Charles Darwin School

Charles Darwin School has been rated as good in all areas during its recent inspection, highlighting a commitment to inclusivity and ambition for pupil success. The school offers a well-organized curriculum with both academic and vocational options, and is recognized for its strong emphasis on the arts. Students demonstrate good behavior and feel safe, with a personal development program that equips them to handle various life challenges. The sixth form is noted for its supportive environment, contributing to students' positive experiences and achievements.

Strengths

• The school has a strong, inclusive ethos focused on ambition and achievement.
• A high proportion of pupils engage in arts subjects, particularly music.
• The curriculum is extensive, well-organized, and includes academic and vocational courses.
• Teachers build strong relationships with pupils and adapt teaching to meet diverse needs.
• Leaders respond effectively to bullying and maintain a calm, orderly environment.
• There is a strong personal development program that addresses social media safety and cultural understanding.

Areas for Improvement

• Some pupils occasionally struggle to connect prior learning with current topics due to insufficient assessment strategies.

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 Charles Darwin School attended 89.6% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 30.6% 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, 5.9% of pupils at Charles Darwin School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). One pupil was 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 Charles Darwin School had 16.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 7.9% 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, 23.5% of pupils at Charles Darwin School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 2.5% 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 Charles Darwin School received £8,381 and spent £8,235 for each of its 1,314 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,735,000 (£1,321 per pupil).

Across all 12 schools of Lumero Educational Trust, income was £6,972 and spending £6,819 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 Bromley · Bromley local authority: places and applications

Charles Darwin School is part of Lumero Educational Trust, which runs 12 schools. The nearest others:

• Biggin Hill Primary School Westerham
• Green Street Green Primary School Orpington
• Pratts Bottom Primary School Orpington
• Darrick Wood Junior School Orpington
• Tubbenden Primary School Orpington
• The Highway Primary School Orpington
• Chelsfield Primary School Orpington
• Orchard Way Primary School Croydon
• Bullers Wood School for Boys Bromley
• Bullers Wood School Chislehurst

What is Charles Darwin School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Charles Darwin School is Good, from an inspection in September 2023.

When was Charles Darwin School last inspected by Ofsted?

Charles Darwin School was last inspected in September 2023.

How many pupils does Charles Darwin School have?

Charles Darwin School has 1,305 pupils on roll.

What age range does Charles Darwin School cover?

Charles Darwin School for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Charles Darwin School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 41.1, and 31% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Charles Darwin School?

Charles Darwin School is at Jail Lane, Biggin Hill, Westerham, Kent, TN16 3AU.