The Holmesdale School

  • Secondary
  • Academy
  • Ages 11 to 18
Ofsted judgements: Good

Malling Road, Snodland, ME6 5HSOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)

The Holmesdale School is a secondary school in Snodland for ages 11 to 18. It is one of the 692 schools in Kent. It ranks 50th of 99 secondary schools in Kent. Its latest Ofsted inspection, in April 2025, graded each key judgement and gave no overall Ofsted rating.

Ofsted inspection

Inspected 1 April 2025, report published 14 May 2025

This inspection graded each key judgement and gave no overall effectiveness grade.

Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good
Sixth form provision
Good
Safeguarding
Met

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 1 April 2025

Pupils appreciate the school's very strong, warm and welcoming ethos. Older pupils help younger pupils to integrate. This helps to further strengthen the culture as pupils move up through the school. They value the individualised pastoral care that they receive and know who to talk to if they have worries or concerns. Pupils who join the school mid-year are very positive about the way they are helped to quickly settle in. The school has high expectations for pupils' achievement. Pupils value the range of ways that they are supported academically. As a result, many build their learning over time and achieve positive outcomes. Sixth-form students achieve particularly well in the courses they study. Pupils are proud to attend the school. They mostly rise to the school's high behaviour expectations. Where pupils need more individualised support to do this, the school provides it well. Pupils are respectful and supportive of each other. Staff manage behaviour consistently, meaning pupils know what is expected of them. Most learning is calm, and breaktimes and lunchtimes are orderly.

What the school should improve

  • The implementation of the curriculum in some subjects is not consistent. This leads to variability in how well activities help pupils to know and remember the planned content. Where this is the case, pupils do not achieve as well as they could. The school must ensure that teaching approaches match the intent of the curriculum and lead to pupils securing the necessary knowledge and skills across all subjects.
  • Pupils' attitudes to learning at key stage 3 are not as strong as those demonstrated by older pupils. As a result, not all key stage 3 pupils learn as much as they can in readiness for key stage 4. The school should continue to strengthen the implementation of the key stage 3 curriculum and consistency of behaviour for learning to ensure younger pupils learn as well as their older peers.

Exam results

GCSE results (key stage 4), 2024/25

80 pupils in the year group

Attainment 8 score41.6

41.6, 4.5 below the England average of 46.1.

Grade 5 or above in English and maths35%

35%, 10.4 percentage points below the England average of 45.4%.

Grade 4 or above in English and maths56.3%

56.3%, 8.5 percentage points below the England average of 64.8%.

Pupils entering the EBacc10%

10%, 30.5 percentage points below the England average of 40.5%.

EBacc average point score3.39

3.39, 0.7 below the England average of 4.09.

A level results (key stage 5), 2024/25

12 students

Average point score per A level entry5.00

5.00, 30 below the England average of 35.00.

Average A level grade E-, England average B-

Pupil numbers and mix

606 pupils on roll, with places for 959

Eligible for free school meals35.5%

35.5%, 9 percentage points above the England average of 26.5%.

English as an additional language4%

4%, 17.6 percentage points below the England average of 21.6%.

Special educational needs support19.5%

19.5%, 4.7 percentage points above the England average of 14.8%.

Education, health and care plan1.2%

1.2%, 4.8 percentage points below the England average of 6%.

Schools near The Holmesdale School

SchoolDistanceOfstedResults
Aylesford School2 milesOfsted judgements: Requires improvement to goodAttainment 8: 37.6
The Malling School2 milesOfsted: GoodAttainment 8: 41.0
The Thomas Aveling School4 milesOfsted: GoodAttainment 8: 41.3
Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School4 milesOfsted: OutstandingAttainment 8: 69.5
Walderslade School4 milesOfsted: InadequateAttainment 8: 29.9

School details

School type
Academy sponsor led
Sector
Academy
Trust
SWALE ACADEMIES TRUST
Age range
11 to 18
Gender
Mixed
Sixth form
Yes
Headteacher
Mr Glenn Prebble
Address
Malling Road, Snodland, ME6 5HS
Local authority
Kent
URN
147897

School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Exam results for 2024/25 from the Department for Education. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.