Hartsdown Academy

Based in Margate, Hartsdown Academy is a secondary school for children aged 11 to 18 and takes boys and girls. The school currently has about 837 pupils. It is an academy, so its governing trust sets its own admission arrangements within the national code, and Kent coordinates offers. The school has its own sixth form for post-16 study. The headteacher is Mr Ian Wallace.

Inspection at a glance

Ofsted rated Hartsdown Academy Good at its inspection on 24 February 2026. The full inspection report is linked from this page so you can read the inspectors' own words.

How the school is performing

Attendance works out at roughly 85.1% (absence 14.9%) (2024/25). Around 63.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals. Figures come from the Department for Education's published school performance data and are shown in full further down this page.

Getting a place at Hartsdown Academy

You apply for a place at Hartsdown Academy on the secondary common application form through Kent, with the national deadline of 31 October. If the school is oversubscribed, places are allocated on its published admissions criteria, which usually give priority to looked-after children, siblings and distance from home to school. There is no separate entrance assessment. Always check the current admissions policy on the school's own website before you apply, because criteria can change year to year.

SEND at a glance

Hartsdown Academy is a mainstream school, supporting pupils with SEND alongside their classmates through the graduated approach of assess, plan, do, review. The school's SEN information report is the authoritative source and is linked in the SEND section below.

Hartsdown Academy contact details and location

Hartsdown Academy is at George V Avenue, Margate, Kent, CT9 5RE. The school office can be reached on 01843 227957. A map, directions and the school's own website link are on this page.