The Marsh Academy Review 2026: Community secondary with an inclusive sixth form in Romney Marsh

Serving New Romney and the surrounding Romney Marsh area, The Marsh Academy is a state secondary with a sixth form and a clear inclusion focus. The current principal is Shaun Simmons, who took up the post in 2013.

The latest Ofsted inspection (15 to 16 November 2022) judged the school Good overall and Good in every graded area, including sixth form provision. The report paints a school where pupils are well cared for, behaviour expectations are clear, and staff aim to keep as many pupils as possible learning in mainstream, including those who need targeted support.

There is a strong “no one is left behind” through-line to how the school presents itself in official evidence. The most recent inspection describes high ambition for individual pupils, calm and focused routines, and a culture where pupils can seek help when problems arise.

Inclusion is not framed as a bolt-on. The school has a specially resourced provision for pupils with autism spectrum disorder, and the inspection record also points to an on-site centre designed to reduce exclusion risk by keeping pupils in education with targeted support. This matters for families who want a mainstream school that can flex when a child’s needs shift, without immediately pushing for off-site alternatives.

Community connection is also a recurring theme. Historically, the school’s story is closely linked with local identity, and later evidence still highlights close work with families and local partners.

The numbers here require a balanced reading: there are clear strengths in breadth and access, while outcomes sit below England benchmarks.

GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking)

Ranked 3521st in England and 1st locally in New Romney for GCSE outcomes, based on official data in the FindMySchool model. This places performance in the lower tier compared with other schools in England.

On the headline measures provided, Attainment 8 is 36.5, and Progress 8 is -0.25, which indicates students, on average, make less progress than pupils with similar starting points nationally. EBacc entry and achievement are also very low with 2% achieving grades 5+ in the EBacc measure.

For parents, the implication is practical: this is not a results-led, high-attainment outlier. Families with very academic children may want to probe stretch, top set pathways, and how the school supports the most able to secure strong grades, particularly in English, mathematics, and the sciences.

A-level outcomes (FindMySchool ranking)

Ranked 2535th in England and 1st locally in New Romney for A-level outcomes, again using the FindMySchool model. A-level grade proportions are low relative to England averages: A*-B at 10.38% versus an England average of 47.2%.

That said, outcomes are only one part of sixth form fit. The school’s published description of post-16 routes emphasises choice and accessibility, including a mix of academic and vocational options, which can be the right call in a rural area where a single institution often has to meet a wide range of ambitions and starting points.

The most recent official evidence describes a curriculum that is thoughtfully sequenced, with subject leaders clear on what pupils should learn and how staff support that learning over time. Teaching is characterised as having strong subject knowledge and effective checking for understanding, with adjustments where pupils need to catch up.

There are, however, important caveats that shape classroom experience. Curriculum breadth was flagged as an area to improve, including gaps in design technology coverage and low participation in languages at Key Stage 4. For families, the implication is to ask early, especially at Year 9 options time, about the full range of subjects on offer, how the school is building language uptake, and what pathways exist for students who want a more academic suite of subjects.

Literacy is a stated priority, with support for pupils who struggle to read, though frequency and impact of that support was identified as needing strengthening to accelerate catch-up. If your child has lower prior attainment in reading, it is worth asking how interventions are timetabled, how progress is tracked, and how subject teachers adapt materials so pupils can access the wider curriculum while they improve.

For post-16 and beyond, the picture is mixed and appropriately varied for a comprehensive sixth form.

Oxbridge

In the recorded period, 2 students applied to Cambridge and 1 secured a place. That is a small number, but it signals that high-end academic applications do happen, and the infrastructure exists to support at least some students through highly competitive processes.

Destinations (2023/24 leavers)

For the 2023/24 cohort (85 students), 29% progressed to university, 13% started apprenticeships, and 33% went into employment.

The implication is that the sixth form appears to serve multiple routes rather than funnelling everyone into a single “university first” model. If you have a student who wants an apprenticeship or employment with training, this can be a positive, provided the careers programme is structured and well resourced.

A practical angle for families is to ask how the school operationalises this variety: work experience, employer encounters, interview preparation, and the balance of time spent on UCAS versus apprenticeship pathways. There is evidence of careers engagement activity in the wider local area, including a careers fair hosted at the school.

Year 7 places are coordinated through Kent’s normal secondary admissions process. The school’s published admissions arrangements confirm a Published Admission Number of 180 for Year 7, with oversubscription criteria applied when the school is full.

For September 2026 entry, Kent’s secondary admissions timetable sets clear dates. The national closing date for applications is Friday 31 October 2025, and offers are released on Monday 2 March 2026. In practice, this means families should treat early autumn of Year 6 as decision season, even if school visits happen earlier in the term.

The dataset you supplied also shows Year 7 entry as oversubscribed, with 1.53 applications per offer in the recorded cycle. The implication is that, while this is not the most competitive admissions picture in Kent, demand can exceed supply and families should still apply on time and rank preferences strategically. Parents comparing local schools should use the FindMySchool Map Search to understand travel patterns and realistic options across Romney Marsh, especially where transport can be a deciding factor.

Sixth form entry is open to internal and external applicants, with entry requirements typically centred on GCSE outcomes and course suitability. KentChoices is the usual route for many Kent sixth form applications, and school-specific deadlines can vary, so external applicants should verify the academy’s exact closing date for the relevant year.

Pastoral systems appear to be taken seriously in the available evidence. The inspection narrative describes pupils as well cared for, with high expectations around behaviour and a calm working climate. Support for mental health is described as effective, with pupils having multiple channels to raise concerns.

The second key reassurance is safeguarding. Inspectors confirmed that safeguarding arrangements are effective. For families, this should translate into clear training, consistent reporting systems, and proactive work with external agencies where needed, all of which are referenced in the report.

Inclusion is a defining feature in wellbeing terms too. The existence of a dedicated autism resourced provision and an internal centre aimed at reducing exclusion indicates a model that tries to solve problems inside the school community wherever possible.

The evidence base points to an active approach to enrichment, even if the school does not publish a single definitive list of clubs in accessible sources. The latest inspection references a clubs and wider opportunities programme, with leaders aiming to broaden access so that more pupils can take part.

Where this school becomes more distinctive is in its programmes and facilities that connect learning, sport, and the local community:

• Post-16 Football Academy: The sixth form offer includes a named Football Academy pathway for 16 to 19 year olds, framed as a combined education and football programme with links across the football pyramid.

Implication

This can suit students who want a structured sporting pathway alongside Level 3 study, provided they understand the time commitment and keep academic progression central.

• Post-16 Rugby pathway: A separate Rugby Academy style pathway is described as part of post-16 planning, including playing, coaching, and refereeing opportunities with club links.

Implication

For students who are motivated by sport, it can act as a “hook” that stabilises attendance and engagement, but it needs to be paired with realistic qualification planning.

• Cinemarsh: A highly unusual local asset is the presence of a small cinema venue, Cinemarsh, described as being based within The Marsh Academy Leisure Centre.

Implication

This kind of facility can strengthen arts, media, and community projects, and it signals a school comfortable hosting public-facing activity on site.

Historically, additional vocational and partnership elements have also featured, including an off-site motorcycle maintenance facility referenced in earlier inspection material.

This is a state school with no tuition fees. Families should still budget for the usual costs such as uniform, equipment, trips, and optional activities.

For travel, the setting in New Romney means many students will arrive by bus or family car rather than rail, and families should prioritise journey time and winter travel reliability when shortlisting. For a rural catchment, transport often shapes daily experience as much as the school itself.

School-day start and finish times, and any breakfast or after-school provision for older pupils, should be checked directly with the academy as timings can change year to year. Earlier inspection evidence referenced breakfast provision, but families should confirm the current offer and eligibility.

• Outcomes are a weak point. GCSE and A-level performance in the provided dataset sits below England norms. Families with highly academic children should probe top-end stretch, subject availability (including languages), and how the sixth form supports ambitious university applications.

• Curriculum breadth has been an improvement area. Official evidence flagged gaps in design technology coverage and low language participation at Key Stage 4, so ask what has changed since the last inspection cycle.

• Attendance culture matters. Persistent absence was identified as a challenge in the most recent inspection evidence, and it can affect learning and peer culture if not addressed consistently.

• A wide-ability intake requires the right fit. Inclusion is a strength, but it also means classrooms can be mixed. Ask how the school balances support, calm routines, and appropriate challenge for students at very different starting points.

The Marsh Academy reads, in official evidence, like a school built around inclusion, pastoral seriousness, and a sixth form that tries to keep multiple routes open. It is best suited to families who want a comprehensive, community-rooted secondary where support structures are visible and where vocational and sport-linked pathways can sit alongside academic study.

The main trade-off is attainment. Families prioritising the highest exam outcomes should interrogate subject pathways and sixth form outcomes carefully, and use comparison tools to benchmark alternatives in the wider Kent context.