TKA is a non-selective and inclusive school with high ambitions for and expectations from our pupils. The school celebrates and has the utmost respect for the diversity of the school community.
In the decade since it was first established, The Kingston Academy has established itself as a beacon of educational excellence, not just academically, but in fostering a truly happy and inclusive environment. The school is not only celebrating its position among the top 50 happiest schools in the UK according to Ofsted parent surveys, but also an extraordinary achievement in student progress, placing it within the top 0.5% of schools nationally. This remarkable dual success is a testament to an ambitious and resilient school community, driven by a pioneering philosophy of recognition and reward.
Welcome
from the Head Teacher
This year is particularly special, as it marks 10 years since we first welcomed pupils to our school in 2015. It has been a decade of remarkable progress, during which we have not only built a school, but a thriving, highly valued community. We have established ourselves as a successful and indispensable part of the local area, something we are deeply proud of. We are particularly grateful for the incredible and unwavering support of our families, which has been instrumental in every success we’ve celebrated.
Our dedication to excellence was clearly demonstrated in the summer of 2022 when our pupils achieved remarkable results in their first public examinations. In 2024, we proudly achieved a Progress 8 score of +1.1 at GCSE, placing us among the top schools in the nation. Progress 8 scores are not available for 2025 due to Covid, but exam results this year remained consistently strong.
As your Head Teacher, I am committed to providing your child with an outstanding education that nurtures their talents and prepares them for success in the wider world beyond school.
Mrs Sophie Cavanagh – Head Teacher
‘Pupilsinthespeciallyresourcedunitarefullyintegratedintothe school.PupilswithSENDreceivehigh-qualitysupport,balancing afocusonmeetingneedsalongwithdevelopingindependence. Thesepupilsachieveverywell’. OFSTED REPORT, MAY 2024
SEND and Inclusion
TKA has a fundamental commitment to inclusion. We are ambitious for all children and want every child, every day to be well supported in achieving their full potential within a mainstream setting.
We are proud to have established an Enhanced Provision for children with EHC Plans for ASC. Our aim is to provide these pupils with tailored support that nurtures learning and personal development within the haven that is our school community.
Places to this provision are allocated by the Local Authority in partnership with the school, taking into account the needs of the individual child and our ability to appropriately support a child’s uniqueness.
Each academic year we complete a thorough transition process for pupils in year 6, liaising with parents/carers, teachers, SENCo’s and support staff in order to create detailed profiles of the pupils prior to their September start. This information is then delivered to all teaching and support staff, in order to raise their awareness of the SRP pupils’ needs.
‘The provision staff provide extra support in the areas my son finds the most challenging, allowing him to make really good progress and not feel overwhelmed or different from his peers’. (TKA Parent)
‘My child has been given amazing opportunities since joining TKA, from meeting David Attenborough to visiting a vets’ university, this provision inspires my child and excites him for the future’ (TKA Parent)
As an Outstanding school, The Kingston Academy was inspected for the second time by Ofsted in April 2024. The judgement of the inspectors was that TKA continues to be an outstanding school. The inspection report noted that:
• This is an exceptional school where the values of ‘community, character, ambition’ are fully realised.
• Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. They are highly focused on their learning in lessons and take responsibility for the learning of others as well as their own. Pupils are very happy, feel safe and attend very well.
• The school has carefully considered and implemented a very ambitious curriculum.
• Teachers have very high expectations and very strong subject knowledge.
GCSE and A Level Results
TThe Kingston Academy achieves fantastic GCSE and A Level results. In 2024 the Progress 8 score was 1.1 meaning that pupils achieved on average more than one grade extra progress than their peers nationally with similar starting points from the end of KS2 (due to Covid Progress 8 scores are not available for 2025). This progress ranks TKA amongst the very top schools in the country. 2025 is the fourth year of the school completing public examination and here are some highlights from this year’s results:
GCSEs
• 46% of grades were at Grade 7 or above, compared with 22% nationally.
• 78% of pupils achieved Grade 5 or higher in both English and maths.
• The attainment (A8) score at GCSE was 6.22, meaning that the average grade students achieved across their best 8 subjects was a high grade 6.
A Levels
• 40% of grades were either A or A*.
• The average grade was a B- with 57% of grades at or above their ambitious benchmark grades.
• 13 students achieved 3 or more A or A* grades with 3 students achieving As across all their subjects.
• 93% of pupils are moving on to study at a university of their choice. The list of leavers’ destinations includes many of the top universities in the country such as Cambridge, LSE, Imperial, Bristol, King’s London, Nottingham, Manchester and Exeter.
An Aspirational and Inspirational Curriculum
Our broad and balanced curriculum builds on KS2 programmes of study for a seamless transition to KS3 where subject specialists ensure the very best foundations for future learning. With the National Curriculum as our starting point, we confidently meet all expectations and surpass many. Our Curriculum Leaders routinely reflect on their schemes of work, regularly refining and improving them. Feedback from pupils themselves is also provides valuable input for the further development our schemes of learning.
We engage with experts to ensure we are up to date with the latest research, ensuring evidence-based practice. We strengthened our KS3 curriculum with a real focus on developing ‘cultural capital’ for our students, so that by the
end of Year 9, whether or not they continue to study a subject at GCSE, they have a broad foundation of knowledge. We have also been developing a more race-conscious curriculum, ensuring positive representation of all, and expanding the individuals and examples drawn on across all subject areas. TKA has been awarded the Gold Race Charter Mark Award
Our pupils are taught by exceptional, appropriately qualified teachers who creatively implement the intended curriculum and maintain high expectations of all. At all Key Stages, we believe an outstanding, inclusive and ethical education focuses on academic excellence, whilst at the same time championing wider opportunities that nurture the whole child’s development with parents, Trust Partners and our local community.
Subject specialists ensure that lessons provide opportunities for all pupils to make progress, through effective planning which makes use of assessment data on pupils’ aptitude for each subject. Pupils with Special Educational Needs are supported through the work of the Inclusion team, who work with teachers to ensure they can access the curriculum.
Guided Choices
At the end of Year 9 pupils and parents / carers receive extensive support to enable them to make the GCSE choices that interest them, reflect their strengths and provide them with a breadth of knowledge. Pupils study either 9 or 10 GCSE subjects in total (depending on whether they take separate science GCSEs or the combined award, accounting for 2 GCSEs).
Sixth Form
Our Sixth Form provision is based on rigorous A Level qualifications with the addition of the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ). Through these qualifications, students can engage with challenging academic content, helping them to build a thorough understanding of their chosen subject area as well as deepen their thinking through greater exposure to critical theory and analysis. In the Sixth Form, our students can access a wider range of subject choices such as economics and business, psychology, sociology and media studies.
Beyond the Curriculum
Our Going Beyond curriculum of time-tabled activities is designed to help all pupils to widen their interests and develop practical skills crucial for real-world success. Pupils can learn about discipline and respect through karate and debating moral mazes, personal safety through first aid and water safety courses, employability skills, money management and enterprise whilst also exploring the rich history of their local town.
Additionally, TKA offers a wide range of extracurricular clubs, sports competitions, enterprise initiatives, public speaking opportunities, the Duke of Edinburgh Award, and much more.
All pupils belong to one of four houses: Berners-Lee, Curie, Hawking and Lovelace.
These provide a broader source of identity as well as providing opportunities for pupils to work together as a team. A wide variety of inter-house competitions (such as House Bake-off, House Art and House Football) fuel a friendly rivalry and lead to the awarding of the annual house trophy. House captains assist the Heads of House in organising and delivering events and activities. Pupil leadership is an integral element of the school, and pupils are encouraged to apply for the following leadership opportunities:
• Head Prefects
• House Captains
• Sports Captains
• Chrome Captains
• Art Ambassadors
• STEM Leaders
• Going Beyond Leaders
• Prefects
A wide range of enrichment activities are on offer at lunchtime and after school to enhance the educational experiences of our pupils. These include:
Enrichment
theschool’svaluesandteachespupilshowto taughtwatersafetyknowledgeandskills. tobesafe’. OFSTED REPORT, MAY 2024
Going Beyond & Outdoor Education
Pupils participate in our unique ‘Going Beyond’ programme to ensure that the education on offer here genuinely exceeds the standard secondary curriculum. ‘Going Beyond’ opens our pupils’ minds to a diverse range of opportunities such as conservation, volunteering, extended research, enterprise or cultural explorations – learning for learning’s sake right on the doorstep of London, one of the world’s most exciting and diverse cities.
We are also on a mission at TKA to provide our pupils with excellent opportunities for Outdoor Education. Many pupils participate in The Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme, helping them to develop invaluable skills such as leadership, resilience, teamwork and communication. Plans are currently being developed for winter and summer overnight camps and pupil expeditions. We have been making full use of our proximity to the Thames through Dragon Boat racing and paddle boarding with the aim of offering these as DofE expedition options. Outdoor Education is an incredibly powerful tool and can have an amazing impact on a pupil’s academic achievement and quality of life and we are incredibly excited to be able to start providing these sorts of opportunities.
Our pupils have the opportunity to hear from experts drawn from a wide range of fields to enhance their learning. Some examples include a school visit by Leyla Hussain, social activist and campaigner against FGM, pupils meeting with Sir David Attenborough at The Royal Geographical Society, school assemblies run by a prominent oncologist, a qualified engineer, a veterinary scientist, a construction project manager, firemen and police officers amongst many others.
‘Leadershaveveryhighexpectationsofpupils.Theyprovideanambitious curriculumthatmeetstheneedsofpupils,includingthosewithspecialeducational needsand/ordisabilities(SEND).Asaresult,pupilsperformextremelywellacross subjectareas,includinginthesixthform.’ OFSTED REPORT, MAY 2024
Care, Guidance and Support
The 210 pupils that enter Year 7 are placed into one of 8 tutor groups. They form the building blocks of the pastoral system and are led by a staff member trained in pastoral tutoring, whilst being overseen by a Head of House. The tutor groups also provide pupils with a source of identity and a vehicle for competition and celebration, as well as their house allocation. The role of the tutor is central to achieving our goals regarding the pastoral care of our pupils – each tutor oversees their tutee’s progress and is responsible for managing their conduct.
In each year group, pupils are taught in classes which are made up of those from different tutor groups. Any pupil joining us as an in-year applicant is assigned a buddy to help them to settle in quickly with their peers.
The school’s focus is to build positive supportive relationships with all pupils, ensuring that every pupil is felt known and valued. There are strong channels for feedback and dialogue, underlining the culture of respect and accountability.
Working with Parents
Parental involvement is crucial to the success of both the child and developing our school within the local community. We hold regular drop-in sessions for parents which provide a forum for parents to discuss developments at the school with members of our senior leadership team.
A new parents’ welcome evening is held in July prior to entry in September. A priority at this meeting is to advise parents about communications systems and expectations of the school. A curriculum evening for parents is held early in the autumn term which focuses on how the curriculum will be delivered, assessment methods used and how parents can support their child’s progress at home.
We encourage parents to become involved in all aspects of school-life including as part of consultative work and fundraising. Our Parents’ Association has previously supported the school by raising additional funds for the school, enabling the provision of two minibuses and supporting the purchase of our kiln amongst other recent projects.
Kingston Educational Trust
The Kingston Academy is a unique school, established as a result of a partnership between Kingston University, Kingston College and Royal Borough of Kingston. KET’s three partners have substantial and successful experience of strategic leadership and day to day management of educational institutions.
In January 2022 KET converted to a multi academy trust and welcomed Fern Hill primary school, located next door to The Kingston Academy, into the Trust.
Our access to the expertise, resources and facilities of our partners gives us unrivalled opportunities to enrich the learning experience of our pupils. Since its inception, the school has staged numerous events with our partners such as a Celebration Evening in The Rose Theatre, pupil art exhibitions in the Creative Industries Centre and The Tempest, Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Lord of the Flies and That Night Follows Day in the Arthur Cotterell Theatre.
By working closely with our founding partners to the mutual benefit of their students and our pupils alike, and through links and interactions with many other educational institutions, we play a key role in enhancing learning across the Borough.
Ethos , Values, Beliefs and Intentions
The development of an appetite and preparedness for lifelong learning is essential.
Kingston University and Kingston College students often work with our pupils on exciting collaborations such as constructing and launching water rockets, running the extra-curricular science club or assisting with our Going Beyond Programme. The school House Cup was designed through a project involving 44 students from Kingston University’s Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture (FADA).
KET schools will:
• remember that intelligence is not fixed and can be developed and grown as learning is itself a skill and children and young people can be helped to develop it;
• challenge children and young people to learn more effectively through stimulating their curiosity and encouraging them to risk failure, to collaborate, to reflect on their experiences and to persevere to overcome adversity and difficulty;
• ensure that their children and young people will leave with a range of experiences and qualifications that are of genuine value to them and which will enable them to progress to their next stage of learning or work.
(Further details about KET can be found at kingstoneducationaltrust.org)
Our Sixth Form
Now in its fifth year of operation, TKA’s Sixth Form achieves excellent A Level results with the vast majority of students achieving their first choice of university. This year 13 students achieved 3 or more A or A* grades with 3 achieving A*s across all their subjects. 93% of UK University applicants were placed in their firm or insurance choices.
Our experienced teaching staff will guide Sixth Formers to think critically about the world around them, opening up a realm of learning that goes beyond A Level course content.
Our provision is based on rigorous A Level qualifications, with the addition of the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ). Through these qualifications, students will engage with challenging academic content that will help them build a thorough understanding of their chosen subject area as well as deepen their thinking through greater exposure to critical theory and analysis. A Level courses also place increased demands on independent study skills, skills that will be nurtured through TKA’s Sixth Form culture.
Through our ‘Learning to Lead’ Sixth Form reward scheme, students will be encouraged to seek out opportunities to develop their leadership capabilities and will be rewarded for ‘giving back’ through participation in a range of school based projects. At the heart of TKA’s Sixth Form culture is a belief that students should not only leave
with excellent qualifications, but with the skills and attributes necessary to contribute positively to the world around them.
Aspirations and ambitions will be nurtured through a tailored programme of support including University trips, bespoke career guidance and one-to-one mentoring for Oxbridge candidates.
Our supportive team of staff place students’ happiness at the heart of this provision, seeking to foster the values of kindness, consideration and decency by providing a safe and stimulating learning environment. We look forward to building on the close relationships already developed with our existing students, as well as welcoming new students into the TKA community.
You can find out more about the Sixth Form and how to apply on the school website.
‘Theprovisionforsportsisvastandmany pupilsengageinsportingeventswith considerablesuccess.Theschoolhasled sportsinitiatives,includinggettingmore girlsintosportsleadershipandachieving successatthenationallevel’. OFSTED REPORT, MAY 2024
Sport at TKA
The Kingston Academy is committed to engaging all pupils in sport and developing an appreciation of the physical and mental rewards of sporting activity. We have been awarded the School Games Mark Gold Medal. This was awarded in recognition of our extensive competitive sports offering, both within TKA and with other schools, and of the leadership opportunities students are given with PE & Sport.
Through our partnership with the YMCA Hawker Centre and with our significant on site facilities we are able to deliver a comprehensive sporting programme across all age groups both as part of the curriculum and through the enrichment programme.
Our new building provides us with the opportunity to offer a wide range of additional sports in a state-of-the-art indoor sports hall and fitness centre, from basketball to badminton, indoor hockey to netball, trampolining and gymnastics to yoga. The new facility also gives us a number of floodlit outdoor hard courts.
Enrichment
Sporting enrichment clubs run before and after school 5 days a week and are hugely popular. The enrichment programme offers all pupils the opportunity to develop their skills and fitness to a higher level and is not exclusive to members of the school sports teams.
Fixtures
We run an extensive programme of fixtures, providing pupils with a motivating and focused sense of team and the challenge of competitive sport. Our teams play against local schools in the Surrey Schools Cup, London Schools Cup and the National Cup for boys and girls football and in the Borough leagues for all competitive sports. TKA pupils represent the school in Surrey Schools sports and the London Youth Games.
Sports Day
TKA’s annual Sports Day is a significant highlight of the school’s sporting calendar, held in the summer annually at the Kingsmeadow Athletics Centre and attended by the whole school.
Sports Presentation Evening
Sporting achievement is celebrated throughout the school year but particularly at the dedicated Sports Presentation Evening when individual and team sporting triumphs are recognised and rewarded.
Admissions
The Kingston Academy
Year 7 and In Year Admissions Arrangements for entry from September 2026
Approved by the Board of Kingston Educational Trust on 16 December 2024
The Kingston Academy is a co-educational, non-selective, non-faith secondary free school for the local community and its families. The school provides places for young people aged 11 to 18 and has a fully inclusive ethos, which welcomes all who wish to come to the school, and requires everyone to be valued for who they are and what they offer.
1. Admissions Authority
Kingston Educational Trust is the admissions authority for The Kingston Academy.
2. Entry into Year 7 in September 2026 and subsequent years of entry
The Kingston Academy is part of the Pan London Coordinated Admissions Scheme. For applications in the normal admissions round you must name the school on the application form provided by your home local authority. Full details of the secondary school application process are available in your local authority admissions booklet.
Kingston School Admissions provides full information about the school admissions application process on its website https://kr.afcinfo.org.uk.
Inaccurate or false information on the form could result in the place being withdrawn.
3. Number of places
The Kingston Academy has a published admission number (PAN) of 210 places in each year of entry into Year 7.
4. Children with an Educational Health Care Plan (EHCP) or Statement of Special Educational Need (SEN)
Any child with an Educational Health Care Plan (EHCP) or Statement of Special Educational Need (SEN) which names The Kingston Academy will be admitted to the school before all other applicants are considered.
5. Allocation of remaining places
The school will then offer the remaining places, admitting up to 210 pupils in total for entry into Year 7 each year. If the school is not oversubscribed, all applicants will be offered a place. In the event that the school receives more applications than the number of places it has available, places will be offered in the order of priority set out below.
6. Oversubscription Criteria for entry into Year 7 in September 2026 and subsequent years of entry:
a. Highest priority will be given to looked after children and previously looked after children, defined as respectively:
• children who are in the care of a local authority, or being provided with accommodation by a local authority in the exercise of their social services functions in accordance with Section 22 of the Children Act 1989, at the time an application is made;
• Previously looked after children are children who immediately after being looked after became subject to an adoption, child arrangements, or special guardianship order including those who appear to the Trust to have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted.
Applications made under this criterion must be accompanied by details of circumstance and professionally supported evidence (e.g. from a social worker).
b. Priority will next be given to children who have a sibling, including an adopted, foster, half- or step-sibling, living at the same home address and attending The Kingston Academy (including the Sixth Form) at the time of application;
c. Priority will next be given to children for whom there are exceptional family, social or medical needs which only The Kingston Academy can meet. The full circumstances must be described on the application form, including the reasons why these needs cannot be met at any other school and verified by professionally supported evidence such as a letter from a GP, hospital consultant or other medical professional, educational psychologist or social worker;
d. Priority will next be given to applicants who are the children of staff and live at the same home address (including adopted, foster, half- or step-children) who have been directly employed at the school for at least 2 years at the time of the application; or have been recruited to fill a vacant post at the school for which there is a demonstrable skill shortage. This priority applies to both teaching and support staff based at that school;
e. The remaining places will be offered to children who live nearest to The Kingston Academy, as measured by a straight line from the home address to the main Richmond Road school entrance. All distances will be measured using Kingston School Admissions computerised Geographical Information System.
The address given in your application must be your child’s permanent home address, its authenticity will be checked and evidence may be requested to verify it.
Where parents live separately, the application must be based on the address where the child lives most of the time. Where the child lives with both parents at different addresses, evidence of your care arrangements will be required. All available evidence that you provide to support your application will be considered to decide which address will be used to process your application.
7. Use of a tie breaker and final tie-breaker
The distance from home to school, criteria 6e, will be used as a ‘tie-breaker’ if there are more applications than places available under any higher criteria.
For applicants who live the same distance from the school, random selection by the drawing of lots is used as a final tiebreaker. This process will be independently verified.
8. Multiple Births
Where a child from a multiple birth is allocated a place at the school under this policy, then any further child of the same multiple birth who has also applied and lives at the same home address, will also be allocated a place in order to allocate all siblings of the same multiple birth to the school and even though this may raise the number in the year group above the PAN.
This provision applies where a child from a multiple birth is allocated a place under any criterion, including children with an EHCP and children allocated a place in the Special Resourced Provision hosted by the school.
A copy of the full admissions arrangements can be found on the school website: www.thekingstonacademy.org/about-us/admissions
