Overall Oxbridge
#778
8 ranked schools · +136 places vs Eng avg #914 of 1,983
Applications
121
Offers
30
Offer rate24.8%
+2.4 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 22.4%
Schools in Canterbury
On the River Stour in east Kent, Canterbury has been a seat of Christian authority since late Roman times, and the medieval walls, the Norman Westgate Towers, and the UNESCO-listed Cathedral still define its skyline today. Around 55,000 people live in the city. A large student population at the University of Kent and Canterbury Christ Church University gives Canterbury one of the highest student-to-resident ratios in Britain.
The Cathedral Precincts are widely regarded as the most school-competitive area of the city, where families compete for places at schools in and around the historic core. Blean, on the northern village fringe, is a sought-after pocket for primary catchments. Canterbury West offers Southeastern High Speed connections to Ashford International in around twenty-five minutes, while the conventional Southeastern route from Canterbury East serves Faversham and the wider county network. Harbledown and Sturry extend the residential spread to the west and east, with Adisham serving the quieter southern parishes.
33
Primary
schools
12
Secondary
schools
1
All-through
schools
9
Special
schools
2
Other
schools
of which14sixth forms·3grammar·21faith57 total
Area Performance
Canterbury schools rank in the top 46% of England
Across 57 primary, secondary and sixth-form schools, state and independent. The average Find My School Inspection Score is 7.82/10, +0.36 vs England.
Find My School Inspection Band
26% Elite
Distribution across all Canterbury schools
EliteExcellentGoodDeveloping
Canterbury vs England distribution
National Rank
Top 46%
Across all ranked Canterbury schools
Top 49%Primaryavg #7,339 of 14,978
Top 41%Secondaryavg #1,594 of 3,861
Top 44%Sixth formavg #1,117 of 2,554
Primary schools: 29 schools (state + independent)
LocalEngland avg
Average FMS Inspection Score
7.7/10
+0.35 vs Eng avgEng avg 7.3/10
Average national rank
#7,339
+1 pts vs medianmedian 7,489
top 49% of 14,978
% reaching expected RWM standardstate
60%
-2 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 62%
% reaching higher RWM standardstate
10%
+2 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 8%
Average FMS Inspection Score
7.7/10
+0.35 vs Eng avgEng avg 7.3/10
Average national rank
#7,339
+1 pts vs medianmedian 7,489
top 49% of 14,978
% reaching expected RWM standardstate
60%
-2 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 62%
% reaching higher RWM standardstate
10%
+2 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 8%
Secondary schools: 13 schools (state + independent)
LocalEngland avg
Average FMS Inspection Score
8.0/10
+0.59 vs Eng avgEng avg 7.4/10
Average national rank
#1,594
+9 pts vs medianmedian 1,931
top 41% of 3,861
% achieving grades 9-7 (A*-A)state
53%
-3 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 56%
Attainment 8 score (out of 90)state
38.6
-0.5 vs Eng avgEng avg 39.1
Average FMS Inspection Score
8.0/10
+0.59 vs Eng avgEng avg 7.4/10
Average national rank
#1,594
+9 pts vs medianmedian 1,931
top 41% of 3,861
% achieving grades 9-7 (A*-A)state
53%
-3 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 56%
Attainment 8 score (out of 90)state
38.6
-0.5 vs Eng avgEng avg 39.1
Sixth form schools: 15 schools (state + independent)
LocalEngland avg
Average FMS Inspection Score
7.9/10
+0.17 vs Eng avgEng avg 7.7/10
Average national rank
#1,117
+6 pts vs medianmedian 1,277
top 44% of 2,554
% A*-A at A-Level
27%
+2 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 25%
% A*-B at A-Level
53%
+3 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 50%
Average FMS Inspection Score
7.9/10
+0.17 vs Eng avgEng avg 7.7/10
Average national rank
#1,117
+6 pts vs medianmedian 1,277
top 44% of 2,554
% A*-A at A-Level
27%
+2 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 25%
% A*-B at A-Level
53%
+3 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 50%
Oxford
#268
6 ranked schools · -15 places vs Eng avg #253 of 1,197
Applications
45
Offers
4
Offer rate8.9%
-6.2 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 15.1%
Cambridge
#498
8 ranked schools · +275 places vs Eng avg #773 of 1,880
Applications
76
Offers
26
Offer rate34.2%
+4.8 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 29.4%
Top 3 Primary Schools
2026
Canterbury
Top 3 Secondary Schools
2026
Canterbury
Top 3 Sixth Forms
2026
Canterbury
Local directory
School profiles in Canterbury
Browse 46 local profile links across primary schools and secondary schools. Each profile brings together admissions context, performance data, inspection history and school details in one place.
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