Charles Darwin School is a secondary school in Westerham, serving pupils aged 11 to 18. The school is a academy converter and operates as a mixed school. It follows a non-selective admissions policy. It has a none religious character. The school also offers a sixth form, allowing students to continue into post-16 education on site.

Charles Darwin School currently has around 1314 pupils on roll, which is about 97% of its capacity. The gender split is relatively balanced, with approximately 48.2% boys and 51.8% girls. Around 23.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which gives an indication of the socio-economic mix. The school has a diverse intake across different backgrounds and needs.

Overall absence at the school is 10%. Persistent absence is recorded at 31.2%.

The majority of pupils are from a white british background (77.7%).

At its latest Ofsted inspection, the school was rated Good. This suggests the school is performing well overall. Safeguarding was judged to be effective, which is a key consideration for many parents.

Around 92% of pupils move on to sustained destinations after Year 11. Most continue into education (82%) , including 58% who stay in school sixth forms and 22% progressing to further education , while 5% enter apprenticeships .

School Information

Address: Jail Lane, Westerham, TN16 3AU
Website: http://www.cdarwin.com
Telephone: 01959574043
School Type: Academy converter
Education phase: Secondary
Local authority: Bromley
Headteacher / Principal: Mr Aston Smith
Religious character: None
Admissions policy: Non-selective
Unique reference: 136545

Map

Ofsted Inspection

  • Overall effectiveness
  • Quality of education
  • Behaviour and attitudes
  • Personal development
  • Management effectiveness

Ofsted inspection date: 15/06/2023

Safeguarding is effective

Pupils

General

Age Range: 11 - 18
Gender: Mixed
School Capacity: 1356
Number of Pupils: 1314
Number of Boys: 634
Number of Girls: 680

Absence

SchoolEngland state-funded schools:
Overall absence: 10% 4%
Persistent absence: 31.2% 8.2%

Ethnicity

White British77.70%1021
Other White4.90%65
White and Black Caribbean3.90%51
African3.70%49
Other Mixed2.00%26
White and Black African1.70%22
Unclassified1.40%19
Caribbean1.10%14
White and Asian1.00%13
Other Asian0.60%8
Other Black0.60%8
Indian0.40%5
Other (any other ethnic group)0.30%4
Pakistani0.20%3
Irish Traveller (Traveller of Irish heritage)0.20%3
Gypsy/Roma0.10%1
Irish0.10%1
Chinese0.10%1
Bangladeshi0.00%0

Education - Secondary

Progress 8 score

Progress 8: Average (-0.19)
Of the 201 pupils at the end of key stage 4 in this school, 199 are included in this measure.
Progress 8 score (average over pupils)
School
-0.19
Local authority average
0.25
England average
-0.03
Entering EBacc
School
23%
Local authority average
66%
England average
35%
Grade 5+ in English & maths GCSEs
School
43%
Local authority average
64%
England average
41%
Attainment 8 score
School
45.5
Local authority average
59.7
England average
44.6
EBacc average point score
School
3.9
Local authority average
5.6
England average
3.9
Staying in education or employment
School
92%

Nearby Schools

Primary

Ofsted Overall Effectiveness Distance Establishment Type Has Nursery Classes Gender More Info
Biggin Hill Infant School
Old Tye Avenue , Biggin Hill TN16 3LY
- not rated 298 yd Community school No Mixed More About School
Biggin Hill Junior School
Old Tye Avenue , Biggin Hill TN16 3LY
- not rated 298 yd Community school No Mixed More About School
Biggin Hill Primary School
Old Tye Avenue , Biggin Hill TN16 3LY
- not rated 403 yd Community school No Mixed More About School
Biggin Hill Primary School
Old Tye Avenue , Biggin Hill TN16 3LY
3out of 4 403 yd Academy converter Yes Mixed More About School
Cudham Church of England Primary School
Jail Lane , Biggin Hill TN16 3AX
- not rated 717 yd Voluntary controlled school No Mixed More About School

Secondary

Ofsted Overall Effectiveness Distance Establishment Type Has Nursery Classes Gender More Info
Charles Darwin School
Jail Lane , Biggin Hill TN16 3AU
3out of 4 0 yd Academy converter Not Applicable Mixed More About School
Charles Darwin School
Jail Lane , Biggin Hill TN16 3AU
- not rated 0 yd Foundation school Not Applicable Mixed More About School

School statistics for this postcode are based on Ofsted rankings.