Fulston Manor School Review 2026: Large Kent secondary with a high-demand intake and a sizeable sixth form

In Milton Regis, a part of Sittingbourne where many families weigh up selective and non-selective routes, Fulston Manor sits firmly in the comprehensive lane while still running a substantial post-16 offer. The headline story is mixed. Demand for Year 7 places is high, and the school’s house system and student support structures give daily life clear shape. At the same time, outcomes data points to below-average performance in England, and the improvement agenda is still a defining theme.

Leadership is stable, with Mrs Susie Burden as executive headteacher, in post since September 2019. The school’s own language leans heavily on belonging and responsibility, and that is visible in the way pastoral care is organised through Cromer, Hales, Morrison and Stanhope houses, with vertical tutor groupings.

A house system only works if it is more than a badge colour. Here it is the organising principle for daily pastoral contact. Years 7 to 11 are divided across four houses, with vertical tutor groups so pupils see a dedicated tutor each day and mix with a small number of peers from other year groups within the same key stage. The practical implication is consistency, especially for families who want a clear “first port of call” for communication and support.

The school’s crest carries Artes Discant Amitiae (May they learn the art of friendship). That phrasing signals a social aim, not just an academic one, and it aligns with the school’s emphasis on relationships, celebration, and a sense of belonging. In day-to-day terms, this tends to show up in structured routines and a strong pastoral narrative rather than a free-form culture.

The most useful external snapshot of the current atmosphere is the most recent inspection evidence. The report describes pupils as feeling happy and safe, alongside an acknowledgement that low-level disruption can interrupt learning in key stage 3. For parents, that combination is important: it suggests behaviour is generally orderly, but lesson consistency and classroom routines are part of what the school has been working to tighten.

GCSE performance sits below England average on the available indicators

Fulston Manor’s Progress 8 score is -0.7, which indicates students made less progress than similar students nationally over key stage 4. The Attainment 8 score is 39, and the school’s EBacc average point score is 3.04. In the FindMySchool ranking (based on official outcomes data), Fulston Manor is ranked 3,410th in England and 4th in Sittingbourne for GCSE outcomes. This places it below England average, consistent with the bottom 40% band for England performance distribution.

Those numbers matter most in the questions parents usually ask first: how consistent is teaching, and does the school convert prior attainment into strong outcomes? The 2023 inspection evidence links weaker outcomes to inconsistency in how the curriculum is taught and how learning is checked and built over time. The practical implication is that families should expect improvement work to be visible, especially around curriculum sequencing, lesson adaptation, and how staff respond to gaps in understanding.

A-level outcomes also sit below England average

In the FindMySchool A-level ranking, Fulston Manor is ranked 2,267th in England and 4th in Sittingbourne for A-level outcomes (FindMySchool ranking, based on official data). A-level grade proportions show 2.1% A*, 6.0% A, and 26.1% at A*-B, compared with England averages of 23.6% at A*-A and 47.2% at A*-B.

A key nuance is that post-16 quality is not only about grades. A sixth form can be valuable when it offers breadth, stable teaching, and credible progression routes. The most recent inspection evidence presents the sixth form more positively than key stage 4, including strong independence, low drop-out, and a clear careers focus.

Parents comparing local options can use the FindMySchool Local Hub and Comparison Tool to review Fulston Manor’s outcomes alongside nearby schools in a consistent format, rather than relying on headline anecdotes.

Curriculum breadth is a stated strength. The inspection evidence notes a broad range of subjects, with an increasing proportion of pupils entered for the English Baccalaureate suite, and an extensive sixth form offer. The issue is less about what is offered and more about how consistently it is delivered.

A helpful way to think about the improvement focus is through the school’s “knowledge build” over time. Where teaching is well-sequenced, students can recall prior learning and link concepts across units; where it is less consistent, pupils can end up revising for exams without developing secure understanding. The inspection evidence explicitly describes a tendency for parts of the curriculum to lean too heavily towards exam preparation rather than the foundational knowledge needed to become confident subject learners.

Support for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND is an area where consistency matters. The inspection evidence indicates these pupils are known, but support can be variable because staff are not always clear about how to help or how to check that support is making a difference. For families, this makes early, specific conversations essential, particularly around how needs are communicated to teachers, what intervention looks like, and how impact is reviewed.

Fulston Manor has a significant sixth form, and it attracts students from beyond its own Year 11 cohort. The inspection evidence describes it as a popular destination for pupils from neighbouring schools, with high attendance and strong pastoral support.

Where leavers go after sixth form is best understood through the published destination breakdown for the 2023/24 cohort (143 students). 48% progressed to university, 29% entered employment, 6% began apprenticeships, and 1% went to further education.

These figures suggest a mixed pathway picture rather than a single dominant route, which can suit students who want credible options beyond the traditional university track. The practical implication is that families should ask how the school supports different end goals, including apprenticeships and employment routes, not only UCAS applications.

Year 7 demand is high

In the most recent admissions dataset, Fulston Manor received 889 applications for 202 offers, which equates to 4.4 applications per place. The school is recorded as oversubscribed.

For September 2026 entry, the school directs families to apply through Kent’s coordinated admissions process, with the secondary application deadline stated as 31 October 2025, and allocations notified on 2 March 2026. The practical implication is that your list of preferences matters, and families should align their application strategy with realistic alternatives.

Sixth form entry for 2026 has its own timeline

The school states that applications are open via Kent Choices for September 2026 entry. Kent’s course directory for the provider lists an application window opening 3 November 2025 and closing 21 July 2026.

Pastoral care is explicitly structured through the house system, and the school positions itself as a “Fulston Family”, with daily tutor contact and house teams as the core support unit for pupils. In practice, this can be reassuring for families who want clear accountability and predictable routines.

The November 2023 Ofsted inspection judged the school Requires Improvement overall, with Good judgements for behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and sixth form provision. Ofsted also confirmed that safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Beyond safeguarding basics, the inspection evidence points to a personal development curriculum that addresses consent, identity, and preparation for adult life. The implication for parents is that the personal development offer is an asset, particularly for families who want structured support around adolescence and decision-making.

Extracurricular only adds value when it is planned, accessible, and connected to student development. Fulston Manor describes a programme that runs before school, at lunchtime, and after school, with a termly list of clubs.

Two examples show the “specific and practical” end of this offer:

• Sport with real facilities behind it. The PE department lists a wide spread of clubs including football, netball, table tennis, rowing, tennis, athletics and handball. It also references Cromers Corner Playing Fields, about 1km from the school site, including football and rugby pitches in winter, an athletics track in summer, and a pavilion with changing rooms. The implication is that sport is not just a lunchtime add-on, it has dedicated space and infrastructure, which tends to support both participation and competitive fixtures.

• Sixth form STEM enrichment with a clear theme. A sixth form Computing Club is described as focused on space technology, robotics, and related systems, including projects such as a prototype Mars robot, microprocessor hardware work with Raspberry Pi, BBC micro:bit and Arduino, and meetings in a makerspace (Room B9). The implication is that interested students can build a portfolio of practical work, which is relevant for technical courses and apprenticeships as well as A-level extension.

For academic support, the school also highlights structured study support, including a KS3 study club and a KS4 homework support route, plus library access and homework club time built into the after-school window.

This is a state school with no tuition fees.

The school day starts at 8:40am, with tutor group registration at 8:45am. Breakfast Club runs 8:00am to 8:30am in the Hales and Stanhope house areas.

For travel, the school has referenced Sittingbourne as the closest train station, at approximately a 20 minute walk, and notes on-site parking in staff-facing information. Families should also expect school transport patterns to shift by year group and timetable, so checking current routes before September is sensible.

• Below-average outcomes in England. The GCSE and A-level rankings sit below England average, and Progress 8 at -0.7 indicates weaker progress than similar pupils nationally. This is important context for families for whom results are the primary driver.

• Curriculum delivery consistency. Learning is not described as consistently strong across subjects, with an explicit need to improve curriculum depth and how teaching adapts to pupils’ needs. For some pupils, that can translate into uneven experiences across departments.

• Behaviour in key stage 3 can interrupt learning. The wider behaviour picture is positive, but low-level disruption is identified as a barrier for some classes. Families who want very tight routines should ask how this is managed day to day.

• High demand for Year 7 places. With 889 applications for 202 offers in the latest admissions dataset, entry is competitive. Families should plan a realistic set of preferences and alternatives.

Fulston Manor School is a large, oversubscribed Sittingbourne secondary with a structured pastoral model and a sizeable sixth form. Its strengths sit in organisation, house-based support, personal development, and a post-16 offer that appears more settled than key stage 4. Outcomes data and inspection evidence, however, point to a school still working to secure consistent curriculum delivery and stronger academic performance.

Who it suits: families seeking a non-selective state secondary with clear pastoral structures, a broad range of experiences beyond lessons, and a practical, mixed progression picture post-16. The key question to weigh is whether current improvement work is translating into consistently stronger teaching across subjects.