Goodwin Academy Review 2026: A Deal secondary on a clear improvement trajectory

Goodwin Academy is a mixed, state-funded secondary with sixth form in Deal, serving ages 11 to 18. It sits within The Thinking Schools Academy Trust and has been led by Mr Philip Jones since June 2024.

The recent story is one of steady rebuilding. The most recent full inspection graded the academy as Good across quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and sixth-form provision.

Day-to-day routines look structured and predictable. Students are expected on site by 8.35am, with the teaching day running to 3.05pm. Breakfast provision is available from 8.00am.

For families weighing options locally, the key question is fit. This is a school that places emphasis on calm classrooms, consistent expectations, reading, and broad participation in clubs and leadership roles. It is also a school where published outcomes, particularly at post-16, sit well below England averages, so it suits best when parents are aligned with the school’s improvement direction and the pathways it offers.

The academy presents itself around a simple, repeated message, Be Your Best, alongside “Goodwin Gateways” that focus on habits of mind and independent learning. This framing matters because it signals what the school wants students to practise every day, not just what it hopes they will achieve in the long run.

External evaluation describes a welcoming, harmonious atmosphere, with strong relationships between pupils and staff and classrooms that are calm and orderly. Students report feeling safe, and they describe staff as responsive when concerns are raised. The same picture includes student leadership roles such as school council participation and anti-bullying ambassadors, which points to a culture that expects students to contribute to the community, not simply attend it.

Reading is positioned as a high priority, with targeted support for weaker readers. Practical initiatives help make that visible, including The Book Nook and an eLibrary platform designed to widen access to books and audiobooks and to support different reading needs.

A final cultural feature is the house structure. Students are grouped into five houses named after figures such as Brunel and Curie, which the school uses to organise competition, charity activity, and identity. For many students, that kind of structure provides an additional “small school” feel inside a larger setting.

FindMySchool’s GCSE outcomes ranking places Goodwin Academy at 3,487th in England for GCSE outcomes, which sits below England average (within the lower-performing band). It is ranked 1st locally within the Deal area in the same ranking set. (These are FindMySchool rankings based on official data.)

At GCSE level, the academy’s Attainment 8 score is 35 and Progress 8 is -0.8, indicating that, on average, pupils make less progress than similar pupils nationally from their starting points. EBacc average points score is 2.93, compared with an England average of 4.08. The proportion achieving grade 5 or above in EBacc subjects is 6.7%.

The inspection evidence helps explain why the picture can look mixed. The report notes that pupils did not achieve well in public examinations in 2024, attributing this in part to historical disruption from staffing changes and the legacy of absence patterns. It also describes a substantially improved curriculum and rising expectations, with most pupils working with focus and purpose.

At A-level, the published outcomes are weak. FindMySchool’s A-level ranking places the academy at 2,494th in England and 1st locally within the Deal area. (Again, this is a FindMySchool ranking based on official data.) The A-level grade breakdown shows 16.7% achieving A* to B, compared with an England average of 47.2%; 0% achieving A* to A, compared with an England average of 23.6%.

For parents, the implication is practical. At Key Stage 4, the school is focused on improving consistency of curriculum delivery and attendance, both of which are directly linked to outcomes. At sixth form, families should look carefully at subject fit, teaching capacity, and the breadth of pathways on offer, not simply the headline promise of having a sixth form on site.

Curriculum improvement is central to the school’s current direction. The inspection report describes a well-crafted curriculum, with a clear focus on subject-specific vocabulary and systematic checking of understanding so that misconceptions and gaps are addressed before moving on.

Reading is treated as a foundational lever rather than a bolt-on. Pupils are expected to read widely and often, and those who need extra help are identified quickly and supported to build fluency and confidence. The Book Nook and eLibrary provision reinforce that this is intended to be part of daily culture, not a one-off intervention.

At Key Stage 4, the school is conscious that EBacc participation is comparatively low. The inspection report notes that steps are being taken to increase language take-up, including building French participation. That is an important signal for families who want either a strongly academic EBacc route or a broader vocational blend, since the school appears to be actively adjusting the balance rather than keeping it fixed.

In computing, the published curriculum description emphasises repeated sequencing of key concepts across Key Stage 3 with increasing complexity, alongside an extra-curricular coding club designed for students who want to extend skills beyond lesson time.

Published destination data for the most recent cohort indicates that, for the 2023/24 leavers cohort (30 students), 3% progressed to university, 13% to further education, 3% to apprenticeships, and 57% to employment.

Alongside those destinations, the school provides structured careers guidance and preparation for post-16 and post-18 pathways, with students described as well informed about next steps in education, employment, and training.

The sixth form also promotes enrichment aligned to transition, including university visits, guest speakers, and an expectation of work experience in Year 12, supported by improved sixth form spaces such as a dedicated common room and quiet study areas.

The practical implication is that parents should treat the sixth form as a pathway choice, not merely a convenient continuation. For some students, a smaller sixth form can mean closer oversight and a clearer support structure. For others, especially those aiming for very competitive courses or wanting a wide A-level menu, a larger sixth form or sixth form college may provide broader subject and peer options.

Year 7 entry is coordinated through Kent County Council. For children starting Year 7 in September 2026, the Kent application window opened on 01 September 2025 and closed on 31 October 2025, with offers released on 02 March 2026 and an acceptance deadline of 16 March 2026.

Goodwin Academy’s published admissions number is 150 for Years 7 to 11. The school consulted on reducing the Year 7 published admissions number from 180 to 150 for the September 2026 intake, which aligns with the admissions documentation now in circulation.

Oversubscription is handled through the published criteria. Distance measurement is described in the school’s admissions material, with clear rules for how home-to-school distance is calculated and what happens in the event of ties. Parents comparing options should use FindMySchool’s Map Search to check their home-to-school distance and to sanity-check travel feasibility for day-to-day routines, especially where multiple schools share similar criteria.

For post-16, applications are made via the KentChoices platform, and the school publishes minimum entry expectations for Level 3 study as at least five GCSE grades at 9 to 5 (with additional subject expectations for certain courses). The sixth form also highlights an enrichment structure that can include EPQ, GCSE retakes in maths and English, and broader personal development activities.

Open events are promoted through the school, including a Virtual Open Day resource, and the school has historically run an annual open evening in late September. Dates vary by year, so families should check the current schedule before planning.

The academy’s recent external evaluation describes pupils feeling safe and well cared for, with trust in staff responses when issues arise. It also highlights a mature understanding among pupils of equality and diversity, and a clear sense of belonging, which matters for families prioritising social confidence and community cohesion.

Students are taught about mental health and wellbeing, including age-appropriate relationships and consent, and are supported to think about next steps through careers guidance.

Attendance is an explicit improvement priority. The inspection findings note that some pupils do not attend regularly enough and that a small number are not punctual, which directly affects learning and access to school experiences. Families considering the school should ask about current attendance initiatives and how the school partners with parents when patterns begin to slip.

The academy also has a Specialist Resource Provision for students with Education, Health and Care Plans where speech, language and communication needs are the primary need. For some families, that mainstream-plus-specialist blend is a deciding factor, because it can provide targeted support while keeping students integrated into wider school life.

The January 2025 Ofsted inspection graded safeguarding arrangements as effective.

A school’s extracurricular offer only matters if students actually participate, and Goodwin’s published clubs programme is specific enough to help families picture what “after school” can look like.

Sport and fitness are prominent. The school lists swimming club (delivered off site at a leisure centre), football club, girls judo, and kickboxing sessions, alongside gym-based fitness sessions using the school’s on-site gym facilities. The implication is that sport is positioned both as enrichment and as wellbeing, particularly for students who engage best when physical routine sits alongside classroom learning.

Music has a practical, participation-first feel. The listed opportunities include rock band (run with Deal Music and Arts), choir, keyboard club, music technology club using BandLab, trumpet provision with Kent Music, and a wind band. That range suits students who want to learn an instrument from scratch as well as those who want ensemble experience.

Academic support and interest clubs also show up in the weekly rhythm, including a Maths Clinic and a History Club, plus computing-related enrichment through a coding club. For students who respond to short, targeted help, those clinics can be more valuable than a generic homework room.

Drama and the arts are well signposted. Beyond a general drama club, the performing arts curriculum page references dance club and a technical theatre club, which is often a strong fit for students who prefer production roles as much as performance.

Facilities also reinforce this breadth. The school makes available an entertainment theatre, dance studio, sports hall, and an astroturf pitch, indicating that these spaces are substantial enough to support both school and community activity.

The published school day runs from 8.35am to 3.05pm, with students expected on site by 8.35am. Breakfast provision is available from 8.00am to 8.30am.

Term dates are published in advance, including dates for the September 2026 return for specific year groups.

For travel, the school sits within Deal, so many families will look at a mix of walking, cycling, bus routes, and rail connections into the town. Families aiming for independence skills at Key Stage 4 and post-16 should build a realistic travel plan early, since consistency of attendance and punctuality is one of the school’s declared improvement priorities.

• Outcomes remain a challenge, especially post-16. Published A-level grades sit well below England averages, so sixth form choice should be made with subject fit and pathway realism in mind.

• Attendance and punctuality are a stated improvement focus. The inspection findings identify persistent issues for a minority of pupils, and families should understand how the school intervenes early and how it expects parents to partner in that process.

• EBacc participation is low. The school is taking steps to increase language take-up, but families who want a strongly EBacc-heavy curriculum should explore how options are structured and how French is being expanded.

• Admissions deadlines can arrive earlier than expected. For the September 2026 Year 7 intake, the Kent secondary application deadline was 31 October 2025, which is materially earlier than many parents assume.

Goodwin Academy is best understood as a school in active improvement mode, with a calm learning atmosphere, strong staff-student relationships, and a broad set of structured opportunities beyond lessons. The recent inspection profile supports that trajectory, and leadership has been stable under the current headteacher since June 2024.

Who it suits: families in Deal who want a state-funded 11 to 18 pathway with clear routines, visible reading and wellbeing priorities, and a wide clubs programme that includes sport, music, and the arts. Those seeking consistently high exam outcomes, particularly at A-level, should weigh alternatives carefully and interrogate subject-by-subject capacity, class sizes, and progression support.