Tonbridge Grammar and The Judd School top GCSE results league tables in Kent

Secondary schools in Kent have seen mixed fortunes in the latest GCSE results for 2018.

The official results released today show that as in previous years the county’s selective schools - who admit the most academically able - were the highest performing schools.

It is the second year in which most GCSE subjects are now based on a numerical system, with the results measured on a scale of 1 to 9, with 9 being the top grade.

The best-performing school in the county was Tonbridge Grammar with an attainment score of 77.9. It was followed by The Judd School, also based in Tonbridge, which is ranked second with 75.7. Both schools are “super selective” and admit the most academically able pupils.

Completing the top five were Tunbridge Wells Girls' Grammar School with 73.2, then Dartford Grammar School and The Skinners' School in Tunbridge Wells, which both scored 73.2.

The best performing non-selective school was Tunbridge Wells' Bennett Memorial Diocesan School, with an attainment score of 57.7.

There was less good news for other schools with a number falling short of the government's target.

Excluding special schools, Margate's Hartsdown Academy is the school with the lowest Attainment 8 score with just 23.3.

The Oasis Academy Isle of Sheppey with 28.4, Dover Christ Church Academy with 29.8, The Royal Harbour Academy in Ramsgate with 30.5 and Folkestone Academy with 31.

Kent schools were below the national average on Progress 8, with a below average of - 0.08, compared to -0.02 for English state schools.

However, Kent schools were marginally above the national average on Attainment 8 rankings at 47.1 compared to 46.5 in England’s state schools.

What is progress 8?

The new grading system is designed to better reflect the achievements of more able students. The top grade of a 9 is higher than an A* under the previous grading scheme.

The results come after Ofsted announced that it was changing the way inspect schools to help counter the claim that some are “exam factories.” It says that it will change the framework for inspections which better reflect the performance of schools.

Rather than simply taking exam results and test data at face value, Ofsted will now look at how a nursery, school, college or other provider’s results have actually been achieved.

Schools are ranked by the government in order of average Attainment 8 score - a tool which measures the exam achievements of a pupil across eight different subjects.

They are also measured against Progress 8. This score shows how much progress pupils made between the end of key stage 2 and the end of key stage 4, compared to pupils across England who got similar results at the end of key stage 2.

This is based on results in up to eight qualifications, which include English, maths, three English Baccalaureate qualifications including sciences, computer science, history, geography and languages, and three other additional approved qualifications.

The results largely confirm provisional results released in October.