Skinners' Kent Academy

Skinners' Kent Academy is performing well overall, maintaining a 'Good' rating across all inspected domains, including the quality of education and leadership. The school's motto, 'pride in our success', reflects its positive culture, where pupils demonstrate kindness and inclusion. A structured curriculum has been designed, providing pupils with the necessary knowledge for their educational journey. However, challenges remain, particularly in ensuring all pupils have equitable access to the full benefits of education and regular attendance following recovery from the pandemic. Additionally, while special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported, some areas for improvement have been identified regarding the depth of knowledge retention and consistent implementation of attendance strategies.

Strengths

• Strong pastoral care supports student well-being.
• Nurturing relationships between staff and pupils foster a safe environment.
• Ambitious seven-year curriculum encourages knowledge and curiosity.
• Effective support exists for pupils with special educational needs.
• A broad range of subjects offered in sixth form prepares pupils for further education.

Areas for Improvement

• Some teachers do not check pupils' understanding consistently before moving on.
• Not all pupils attend school regularly, affecting their learning.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Skinners' Kent Academy attended 92.0% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 22.8% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 8.4% of pupils at Skinners' Kent Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 2 pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Skinners' Kent Academy had 17.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 9.8% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 24.6% of pupils at Skinners' Kent Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 2.7% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Skinners' Kent Academy received £7,751 and spent £8,167 for each of its 1,036 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £468,000 (£451 per pupil).

Across all 6 schools of Skinners' Academies Trust, income was £8,679 and spending £8,730 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Tunbridge Wells · Kent local authority: places and applications

Skinners' Kent Academy is part of Skinners' Academies Trust, which runs 6 schools. The nearest others:

• Skinners' Temple Grove Tunbridge Wells
• Skinners' Kent Primary School Tunbridge Wells
• The Skinners' School Tunbridge Wells
• The Marsh Academy New Romney
• Skinners' Academy London

What is Skinners' Kent Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Skinners' Kent Academy is Good, from an inspection in June 2023.

When was Skinners' Kent Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Skinners' Kent Academy was last inspected in June 2023.

How many pupils does Skinners' Kent Academy have?

Skinners' Kent Academy has 1,017 pupils on roll.

What age range does Skinners' Kent Academy cover?

Skinners' Kent Academy for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Skinners' Kent Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 43.8, and 40% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Skinners' Kent Academy?

Skinners' Kent Academy is at Sandown Park, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN2 4PY.