Hartsdown Academy

About Hartsdown Academy

Hartsdown Academy is a secondary school in Margate, Kent, classified by the DfE as a converter academy. Around 837 pupils aged 11 to 18 attend the school. The school holds a 'Good' judgement from Ofsted (February 2026). The school's average Attainment 8 score in the latest GCSE results was 32.1 — well below the national average (national average: 46). Its Attainment 8 score has fallen by 1.0 points compared with the previous year. On our composite score, which combines the DfE attainment measures above, this places it in the lower half of secondary schools nationally.

20% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in both English and maths, well below the national average of about 45%. 38% achieved a standard pass (grade 4+) in English and maths. 98% of the families who made Hartsdown Academy their first choice were offered a Year 7 place for September 2026, even though the school made at least as many offers as it had first choices - the rest withdrew, moved or fell outside a priority group. After Year 11, 80% of its leavers went on to education, an apprenticeship or work that they stayed in for at least two terms. Overall pupil absence was 15.3%. There are about 13.7 pupils per teacher. The school serves a community with above-average levels of disadvantage: about 64% of pupils have been eligible for free school meals in the last six years, compared with roughly 24% nationally — useful context when reading the results above. When you visit, you might ask how the school stretches its higher-attaining pupils and supports those who need to catch up. This overview is generated automatically from the latest published DfE performance tables and Ofsted data; figures are rounded, and you can check the originals via the official links above.