Ursuline College Review 2026: Catholic secondary with a strong service culture and a competitive intake

Serviam (I will serve) is not treated as a slogan here, it is used as a practical organising principle for student life, leadership and community contribution. That ethos sits alongside the realities of a busy Kent 11–18 academy, with a sixth form that recruits both internally and from other schools, and a Year 7 intake that is in demand.

Miss Danielle Lancefield is the head teacher.

The most recent graded inspection (November 2022) judged the school Good across all areas, including sixth form provision, with safeguarding confirmed as effective.

For families thinking ahead to entry, Kent’s coordinated secondary deadline for September 2026 is 31 October 2025, and the school also requires its own supplementary information form by the same date for Year 7.

The school’s Catholic identity is explicit and consistent. Pupils are expected to understand faith language and translate it into action, whether that is service, charity work, or peer support. The school describes its values in faith terms, including valuing each individual as “made, known and loved by God”, and emphasises forgiveness, reconciliation and justice.

A practical expression of this is the Youth SVP group. It was established in November 2022 and is described as having grown to 60 students and 6 staff members, with projects ranging from local volunteering and donations to wellbeing-focused work around the school. The detail matters because it shows the tone, not just the intent: examples include supporting local homelessness initiatives, regular contact with a care home in Westgate-on-Sea, and organising a school food drive.

The structure is designed to make belonging straightforward. The house system is prominent, and the school’s own language about heads of house and mixed-age tutor groups reinforces a model where older pupils have a visible role in steadying younger ones. In day-to-day terms, this tends to suit pupils who like routine, clear expectations and defined roles, while still leaving space for those who prefer to express themselves through service, sport, performance, or practical courses.

This is a state school, so the key question is value, not price. Outcomes are mixed and, for many families, the most useful reading is “what does the data suggest my child is likely to experience academically, and how will the school respond if they need additional support?”

At GCSE, the school’s most recent Attainment 8 figure is 39.4, with a Progress 8 score of -0.19. A negative Progress 8 figure indicates students made slightly less progress than other pupils nationally with similar starting points. The school’s EBacc measures are also modest (for example, 6.6% achieving grades 5 or above across the EBacc measure shown).

In FindMySchool’s England ranking (based on official data), the school is ranked 3,136th in England for GCSE outcomes and ranks 1st locally in Westgate-on-Sea. This places performance below the England average tier overall.

In the sixth form, A-level outcomes show 14.6% of grades at A*–B, with 0% at A* and 0% at A. The FindMySchool A-level ranking places the school 2,514th in England and 1st locally in Westgate-on-Sea.

What should parents do with that? First, take the broad signal: outcomes are not in the top-performing bracket nationally. Second, focus on fit and support. If your child is self-motivated, benefits from clear teaching routines, and will use enrichment and pastoral structures well, the school can be a sensible option. If you are looking for consistently high headline outcomes, you should compare across Thanet and East Kent and be realistic about what the data implies.

FindMySchool tip: use the Local Hub Comparison Tool to line up GCSE and A-level indicators side-by-side with nearby alternatives, then test whether your shortlist matches your child’s learning style as well as your commute.

The school’s curriculum intent, as captured in formal external evaluation, is ambitious and carefully sequenced, with an emphasis on identifying core knowledge and building in logical order. Lesson routines that revisit prior learning are used as a mechanism to reduce gaps building over time, and this can be particularly beneficial for pupils who need structure to retain knowledge over multiple years.

At post-16, the sixth form offer includes both vocational and A-level pathways, and the school explicitly frames sixth form choice as a programme-level decision rather than a default extension of Year 11. That is a helpful signal for parents: students who thrive tend to be those who choose courses for clear reasons and can manage independence, study time and deadlines.

A recurring theme to watch is consistency of adaptation for students with special educational needs and disabilities. Where staff consistently tailor materials and explanations, pupils can keep pace with their peers. Where that adaptation is uneven, families may need to be proactive and engaged, especially at key transition points such as Year 9 options, Year 11 revision planning, and sixth form course selection.

For many families, the most important “destination” is not only university, it is whether the school supports a credible next step for a wide range of starting points. The dataset leaver destinations suggest a mixed set of routes for the 2023/24 cohort (76 leavers): 45% progressed to university, 34% moved into employment, 7% began apprenticeships, and 3% went into further education.

That distribution can work well for a community intake because it implies multiple pathways are normalised. The practical implication is that students who want university should expect to take ownership of grades, subject choices and wider profile, while students aiming for apprenticeships or employment should engage early with work experience and careers guidance.

If you are a sixth form family, ask specific questions at open events about how course choices are matched to predicted grades, what happens if a student misses entry requirements on results day, and how references are handled for apprenticeships and employment as well as university.

Year 7 entry is coordinated by Kent County Council, but families applying here also need to complete the school’s supplementary information form and return it to the school by 31 October 2025 for September 2026 entry. The supplementary form matters because it determines how the application is categorised and ranked for this Catholic school’s admissions arrangements.

Kent’s coordinated application window for September 2026 entry opens on 1 September 2025 and closes at midnight on 31 October 2025. Offers are issued on 2 March 2026, with an accept or decline deadline of 16 March 2026.

The school is oversubscribed with 487 applications for 165 offers shown for the relevant entry route, indicating competition for places is a real factor.

Sixth form entry is handled through the Kent Choices platform for September 2026 start. Applications open on 3 November 2025 and close on 31 March 2026. The school describes a one-to-one interview process, and indicates a conditional offer is communicated via Kent Choices.

FindMySchool tip: where admissions are competitive, use Map Search to sense-check your travel practicalities, then treat open events as the moment to test whether the pastoral and academic approach suits your child’s temperament.

Pastoral systems are framed through house leadership and tutor groups, with a clear expectation that pupils know where to go when they are worried. In external reporting, pupils describe positive relationships with adults, and the school’s approach to bullying is presented as prompt and effective when issues arise.

Attendance is a stated priority area, including in the sixth form, and families should read that as a signal to engage early if attendance is likely to be a challenge. The advantage of a school that explicitly treats attendance as a priority is that it often has clearer processes and escalation routes. The challenge is that students who struggle with routine can feel pressure quickly unless support plans are agreed early.

Safeguarding is treated as a core operational discipline, with staff training and recording described as systematic in formal reporting.

Extracurricular detail matters because it is usually where school culture becomes visible. Here, the mix is grounded and practical.

Service and leadership are the clearest distinctive strand. The Youth SVP programme, with its defined projects and scale, gives students an accessible route into responsibility, including activities that combine local action with wider awareness of poverty and need. It also creates lower-barrier leadership for students who may not see themselves as “captains and prefects” but will reliably turn up and help others.

Sport provision is structured around after-school clubs and fixtures. In one published term programme, examples include Multi-Sport (including trampolining), Hockey, and Touch Rugby, with clubs running after school from 3:15pm to 4:15pm unless stated otherwise.

This is supported by substantial indoor space, with local authority facility documentation referring to a main hall providing six courts.

There is also evidence of breadth beyond sport. The most recent graded inspection references a range including rock, drama and mindfulness clubs, while also flagging that communication and tracking of participation could be stronger so that pupils who benefit most are helped to attend.

The school day runs from 8:45am to 3:15pm Monday to Friday, and students are expected on site by 8:40am. The day is structured as three lessons of 1 hour 40 minutes, with early and late lunch sittings.

Breakfast provision is available as a free breakfast club, open to all students, Monday to Friday from 8:00am to 8:30am in the dining hall.

For transport planning, it is worth noting that the school’s shift to a 3:15pm finish has been significant enough to prompt public transport coordination, including an additional Southeastern weekday afternoon service introduced following a request linked to the changed finish time.

For precise routes and eligibility for travel assistance, families should cross-check the current Kent transport guidance each year.

• Academic outcomes are not in the top national tier. The school sits below the England average bracket in the FindMySchool GCSE and A-level ranking bands. Families seeking consistently high headline outcomes should compare carefully across local options and ask direct questions about support and stretch.

• Attendance is a stated improvement priority. This matters both for younger pupils and sixth formers. If your child is likely to struggle with attendance, ask early about monitoring, mentoring and reintegration support.

• SEND support may feel variable unless communication is strong. Formal reporting highlights the importance of consistent adaptation of resources for pupils with SEND. Families may want to discuss how support plans are implemented in classrooms, not only how they are written.

• Faith character is real, even though applications are welcomed from other denominations. Families comfortable with a Catholic ethos and service expectation are more likely to find the culture aligned with their values.

Ursuline College is best understood as a Catholic 11–18 school where identity is expressed through service and structured pastoral systems, rather than marketing language. The school is oversubscribed, runs a clearly defined school day, and offers a sixth form with a managed application process and interview stage.

Who it suits: families who want a faith-rooted community school, value practical leadership opportunities such as Youth SVP, and have a child who will respond well to clear routines and expectations. Those prioritising consistently high academic headline outcomes should shortlist widely and use local comparisons before committing.