What did Ofsted judge The North School's ungraded inspection to be?

Ofsted judged The North School's ungraded inspection as Standards maintained at its inspection in November 2024 (no grade issued), on Ofsted's own scale.

How many pupils attend The North School?

The North School has 1,237 pupils on roll.

What ages does The North School take?

The North School admits pupils aged 11 to 19.

Where is The North School located?

The North School is located in Ashford, TN24 8AL, Kent.

How do I apply to The North School?

The North School is a state school. In England you apply through the council where you live, using its common application form, even if the school is in another council area. The national closing date for secondary places is 31 October.

How are Year 7 places decided at The North School?

When The North School has more applications than places for 2027-28, they are offered in a published order of priority: 1. Looked after / previously looked after children — A looked after child is a child who is (a) in the care of a local authority, or (b) being provided with accommodation by a local authority in the exercise of their social services functions... A previously looked after child means such children who were adopted (or subject to child arrangements orders or special guardianship orders) immediately following having been looked after and those children who appear to the admission authority to have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted; 2. Sibling — A brother or sister/‘sibling’ attending the school when the child starts. In this context brother or sister means children who live as brother or sister in the same house, including natural brothers and sisters, adopted siblings, stepbrothers or sisters and foster brothers and sisters; 3. Medical, health, social and special access reasons — Medical, health, social and special access reasons will be applied in accordance with the school's legal obligations, in particular those under the Equality Act 2010. Priority will be given to those children whose mental or physical impairment means they have a demonstrable and significant need to attend a particular school. Equally, this priority will apply to children whose parents'/guardians', physical or mental health or social needs means that they have a demonstrable and significant need to attend a particular school. Such claims will need to be supported by written evidence from a suitably qualified medical or other practitioner who can demonstrate a special connection between these needs and the particular school, and 2 further criteria. The school offers 215 places at this entry point. Tie-break: In the unlikely event that two or more children live in the same block and in all other ways have equal eligibility for the last available place at the school, the names will be issued a number and drawn randomly to decide which child should be given the place.

What is the largest ethnic background at The North School?

According to the DfE School Census 2025-26, 72.5% of pupils at The North School are recorded as White British. The full ethnic breakdown across all groups is available on the Pupils tab.

The North School: Ofsted, Results & Catchment 2026

How places are decided at The North School

When there are more applications than places for 2027-28 (Year 7), places are offered in this order of priority. Meeting a higher criterion beats meeting a lower one.

1Looked after / previously looked after children — A looked after child is a child who is (a) in the care of a local authority, or (b) being provided with accommodation by a local authority in the exercise of their social services functions... A previously looked after child means such children who were adopted (or subject to child arrangements orders or special guardianship orders) immediately following having been looked after and those children who appear to the admission authority to have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted.
2Sibling — A brother or sister/‘sibling’ attending the school when the child starts. In this context brother or sister means children who live as brother or sister in the same house, including natural brothers and sisters, adopted siblings, stepbrothers or sisters and foster brothers and sisters.
3Medical, health, social and special access reasons — Medical, health, social and special access reasons will be applied in accordance with the school's legal obligations, in particular those under the Equality Act 2010. Priority will be given to those children whose mental or physical impairment means they have a demonstrable and significant need to attend a particular school. Equally, this priority will apply to children whose parents'/guardians', physical or mental health or social needs means that they have a demonstrable and significant need to attend a particular school. Such claims will need to be supported by written evidence from a suitably qualified medical or other practitioner who can demonstrate a special connection between these needs and the particular school.
4Nearness of home to school (distance) — Children who live nearer to The North School. Nearness of children's homes to school - we use the distance between the child's permanent home address (defined in KCC's annual admissions prospectus) and the school, measured in a straight line using the National Land and Property Gazetteer (NLPG) address point.
5Additional applications by distance — Places will then be offered to any additional applications determined by distance.

If two applications tie: In the unlikely event that two or more children live in the same block and in all other ways have equal eligibility for the last available place at the school, the names will be issued a number and drawn randomly to decide which child should be given the place.

Before application of oversubscription criteria, children with an EHCP naming the school are admitted first (not itself a numbered criterion). The school also has a resourced provision (The Laurel Centre) with 25 places for pupils with an EHCP for autism, managed by the local authority separately from the main oversubscription criteria.

Published by the admission authority. Meeting a criterion never guarantees a place — it sets the order places are offered in. Full detail, other entry points and previous years are on the Admissions tab.

The North School: key facts

What did Ofsted judge The North School's ungraded inspection to be?: Ofsted judged The North School's ungraded inspection as Standards maintained at its inspection in November 2024 (no grade issued), on Ofsted's own scale.
How many pupils attend The North School?: The North School has 1,237 pupils on roll.
What ages does The North School take?: The North School admits pupils aged 11 to 19.
Where is The North School located?: The North School is located in Ashford, TN24 8AL, Kent.
How do I apply to The North School?: The North School is a state school. In England you apply through the council where you live, using its common application form, even if the school is in another council area. The national closing date for secondary places is 31 October.
How are Year 7 places decided at The North School?: When The North School has more applications than places for 2027-28, they are offered in a published order of priority: 1. Looked after / previously looked after children — A looked after child is a child who is (a) in the care of a local authority, or (b) being provided with accommodation by a local authority in the exercise of their social services functions... A previously looked after child means such children who were adopted (or subject to child arrangements orders or special guardianship orders) immediately following having been looked after and those children who appear to the admission authority to have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted; 2. Sibling — A brother or sister/‘sibling’ attending the school when the child starts. In this context brother or sister means children who live as brother or sister in the same house, including natural brothers and sisters, adopted siblings, stepbrothers or sisters and foster brothers and sisters; 3. Medical, health, social and special access reasons — Medical, health, social and special access reasons will be applied in accordance with the school's legal obligations, in particular those under the Equality Act 2010. Priority will be given to those children whose mental or physical impairment means they have a demonstrable and significant need to attend a particular school. Equally, this priority will apply to children whose parents'/guardians', physical or mental health or social needs means that they have a demonstrable and significant need to attend a particular school. Such claims will need to be supported by written evidence from a suitably qualified medical or other practitioner who can demonstrate a special connection between these needs and the particular school, and 2 further criteria. The school offers 215 places at this entry point. Tie-break: In the unlikely event that two or more children live in the same block and in all other ways have equal eligibility for the last available place at the school, the names will be issued a number and drawn randomly to decide which child should be given the place.
What is the largest ethnic background at The North School?: According to the DfE School Census 2025-26, 72.5% of pupils at The North School are recorded as White British. The full ethnic breakdown across all groups is available on the Pupils tab.

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How places are decided at The North School

When there are more applications than places for 2027-28 (Year 7), places are offered in this order of priority. Meeting a higher criterion beats meeting a lower one.

1Looked after / previously looked after children — A looked after child is a child who is (a) in the care of a local authority, or (b) being provided with accommodation by a local authority in the exercise of their social services functions... A previously looked after child means such children who were adopted (or subject to child arrangements orders or special guardianship orders) immediately following having been looked after and those children who appear to the admission authority to have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted.
2Sibling — A brother or sister/‘sibling’ attending the school when the child starts. In this context brother or sister means children who live as brother or sister in the same house, including natural brothers and sisters, adopted siblings, stepbrothers or sisters and foster brothers and sisters.
3Medical, health, social and special access reasons — Medical, health, social and special access reasons will be applied in accordance with the school's legal obligations, in particular those under the Equality Act 2010. Priority will be given to those children whose mental or physical impairment means they have a demonstrable and significant need to attend a particular school. Equally, this priority will apply to children whose parents'/guardians', physical or mental health or social needs means that they have a demonstrable and significant need to attend a particular school. Such claims will need to be supported by written evidence from a suitably qualified medical or other practitioner who can demonstrate a special connection between these needs and the particular school.
4Nearness of home to school (distance) — Children who live nearer to The North School. Nearness of children's homes to school - we use the distance between the child's permanent home address (defined in KCC's annual admissions prospectus) and the school, measured in a straight line using the National Land and Property Gazetteer (NLPG) address point.
5Additional applications by distance — Places will then be offered to any additional applications determined by distance.

The North School: key facts

What did Ofsted judge The North School's ungraded inspection to be?: Ofsted judged The North School's ungraded inspection as Standards maintained at its inspection in November 2024 (no grade issued), on Ofsted's own scale.
How many pupils attend The North School?: The North School has 1,237 pupils on roll.
What ages does The North School take?: The North School admits pupils aged 11 to 19.
Where is The North School located?: The North School is located in Ashford, TN24 8AL, Kent.
How do I apply to The North School?: The North School is a state school. In England you apply through the council where you live, using its common application form, even if the school is in another council area. The national closing date for secondary places is 31 October.
How are Year 7 places decided at The North School?: When The North School has more applications than places for 2027-28, they are offered in a published order of priority: 1. Looked after / previously looked after children — A looked after child is a child who is (a) in the care of a local authority, or (b) being provided with accommodation by a local authority in the exercise of their social services functions... A previously looked after child means such children who were adopted (or subject to child arrangements orders or special guardianship orders) immediately following having been looked after and those children who appear to the admission authority to have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted; 2. Sibling — A brother or sister/‘sibling’ attending the school when the child starts. In this context brother or sister means children who live as brother or sister in the same house, including natural brothers and sisters, adopted siblings, stepbrothers or sisters and foster brothers and sisters; 3. Medical, health, social and special access reasons — Medical, health, social and special access reasons will be applied in accordance with the school's legal obligations, in particular those under the Equality Act 2010. Priority will be given to those children whose mental or physical impairment means they have a demonstrable and significant need to attend a particular school. Equally, this priority will apply to children whose parents'/guardians', physical or mental health or social needs means that they have a demonstrable and significant need to attend a particular school. Such claims will need to be supported by written evidence from a suitably qualified medical or other practitioner who can demonstrate a special connection between these needs and the particular school, and 2 further criteria. The school offers 215 places at this entry point. Tie-break: In the unlikely event that two or more children live in the same block and in all other ways have equal eligibility for the last available place at the school, the names will be issued a number and drawn randomly to decide which child should be given the place.
What is the largest ethnic background at The North School?: According to the DfE School Census 2025-26, 72.5% of pupils at The North School are recorded as White British. The full ethnic breakdown across all groups is available on the Pupils tab.

Same phase, ranked by distance and how closely they match.

The North School

How places are decided at The North School

The North School: key facts

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The North School

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How places are decided at The North School

The North School: key facts

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