St George's Church of England Foundation School Review 2026: an all-through option in Broadstairs

On Hope Way, just off Westwood Road, St George’s runs an all-through set-up with a primary site alongside its secondary base in Broadstairs. That split matters day to day: the school can keep the benefits of a single ethos from Reception to Sixth Form, while still giving younger pupils their own space and routines.

St George’s Church of England Foundation School is a state all-through school for boys and girls aged 4 to 19 in Broadstairs, Kent. It is a large school, with a published capacity of 1375, and it sits in a part of the country where families often weigh up all-through continuity against the pull of selective routes nearby. The 2024 Ofsted inspection rated the school Good.

The school’s language makes its priorities clear: compassion, forgiveness, friendship, hope and wisdom are presented as the Christian values that shape daily life. This is not a bolt-on identity. Worship is built into the rhythm across phases, and pupils meet the school’s ethos in ordinary moments, not only at special services.

There is also a noticeable “all ages” feel to how the school talks about pupils. The same phrases recur across primary, secondary and sixth form: confidence, aspiration, and a sense that every individual matters. For families, that consistency can be reassuring. Children who settle early often benefit from not having to relearn a whole new culture at 11, even though the academic step up is real.

Alongside the faith core, St George’s has a house structure that has been part of the school’s life since 1976, with cathedral city house names including Canterbury, Exeter, Rochester and Salisbury. In an all-through school, houses can be more than a badge; they are one of the practical ways a big school tries to feel smaller.

Primary (Key Stage 2)

At the end of primary, outcomes look securely above the England picture. In 2024, 77.67% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics, compared with an England average of 62%. At the higher standard, 23.33% reached greater depth in reading, writing and mathematics, compared with an England average of 8%. Reading is a particular strength on the published measures, with an average scaled score of 107, alongside 105 in maths.

Rankings add important context. St George’s is ranked 5959th in England for primary outcomes (FindMySchool ranking, based on official data) and 4th in Broadstairs. That places it in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile), a reminder that strong percentages can sit within a broadly typical national band when measured across the full field.

The implication for families is straightforward. If your child is currently in the primary phase, the headline standards suggest a school where basic literacy and numeracy are being secured well, with a meaningful proportion also pushed on to deeper attainment. It is a reassuring foundation for the secondary years, whether a pupil stays on or moves elsewhere at 11.

GCSE results

At GCSE, the picture is more challenging. St George’s average Attainment 8 score is 36.6, with a Progress 8 score of -0.41. The EBacc average point score is 2.76, compared with an England average of 4.08. On FindMySchool’s GCSE ranking (based on official data), the school is ranked 3583rd in England and 3rd in Broadstairs, which puts it below the England average overall.

Those numbers are not a verdict on individual pupils, but they do point to a key question for parents: does your child thrive with steady structure and targeted catch-up, or do they need a consistently high-pace academic environment from early secondary? St George’s shows evidence of real strengths, particularly around care, careers and vocational pathways, but the published figures suggest that improving exam outcomes across a broader spread of subjects remains an important priority.

If you are comparing local secondaries, FindMySchool’s local comparison tools are useful here, because they let you view St George’s results alongside nearby options using the same measures, rather than relying on anecdotes.

The everyday curriculum story at St George’s is shaped by the school’s unusual span. Reception begins with deliberate attention to early reading, then the school expects pupils to carry literacy habits forward as they move into secondary. Guided reading is treated as a normal, planned part of learning, not an occasional add-on, which matters in an all-through where gaps can accumulate quietly if they are not tackled early.

At secondary, teaching is framed around clear expectations and consistent routines. The school’s current priorities are also visible: strengthening how well pupils secure key concepts before moving on, and improving achievement in the full spread of GCSE subjects, including the English Baccalaureate. For families, that translates into a school that knows where it needs to sharpen its practice, rather than pretending every subject is performing equally.

Post-16, the offer leans strongly into applied and vocational routes alongside GCSE resits in English language and maths. The school lists BTEC National Level 3 Extended Certificates including areas such as engineering, applied science, business, health and social care, sport and applied psychology, with additional options including AQA Level 3 Mathematical Studies. That mix will suit some students extremely well: those who learn best by applying knowledge to real contexts, and those who want a clearer line of sight to employment or further training.

For an all-through school, “next” means more than one thing. At 11, there is the internal move from primary to secondary. The advantage is continuity: familiar systems, shared values, and an established understanding of a child’s strengths. The challenge is that the transition still needs to feel like a fresh start academically. The secondary timetable is clearly structured, with an early finish for Years 7 to 11 and additional periods for sixth form, which can help students understand what is expected and when.

At 16 and 18, destinations matter. For the 2023/24 leavers cohort (58 pupils), 14% progressed to university, 10% to further education, 10% started apprenticeships and 47% moved into employment. That spread suggests a school where a significant proportion of students take practical, work-facing routes after sixth form, and where “success” is not framed as one narrow pathway.

Careers education is one of St George’s most convincing strengths. Pupils encounter workplace ideas early, then receive regular guidance as they get older, including exposure to options beyond the immediate local area. For families with teenagers, that kind of structured careers work can be as valuable as any single headline metric, especially for students who are motivated by purpose and clear plans.

Routes and criteria

St George’s is popular. For Reception entry, the school recorded 139 applications for 60 offers, which is about 2.32 applications per place. For Year 7, demand is even higher: 956 applications for 204 offers, around 4.69 applications per place. In both cases the school is oversubscribed, and the number of first preferences is also higher than the number of places offered.

The practical implication is that families should treat St George’s as competitive at both entry points. If you are applying from within Kent’s coordinated system, make sure you understand exactly how oversubscription criteria are applied and what evidence is required for any supplementary paperwork the school asks families to complete.

FindMySchool’s map tools can help with the part that trips families up most: working out whether your home address is realistically placed for distance-based criteria, before you build a whole plan around it.

Timeline and practicalities

For Kent families, timings are set by the county’s main admissions process for Reception and Year 7, with national offer dates in spring. Sixth form applications follow a different route, with applications opening after 1 November through the county’s post-16 application system, and with the school’s subject entry requirements published alongside the course list.

Open events matter at St George’s because it is large and genuinely multi-site. Seeing how the primary phase feels compared with the secondary spaces is often the point at which an all-through school either clicks, or does not.

The most persuasive part of St George’s profile is its care culture. Pupils are supported to feel known, and the school places a premium on respectful relationships between staff and pupils. That matters in a large setting; without it, size quickly becomes anonymity.

There is also clear infrastructure behind the pastoral language. The school describes a broad wellbeing offer, and its travel guidance shows the kind of detail that usually sits within a strong safeguarding culture: clear expectations, predictable routines, and adults actively managing risk points such as the end-of-day bus queue.

For some pupils, the right support is not a chat and a check-in, but a different environment for a period of time. St George’s uses internal “success suites” for a small number of secondary pupils who need an alternative approach while keeping their education balanced. Done well, this can be a pressure valve that prevents a wobble becoming a derailment.

Clubs & enrichment

The co-curricular life is wide enough to feel like a proper menu rather than a token list. In secondary, pupils can choose from options that suit very different personalities: Debate Club for confident speakers, STEM Club for practical problem-solvers, Mathletes (by invitation in some year groups), and quieter choices like Origami Club, Gardening Club and Book Club in the library. Singers’ Club adds a straightforward musical strand, while the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award creates a more demanding, long-run commitment for pupils who like challenge.

Primary clubs are similarly varied and, importantly, structured around real logistics. There is breakfast provision that begins early, then after-school sessions that run on specific days and often focus on team sport and skills development. You see the “all-through” ambition here too: the school offers broad participation, but it also builds routes into representing the school competitively.

Sport, performance and leadership

Sport is present across both sites, from primary team clubs through to secondary rugby, tennis and wider opportunities. The school’s worship and community life also creates leadership roles for pupils, whether through formal councils, volunteering in events, or taking responsibility within the house structure. In an all-through setting, leadership is often the hinge that keeps older pupils engaged; it gives teenagers a sense that they are contributing, not just being managed.

Transport & parking

St George’s is unusually explicit about travel. There is a toucan crossing immediately outside the school to help pupils cross Westwood Road safely, and the school encourages walking, cycling and public transport where possible. It also describes dedicated St George’s buses morning and afternoon, with staff supervising dismissal to buses at the end of the day. If you do drive, the expectation is that you do not come right up to the gate, but drop off further away and let children walk part of the way.

Broadstairs station is the most obvious rail link for families arriving by train, though day-to-day travel is more commonly shaped by local bus routes and school transport.

The school day

The primary day is built around an 8.30am start and a 3.00pm finish, with worship embedded in the morning routine. Breakfast club runs from 7.45am to 8.30am on weekdays in term time and costs £2.50 per day. After-school provision runs after the 3.00pm finish, with sessions typically ending at 4.15pm or 4.30pm depending on the activity.

In secondary, gates open at 8.25am and the day for Years 7 to 11 finishes at 2.30pm, with sixth form periods extending later. That earlier finish can be a real advantage for students who need downtime and for families organising lifts, but it also means after-school clubs and homework support need to be planned around transport.

Competition for places: With 139 applications for 60 offers in Reception (about 2.32 applications per place), and 956 applications for 204 offers in Year 7 (about 4.69 applications per place), demand is strong at both entry points. Families should go into the process with backup options, and be organised about supplementary forms and deadlines.

A tale of two phases: Primary outcomes sit above England averages, while GCSE measures are weaker overall, including a Progress 8 score of -0.41. That does not mean pupils cannot do well here, but it does make it worth asking how the school supports pupils through the Key Stage 3 to Key Stage 4 transition, especially in the subjects your child finds hardest.

Faith is part of the daily rhythm: This is a Church of England school where daily worship is provided across all years, including sixth form, and where Christian events across the year are actively celebrated. Many families welcome that clarity; others may prefer a more neutral approach.

Logistics across a large, split-site school: The two-site set-up is a strength, but it also changes the feel of the school day. Travel arrangements, clubs, and end-of-day pick-ups can look different in primary compared with secondary, and families should make sure the rhythm suits them.

St George’s is a large, values-led all-through school that offers continuity from Reception to Sixth Form, with a clear Church of England identity and a strong emphasis on care, careers and practical pathways. Primary outcomes are a firm positive, and the breadth of clubs and structured support gives many pupils ways to belong beyond lessons.

Best suited to families who value an all-through community in Broadstairs, want a school that takes pastoral support and careers guidance seriously, and are comfortable with daily worship as part of the routine. The main hurdle is getting a place, and for older pupils the key question is whether the secondary phase is the right match for their learning profile and exam goals.