King Ethelbert School

King Ethelbert School is performing well overall, achieving a 'Good' rating across all inspected areas. The school offers a broad and ambitious curriculum that caters to the academic and creative needs of its pupils, leading to positive outcomes in a variety of subjects. The pastoral support is particularly strong, fostering positive relationships between staff and students, which contributes to a respectful and safe school environment. The school is part of the Coastal Academies Trust, and this relationship has helped maintain consistency and high expectations throughout the institution. However, there are areas that require further development, especially concerning the clarity and organization of the curriculum in a few subjects and support for students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Strengths

• High-quality pastoral support based on positive relationships.
• Strong behaviour expectations leading to a calm and orderly environment.
• Broad and ambitious curriculum that meets the needs of most pupils.
• Effective questioning and feedback practices among teachers.
• Strong emphasis on reading support and development.

Areas for Improvement

• Curriculum development is still in progress for some subjects.
• Lesson activities do not consistently support all pupils, particularly those with SEND.
• Inconsistent handling of reported bullying incidents.

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 King Ethelbert School attended 89.7% 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, 7.1% of pupils at King Ethelbert School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). No 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 King Ethelbert School had 16.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 11.1% 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, 19.8% of pupils at King Ethelbert School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 4.1% 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 King Ethelbert School received £8,492 and spent £8,370 for each of its 842 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £746,000 (£886 per pupil).

Across all 6 schools of Coastal Academies Trust, income was £8,088 and spending £8,050 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 Thanet · Kent local authority: places and applications

King Ethelbert School is part of Coastal Academies Trust, which runs 6 schools. The nearest others:

• Hartsdown Academy Margate
• The Royal Harbour Academy Ramsgate
• Cliftonville Primary School Margate
• Newington Community Primary School Ramsgate
• Dane Court Grammar School Broadstairs

What is King Ethelbert School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for King Ethelbert School is Good, from an inspection in July 2024.

When was King Ethelbert School last inspected by Ofsted?

King Ethelbert School was last inspected in July 2024.

How many pupils does King Ethelbert School have?

King Ethelbert School has 845 pupils on roll.

What age range does King Ethelbert School cover?

King Ethelbert School for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are King Ethelbert School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 38.7, and 26% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is King Ethelbert School?

King Ethelbert School is at Canterbury Road, Birchington, Kent, CT7 9BL.