Northfleet Technology College Review 2026: Boys’ secondary with sixth form in Gravesend, Kent

GCSE results

The GCSE profile is challenging. Ranked 3588th in England and 7th in Gravesend for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), Northfleet Technology College sits below England average on this measure.

The Attainment 8 score is 35.9. Progress 8 is -0.49, which indicates pupils made below-average progress from their starting points compared with similar pupils nationally. Put plainly, this is not a school where the exam data alone should do the persuading; the case for the school is more about whether its systems, support and pathways match the child in front of you.

Progress, curriculum and EBacc

The EBacc average point score is 2.93, compared with an England average of 4.08. That aligns with the wider picture: outcomes are not being driven by a strongly EBacc-shaped curriculum profile.

If you are comparing local options, FindMySchool’s comparison tools are useful here because they let you line up Progress 8, Attainment 8 and local rank side-by-side. For many families, the question becomes less “Is this school high-performing?” and more “Will this school help my child move forward steadily, with the right support and the right course choices?”

Teaching is described, in official reporting, as planned and sequenced across the years, including post-16, with an emphasis on revisiting content and checking what has stuck. That points to classrooms where retention and regular assessment matter, rather than a loose, discussion-only approach. For students who benefit from frequent feedback and clear next steps, that can be reassuring.

One particularly concrete example is the school’s reading work for students arriving with low literacy. The English department’s reading interventions are described as bespoke, with support tailored to whether the gap is more about comprehension or fluency. That matters for families because it shows the school recognising a common barrier early: if a student cannot read confidently, every subject becomes harder work.

There are also areas where the report is frank about what still needs tightening. Reading for pleasure and wider reading are not yet embedded consistently across subjects, and there is a warning about depth in parts of key stage 3 humanities where a project-based approach can narrow disciplinary knowledge. For parents, that translates into a sensible question to ask at open events: how is reading built into the everyday diet beyond English, and how does key stage 3 lay the groundwork for GCSE confidence, not just GCSE coverage?

The sixth form is built around multiple routes, which is one of the clearer strengths of the school’s offer. Alongside Level 2 and Level 3 qualifications, the International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme (IBCP) is positioned as a flexible pathway combining academic subjects, vocational study and a core focused on transferable skills. That kind of structure can suit students who want a strong link between study and a future direction, without narrowing their options too early.

Destination data for the 2023/24 leaver cohort shows a genuinely mixed picture. From a cohort of 64, 34% progressed to university, 8% to further education, 8% to apprenticeships and 28% into employment. This is not a single-track sixth form, and that can be a relief for families who want ambitious options without a sense that everyone is supposed to want the same thing.

Oxbridge is not the dominant story here, but it is not absent either. In the recorded period, there were two applications to Oxford or Cambridge, with one offer and one place accepted at Cambridge. The more important point for most families is not the headline destination but the range of routes the school appears to plan for: university, apprenticeships and employment all feature as credible outcomes.

Routes and criteria

Year 7 entry is non-selective, coordinated through the local authority, and entry is without testing. When oversubscribed, the admissions rules prioritise children with an Education, Health and Care Plan naming the school first, then criteria including siblings, health and special access reasons (where a supplementary form is required), followed by distance from home to school measured in a straight line using the National Land and Property Gazetteer address points.

Recent admissions figures show 399 applications for 186 offers, which is about 2.15 applications per place. That level of demand does not mean a child cannot get in; it does mean families should treat it as a competitive local option rather than a guaranteed fallback.

Timeline and practicalities

Open events are a key moment in the decision-making cycle, and the school’s schedule is already set out well ahead. The Open Evening is listed as Thursday 1 October 2026, with the headteacher speaking at 6pm and 7pm, and booking for those talks opening on Wednesday 2 September 2026 at 9am. Open Mornings are planned across September and October 2026, with booking opening on Thursday 3 September 2026 at 10am.

For families trying to be realistic about chances and logistics, it is worth using FindMySchool’s map tools to sense-check travel time and day-to-day practicality alongside admissions criteria. It is easy to focus on the application form; it is the school run, clubs, fixtures and sixth form independence that shape whether a placement actually works.

A school of this size needs pastoral systems that are clear enough to be consistent and personal enough to feel human. The Community structure helps with that: it gives students a defined “home base” within the wider school, and it gives families a clear route for raising concerns.

Official reporting describes students as safe, happy and well cared for, with clear routines supporting good behaviour. Bullying is described as rare, and the school’s approach to handling issues is presented as prompt. Those are the kind of statements that matter because they point to day-to-day stability, not just a policy sitting on a website.

There is also a specific, visible commitment to mental wellbeing through an in-school counselling offer. The school describes counselling as a confidential, supportive service for students dealing with emotional, social or academic pressures, with referral routes through the pastoral and safeguarding system. For parents, the practical implication is that support is not framed as a last resort. It is part of the school’s toolkit, and it sits alongside the expectation that students will speak up when something is wrong.

Sport

The sixth form academies are a defining feature, particularly in basketball and football, with a new athletics academy also promoted. The basketball academy is framed as a two-year programme including coaching alongside strength and conditioning, physiotherapy, sport science and video analysis. It is not simply a lunchtime club; it is a pathway intended to sit alongside sixth form study for students who want sport to be a serious part of their week.

The football academy is similarly positioned as a two-year programme, with training, conditioning and analysis, plus selection through interview and trial. For students who thrive when the timetable includes physical goals as well as academic ones, this can be a powerful motivator. The trade-off is time and energy: an intensive sports programme asks a lot, and it works best when a student is genuinely organised and can handle a busy week without letting coursework slide.

STEM

For a school with “Technology” in the name, it matters that the enrichment examples are concrete rather than vague. One standout is a STEM project described as working with Formula 1 to design and build a race car. That kind of external-facing task is a different experience from standard classroom work: it rewards teamwork, iteration and problem-solving, and it gives students a sense that technical learning connects to real-world standards.

Beyond that, enrichment is presented as a mix of clubs, leadership roles and trips, including a ski trip and dry ski lessons in the autumn term to support beginners. Leadership roles such as School Council, Subject Ambassadors and peer mentoring are part of the picture, and sixth formers have an additional layer through the Professional Qualification of Leadership and Innovation (PQLI), which is built around volunteering and responsibility.

Transport & parking

The school is in Northfleet (Gravesend), with local rail links via stations such as Northfleet and Gravesend, and bus routes serving the wider area. For drivers, planning a buffer for peak-time traffic around Colyer Road is sensible, especially on open-event evenings and at the start and end of the day.

The school day

The day is structured around “Learning Conversations”, with an 8.20am start on certain days depending on year group, and an expectation that students arrive on site by 8.30am on days without a Learning Conversation. In the sixth form, the published timetable runs from 8.50am to 2.35pm, with a mid-morning break and a lunch slot; sixth formers can use their common and study areas at break and lunch, and may leave site during those times if they return promptly for lessons. Free periods offer flexibility too, with students able to work independently in the study space.

Results profile: The GCSE outcomes sit below England average on key measures, including a Progress 8 score of -0.49. Families should look closely at what support, subject offer and pathways would make success realistic for their child, rather than assuming a results-led environment will carry them.

Competition for places: With 399 applications for 186 offers (around 2.15 applications per place), admission is competitive for a non-selective school. It is wise to treat it as a serious first choice rather than a guaranteed option.

Key stage 3 depth and reading: Official reporting highlights work still needed to embed reading across subjects, and flags that parts of key stage 3 humanities have not always matched the academic depth seen later on. Parents who care about strong early foundations should ask how these priorities are being strengthened now.

Single-sex to 16, mixed post-16: The school is boys-only through key stages 3 and 4, with a mixed sixth form. That will suit some students very well, but families wanting co-education from Year 7 may prefer a different fit.

Northfleet Technology College is a large, structured boys’ secondary with a sixth form that clearly tries to offer more than one definition of success. The academic results data is not the main selling point, but the school’s approach to routines, pastoral structures and post-16 pathways, including the IBCP and sports academies, creates a coherent proposition.

Best suited to boys who respond well to clear systems, benefit from pastoral visibility through Communities, and want a sixth form with practical routes alongside academic ambition. The biggest hurdle is not selection; it is matching your child’s needs and motivation to a school that asks students to engage, turn up consistently, and make good use of the opportunities on offer.