The Holmesdale School Review 2026, A rebuilding academy with a growing sixth form offer

On GCSE measures in the FindMySchool results, outcomes sit below England average overall. Ranked 3,467th in England and 1st in Tonbridge and Malling for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), the local position suggests the school performs comparatively well within its immediate area even while sitting in the lower 40% across England overall.

The attainment indicators underline the same theme. Attainment 8 is 35.7, while Progress 8 is -0.52, which indicates that pupils, on average, made less progress than similar pupils nationally from their starting points. EBacc average point score is 3.12 compared with an England average of 4.08. Taken together, these figures suggest that families should expect the school to be working hard on core academic consistency, rather than relying on a long-established record of high exam performance.

There is, however, an important context point from the April 2025 inspection report. It states that the 2024 Key Stage 4 cohort had an unusually challenging profile, including pupils joining after fragmented education, and that the school has since strengthened how it supports pupils who arrive at different points, noting that the 2024 outcomes do not reflect how well pupils currently are learning.

Curriculum planning is described in unusually explicit terms on the school’s own materials, which is helpful for parents who want more than general statements. The school sets out a five-year through curriculum model, with broad subject study in Years 7 to 9 and then “options routes” in Years 10 and 11. Creative, practical and vocational learning is presented as deliberately valued alongside traditional subjects, rather than treated as a lesser track.

Key Stage 3 is structured to keep breadth. Alongside English, mathematics, science, physical education and cultural studies, Year 7 includes art, performing arts, information technology, food, music and design technology. The school also states it allocates more curriculum time to humanities and modern foreign languages to encourage a higher proportion of pupils to pursue the English Baccalaureate pathway beyond Year 9, with all students studying a foreign language in Key Stage 3.

Grouping is also spelt out. Classes are arranged into three or four groups depending on cohort size, using prior attainment data, CATS scores and reading age, with an additional support or boost group in English and maths for pupils who need extra help with literacy and numeracy. The implication for parents is that the school is trying to match pitch and pace early, rather than leaving gaps to harden in Years 7 and 8.

Where Students Go Next

Holmesdale has a sixth form that describes itself as small but dynamic, with access to a dedicated study room and the Library and Resource Centre, and a strong emphasis on personalised support.

Published destination statistics in the FindMySchool results point to mixed pathways in the latest reported cohort. For the 2023/24 leavers cohort (22 students), 27% progressed to university, 5% started apprenticeships, and 50% moved into employment. This profile suggests a sixth form where applied and employment routes matter, not just university entry, and where students and families should discuss end goals early, then select Level 3 courses accordingly.

There is also targeted financial support available post-16. The school’s 16 to 19 bursary policy states that a vulnerable bursary can be up to £1,200 per academic year for eligible students, with discretionary support available for needs such as transport, meals, books and equipment. For families on tight budgets, this can be the difference between a realistic sixth form choice and a fragile plan.

Year 7 places are allocated without reference to aptitude or ability. The admissions page sets a published standard number of 180, and explains that where applications exceed places, oversubscription criteria apply in order, including looked-after children, siblings, health and special access reasons, then distance measured in a straight line, with nearer addresses prioritised.

For Kent residents applying for September 2026 entry, the local authority timetable is clear. Applications open on 01 September 2025 and close at midnight on Friday 31 October 2025; offers are issued on Monday 02 March 2026 and acceptance is due by Monday 16 March 2026.

Transition support is visible for incoming Year 7 pupils. The school published a Year 6 transition sequence in 2025 including a parent drop-in evening in May, a formal information evening in June, and transition days in July. Parents should treat these as a pattern rather than fixed future dates, and confirm each year’s arrangements directly with the school.

For sixth form entry, applications are submitted via the UCAS Progress platform. Entry requirements include at least five GCSE grades at Grade 4 or above in English or maths, plus subject-specific requirements, with distance used as a tie-break if the sixth form is oversubscribed.

Pastoral delivery is designed to be structured rather than ad hoc. Key stages are led by assistant headteachers, supported by Student Support Managers and Learning Leaders, with responsibility for day to day pastoral care and for monitoring progress, behaviour, attendance and wellbeing.

The 2025 inspection narrative reinforces that pupils know who to talk to, that pupils joining mid-year are helped to settle quickly, and that behaviour is usually calm with consistent staff approaches. Equally, it identifies that Key Stage 3 consistency is still developing, which is a useful prompt for parents to ask how form tutors, heads of year and behaviour systems support focus in the younger years.

Safeguarding is confirmed as effective in the most recent inspection, which is a threshold issue for any family considering a school.

Extracurricular detail is often vague on school sites, but Holmesdale’s published prospectus examples include a school choir, science club, creative writing club, Lego club, and subject-based homework clubs. That mix matters because it provides both enrichment and structured study support, particularly for pupils who benefit from routine and adult-led spaces after the final bell.

Student leadership is also deliberately broadened beyond a small prefect team. Opportunities listed include sports leaders, library leaders, anti-bullying ambassadors, LGBTQ+ ambassadors and diversity ambassadors, plus wider leadership pathways from Year 7. For many pupils, these roles offer a practical route to confidence and belonging, especially when academic identity is still forming.

Trips and wider experiences appear as part of the school’s stated offer. Prospectus material references museum and gallery visits and, historically, overseas expedition opportunities such as Costa Rica and Tanzania through an external provider, although families should check what is currently running for their child’s year group and whether any subsidy is available.

The school day runs from 8:45am to 3:15pm, with students expected to be ready to learn from 8:40am, and the site open from 8:15am. Some extracurricular activities can run beyond 4:00pm.

For rail travel, Snodland station is the nearest local rail hub referenced in Kent directory materials, and station information is published by Southeastern.

• GCSE outcomes remain a watch point. Progress 8 is -0.52 and Attainment 8 is 35.7 which indicates results are below England average overall. Families should ask how subject support, intervention, and curriculum changes are translating into improved outcomes over time.

• Key Stage 3 consistency is still developing. The most recent inspection narrative highlights that focus and learning culture are more established in Key Stage 4 and sixth form than in some Key Stage 3 lessons, so parents of younger pupils should probe expectations, sanctions, and classroom routines.

• Sixth form pathways skew practical. The latest reported leaver cohort includes a high share moving into employment, with a smaller share progressing to university. That will suit some students well, but it makes early careers guidance and course choice especially important.

This is a state-funded academy that appears to be strengthening the fundamentals, pastoral structure, curriculum sequencing, and consistency, backed by Good judgements across all inspection areas in April 2025. The academic results still reflects challenges, particularly at GCSE, although the latest inspection context suggests the current learning picture is stronger than the 2024 outcomes imply.

Who it suits: families in and around Snodland who want a structured mainstream secondary with clear routines, a visible pastoral model, and a small sixth form that supports a range of post-16 destinations, including employment-focused routes. The biggest question to test is sustained improvement in Key Stage 3 focus and GCSE outcomes over the next cycle.