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EDUCATION
SPECIAL FEATURE: EDUCATION IN KENT 2026
As a new academic year begins, Kent continues to justify its reputation as one of the UK’ s strongest counties for education. From outstanding teaching and ambitious leadership to excellent pastoral support, schools across the county continue to help young people build the knowledge, confidence and character they’ ll need for the future.
The most recent Department for Education performance data reflects that continued success. Kent’ s secondary schools recorded an Attainment 8 score of 46.6- a measure of pupils’ average achievement across eight GCSE or equivalent subjects- placing the county slightly above the England average. Meanwhile, 46.7 % of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSEs, again outperforming national figures across state-funded schools.
For families weighing up school choices- whether that’ s a local comprehensive, a selective grammar school or an independent setting- it’ s encouraging to see such consistent performance. Kent’ s broad educational landscape offers an impressive mix of academic strengths, specialist provision and pastoral approaches, giving parents and carers the opportunity to find an environment that best suits their child’ s individual needs and aspirations.
While exam results remain an important measure of success, they are only part of the picture. Inspection reports increasingly consider the wider school experience, recognising the importance of effective leadership, high-quality teaching, inclusion and pupils’ personal development alongside academic achievement. Across Kent, schools continue to invest in rich extracurricular programmes, specialist support for additional needs and dedicated support for every pupil, helping children develop not only as learners, but as confident, resilient and well-rounded young people.
Whether you’ re a parent preparing for the years ahead, an educator committed to inspiring the next generation or simply someone with an interest in education across the county, this education special feature explores the schools, ideas and opportunities helping shape the future of learning in the Garden of England, so it’ s relevant to us all and an extremely helpful guide to Kent’ s bounty of excellent educational options. www. insidekent. co. uk • 153