programme) ensures service isn't optional. Students engage in projects spanning National Citizenship Service, community arts partnerships and youth club collaboration.

Sixth Form Specialist Programmes

The "Lectures for the Open-minded Programme" invites students weekly to guest lectures from university academics, top professionals and school alumni, delivered at Wednesday lunchtimes. This exposure to thinking beyond the curriculum cultivates intellectual curiosity.

Model UN and debating clubs provide opportunities to engage with current affairs and ethical dilemmas in structured, competitive environments.

International travel features prominently. Recent cohorts have journeyed to Tokyo for Japanese language students, participated in language exchanges, attended West End productions for English studies, undertaken geography field trips to Juniper Hall and engaged in Stratford English trips tied to A-level literature.

Dane Court is highly selective. Entry at Year 7 requires passing the Kent Test (11+), an exam administered by GL Assessment covering English, mathematics, reasoning abilities and a writing task. In 2025, 534 pupils applied for 163 places, a ratio of 3.28 applications per place, making entry genuinely competitive.

The passing standard for Kent grammar schools is a total score of 332 or above with no single score below 107. However, achieving this pass mark does not guarantee a place. When more than 165 children meet the qualifying standard (which occurs regularly), oversubscription criteria apply. Priority goes to children with Education, Health and Care Plans naming the school, followed by looked-after and previously looked after children, then distance from school.

The school does not have a formal catchment boundary, but prioritizes pupils living closer. This means that within a sea of qualified candidates, proximity matters. Families considering Dane Court should verify their distance from the school gate, understanding that acceptance depends on both test performance and the location of successful applicants in that year.

The exam itself is challenging and rigorous. Resources available for preparation include practice papers from GL Assessment and specialized tutoring from examination coaching services. The school acknowledges that test preparation is widespread and provides free familiarization materials to demystify the exam format.

Sixth Form Entry

Entry to sixth form is also competitive. Students must achieve strong GCSE results (typically grade 6 or above in subjects they wish to study) and meet subject-specific requirements depending on their chosen pathway (IBDP, IBCP or IB Bespoke). All sixth formers complete a week of work experience in Year 12, embedding real-world experience into academic study.

The Ofsted report rated behaviour and attitudes as Good and personal development as Good. Students treat each other with kindness and care, and the school places strong emphasis on safeguarding.

Formal pastoral structures include form tutors, heads of year and a SENCO (Special Educational Needs Coordinator) who oversees support for the approximately 45 pupils on the SEN register. The school holds Inclusion Quality Mark status, reflecting its approach to supporting diverse learners within a selective setting.

Mental health support is notably embedded. Student Mental Health Ambassadors, trained to support younger pupils, normalize wellbeing conversations. An emotional wellbeing team from NHS NELFT operates in partnership with the school. Parents receive resources and guidance on supporting young people's mental health during challenging periods, particularly around examination stress.

Support includes a lunchtime group aimed at students with social communication difficulties, alongside study‑skills lessons for pupils with dyslexia. Two learning support assistants are trained in autism and Asperger's support, reflecting recognition that developmental and learning needs exist across the ability range.

The school day runs from approximately 8:50am to 3:20pm. A wraparound care system is not mentioned as a standard provision; families should contact the school directly regarding breakfast club or after-school supervision options. The school operates within Kent term dates, with winter, spring and summer breaks following the standard pattern.

Uniform is compulsory for Years 7-11, with sixth form students enjoying considerably more freedom, "smart business wear" is the guidance, with individuals choosing whether to wear formal dress, business casual or jeans depending on the day's schedule and personal preference.

Facilities include modern classrooms, well-equipped laboratories, creative spaces, a dedicated theatre built as part of the recent campus renovation, sports facilities, and library resources. The campus feels spacious and well-maintained, with natural light a deliberate feature of the architectural design.

Selective entry is genuinely competitive. With 3.28 applications per place and a rigorous entrance exam, securing a place demands not only academic ability but also luck in the admissions lottery. Families should investigate test preparation resources early and manage expectations realistically. Passing the 11+ exam does not guarantee acceptance; distance and oversubscription criteria also determine allocation.

The peer group adjusts expectations. Every student entering Dane Court was among the highest achievers in their primary school. The transition to studying among peers of equivalent or superior ability requires psychological adjustment. Some students thrive in this environment; others find the peer group intensity challenging. Prospective families should consider whether their child seeks out intellectual challenge or prefers being among the highest-performing without direct comparison.

The international dimension is genuine, not superficial. The school's commitment to IB qualifications, language learning, international travel and global perspectives is authentic and shapes culture. Families preferring a traditional British curriculum focus might explore alternatives.

Dane Court Grammar School delivers excellent selective state education, combining strong academic results with a genuinely inclusive ethos and international outlook. The £20 million campus renovation provides facilities befitting the school's ambitions. Leadership is principled and clear. Teaching quality is strong across subjects. The sixth form, rated Outstanding by Ofsted, offers internationally recognized qualifications alongside traditional pathways. For families securing places, the education is genuinely outstanding and free from tuition fees, remarkable value in contemporary English education.

Entry remains the significant barrier. With 3.28 applications per place, geography and test performance both matter. For families within reasonable distance who believe their child will thrive in a highly selective, academically ambitious environment, this school merits serious consideration. Best suited to academically able students who relish intellectual challenge, who engage confidently with peers of similar ability, and whose families value breadth (music, drama, sport, service) alongside academic excellence.