The FMS Inspection Score is FindMySchool's proprietary analysis based on official Ofsted and ISI inspection reports. It converts ratings into a standardised 1–10 scale for fair comparison across all schools in England.
Disclaimer: The FMS Inspection Score is an independent analysis by FindMySchool. It is not endorsed by or affiliated with Ofsted or ISI. Always refer to the official Ofsted or ISI report for the full picture of a school’s inspection outcome.
In a selective Kent context where grammar schools shape local intakes, this non-selective secondary has built a clear identity around high expectations, inclusive practice, and purposeful teaching. Demand is real: for the most recent published Year 7 cycle there were 868 applications for 225 offers, a level of pressure that quickly clarifies why families treat open events and transition planning seriously.
The school’s public-facing language is direct. Its mission statement, Expect, Believe, Achieve, is paired with a CARE values framework (Compassion, Aspiration, Resilience, Enthusiasm). Those choices matter because they set a tone for behaviour, attendance, and classroom routines, especially for students who may arrive with lower prior attainment in a selective area.
Leadership is clearly identified in official documentation. Warren Smith is named as headteacher in the latest Ofsted inspection record, giving parents a stable reference point for accountability and strategic direction.
The school’s stated ethos centres on consistency, clarity, and adult behaviours that model the standards expected of students. The “CDS Way” document is explicit that staff behaviours are part of a shared culture rather than an optional add-on, and it links this to the mission statement and CARE values. For families, that typically translates into predictable routines and clearer boundaries, which can be especially important in a mixed-ability intake with wide starting points.
Academy trust context matters here. The school is part of Barton Court Academy Trust, and official documentation describes it operating in a selective area with lower prior attainment on entry than the national picture. That contextual detail is important because it frames how progress is judged and why pastoral and curriculum sequencing tend to be emphasised.
The most recent inspection narrative also points to a school that expects pupils to take safeguarding seriously and knows how to translate policy into daily practice. Pupils are described as knowing how to report concerns, and leaders are described as maintaining strong external links where needed. For parents, this is the foundation beneath all other school promises.
The headline for performance is mixed, and it is helpful to separate attainment from progress.
Attainment 8 score: 43.9, below the England average of 45.9.
Progress 8 score: +0.22, which indicates students make above-average progress from their starting points.
Rankings should be read with care. Ranked 2920th in England and 2nd locally for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), the school sits below England average overall when looking at the broader national distribution (around the lower 40% of schools in England by this ranking measure). The practical implication is that raw headline attainment still has ground to make up, even while progress measures point in a more encouraging direction.
EBacc-related indicators also look relatively challenging. The school’s EBacc average point score is 3.46 versus an England average of 4.08. As ever, EBacc measures are partly shaped by entry patterns and subject uptake, but for families who prioritise language and humanities pathways, it is a useful signal to discuss at open events.
Post-16 outcomes are harder to evidence from the available results. A-level measures are not populated here, and the latest Ofsted report noted that there were no students in the sixth form at the time of inspection, despite the school being recorded as 11 to 18. Parents considering sixth form should therefore check current provision, subject availability, and entry requirements directly with the school, rather than assuming a standard offer.
England ranks and key metrics (where available)
GCSE 9–7
—
% of students achieving grades 9-7
The strongest evidence available publicly focuses on curriculum thinking and subject infrastructure rather than marketing-style claims.
Ofsted describes subject “deep dives” across English, mathematics, technology, art, history and modern foreign languages, which usually signals that leaders can explain how knowledge builds over time and how assessment is used to correct misconceptions. The same report identifies clear next steps, including raising the status and uptake of languages and ensuring PSHE content is mapped coherently across the whole school.
Department materials accessible publicly provide unusually concrete detail about learning spaces and tools. In mathematics, the department describes a dedicated suite of nine classrooms, each equipped with interactive whiteboards, alongside specific platforms used to support practice and retrieval. For parents, the value is less about the brand names and more about what they imply: consistent lesson structure, predictable independent practice expectations, and fewer avoidable gaps for students who need repetition and scaffolding.
English provision is also described in tangible terms, including multiple teaching rooms and access to a drama rehearsal space and a mini theatre for seminars, plus the potential use of ICT suites and a Learning Resource Centre. The implication for students is that oracy, performance, and structured reading can be integrated into a mainstream English programme without being treated as a peripheral enrichment extra.
Science facilities are described as six laboratories plus larger and smaller teaching spaces, with interactive whiteboards and data-logging referenced. The practical benefit is that the department has the physical capacity to run demonstration-heavy, practical work at scale, which is often the difference between science feeling abstract or applied for mixed-attainment groups.
Quality of Education
Good
Behaviour & Attitudes
Good
Personal Development
Good
Leadership & Management
Good
FMS Inspection Score calculated by FindMySchool based on official inspection data.
What can be said confidently is structural. The school serves an area with multiple grammar schools, and the Ofsted report notes that this shapes prior attainment on entry. In practice, that often means a strong emphasis on progress and on helping students build confidence in academic subjects, technical options, and vocationally oriented pathways, depending on the individual.
For Year 11 families, the most useful approach is to ask direct, practical questions during visits: the range of GCSE and technical pathways at Key Stage 4, the support available for college applications, apprenticeships, and any sixth form pathways if post-16 is currently running. If your family is building a shortlist across Thanet and East Kent, FindMySchool’s Local Hub comparison tools are a sensible way to keep the conversation grounded in comparable indicators rather than anecdotes.
Admissions are coordinated through Kent’s secondary admissions process for Year 7 entry. For September 2026 entry, Kent’s published timeline states:
Applications open Monday 1 September 2025
Applications close Friday 31 October 2025
National Offer Day Monday 2 March 2026
Offer acceptance deadline Monday 16 March 2026
Demand in the provided admissions results is high. With 868 applications for 225 offers, and a subscription ratio of 3.86 applications per place offered, it is sensible for families to treat this as a competitive local option. That does not mean admission is “test-based” in the way grammars are, but it does mean your application strategy, realistic preferences, and timely submission matter. This is particularly true in Kent where families often apply across a mix of selective and non-selective schools.
Catchment distance is not available for the last offer made, so it is not appropriate to quote a “furthest distance at which a place was offered” figure here. Families who are prioritising proximity should use precise distance tools (such as FindMySchoolMap Search) and then verify the oversubscription criteria in the relevant published admissions arrangements for the year of entry.
The school’s published admissions arrangements for 2026 to 2027 are available via Kent documentation, including clarity on waiting lists and in-year admissions routes.
Applications
868
Total received
Places Offered
225
Subscription Rate
3.9x
Apps per place
The most dependable evidence point here is safeguarding and culture. The Ofsted report describes safeguarding systems as working effectively, with pupils knowing how to report concerns and leaders maintaining external links to act where needed. This matters because it is the baseline for attendance, behaviour, and mental wellbeing support, especially in communities where external pressures can impact school readiness.
The school’s own ethos materials place heavy emphasis on adult consistency and shared expectations. In practical terms, this usually supports pupils who benefit from routine, predictable consequences, and a language of values that is used in classrooms as well as assemblies.
Extracurricular life is best described through the concrete programmes and facilities that are evidenced publicly.
A recurring theme across public documents is structured enrichment rather than ad hoc clubs. Trust and school materials refer to Cultural Capital Days and an Enrichment Week, framed as intentional opportunities to broaden experiences and build confidence beyond exam specifications. For families, this is often most valuable for students who do not automatically access cultural experiences outside school, and for those who need a reason to feel that school is “for them”.
Facilities are unusually well-specified in public department documents. Physical education provision is described as including a sports hall with four badminton courts, a fitness room with strength and conditioning equipment, a gymnasium, two multi-use games areas, and large fields with football and rugby pitches, plus long jump and triple jump facilities. The implication is not elite sport by default, but capacity: the school can run broad participation sport while still supporting those who want structured development.
Arts and performance appear embedded in subject infrastructure too. The English department’s access to a mini theatre and rehearsal space supports drama-linked enrichment, public speaking, and performance elements within the wider curriculum.
The publicly accessible documents located in this research pass do not provide a single, clearly verifiable statement of the standard school day start and finish times, or a definitive offer of breakfast and after-school wraparound arrangements. Families should confirm the daily timetable, supervision before school, and any after-school provision directly with the school, particularly if transport and childcare logistics are tight.
For travel planning, Broadstairs is served by rail links and local bus routes, and many families will prioritise safe walking routes or reliable bus timing. If you are weighing multiple options, map-based distance checking remains one of the most practical steps, especially in oversubscribed local contexts.
Competition for Year 7 places. With 868 applications for 225 offers cycle, demand is high. Families should apply on time, use all preferences strategically, and read the oversubscription criteria carefully.
Attainment versus progress picture. Progress 8 is positive (+0.22), but Attainment 8 (43.9) sits below the England average (45.9). This can suit students who respond well to structured teaching and strong routines, but families focused on high raw attainment should ask detailed questions about pathways and subject entry patterns.
EBacc pathway considerations. EBacc-related indicators are weaker than England averages. Families who want a strong languages and humanities emphasis should discuss curriculum uptake and support in modern foreign languages.
Post-16 clarity. Although the school is recorded as 11 to 18, the latest Ofsted report noted there were no sixth form students at the time. If sixth form is a priority, verify the current offer and entry requirements early.
The Charles Dickens School is best understood as a high-demand local secondary that combines a clear values framework with evidence of improved effectiveness and a positive progress measure. It is likely to suit families who want a structured, expectations-led environment in a non-selective setting, and who value enrichment programmes that broaden experience alongside core qualifications. The primary challenge is admission pressure rather than lack of clarity about the school’s direction.
The most recent full inspection outcome available rates the school Good. The progress measure is encouraging, suggesting students tend to make above-average progress from their starting points, even though headline attainment remains below England averages.
Applications are made through Kent’s coordinated admissions process. For September 2026 entry, the published county timeline runs from applications opening on 1 September 2025 to a closing deadline of 31 October 2025, with offers on 2 March 2026.
Yes, demand is high. There were 868 applications for 225 offers in the most recent published cycle within the provided admissions data, which indicates significant competition for places.
The school is recorded as serving up to age 18, but the latest Ofsted report noted there were no students in the sixth form at the time of inspection. Families should check the current position if post-16 study is important.
Publicly available materials refer to structured programmes such as Cultural Capital Days and an Enrichment Week, alongside extracurricular clubs and trips. Parents should ask for the current term’s programme during visits, as these schedules can change year to year.
Get in touch with the school directly
Disclaimer
Information on this page is compiled, analysed, and processed from publicly available sources including the Department for Education (DfE), Ofsted, the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI), the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, and official school websites.
Our rankings, metrics, and assessments are derived from this data using our own methodologies and represent our independent analysis rather than official standings.
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