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Orion Spires[1]

Secondary · ages 11–16

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Headline results

Attainment 8
A8 39 39.2 2025/26[2]

Results

GCSE (key stage 4)

Attainment 8
39.2 2025/26[2]
Grade 5+ in English & maths
31.1% 2025/26[2]
Grade 7+ in English & maths
3.7% 2025/26[2]
Progress 8
-1.12 2023/24[3]
Progress 8, 2025/26
Not calculated[4]
Progress 8, 2024/25
Not calculated[4]
Earlier years
Year Attainment 8 Grade 5+ in English & maths Grade 7+ in English & maths Progress 8
2024/25 36.1[5] 21.6%[5]
2023/24 35[3] 24.5%[3] -1.12[3]
2022/23 33.7[6] 17%[6] -0.93[6]
2021/22 34.1[7] 14%[7] -0.95[7]

A level (16–18)

A-level average grade
C- 2014/15[8]
All results, 2020/21
Not published (exams cancelled, COVID-19)[9]
All results, 2019/20
Not published (exams cancelled, COVID-19)[9]

Destinations after GCSEs

Sustained education, apprenticeship or employment
84% 2022/23[10]
School sixth form
26% 2022/23[10]
Sixth-form college
0% 2022/23[10]
Further education college
47% 2022/23[10]
Apprenticeship
3% 2022/23[10]
Employment
5% 2022/23[10]
Earlier leavers
Left in Sustained education, apprenticeship or employment School sixth form Sixth-form college Further education college Apprenticeship Employment
2021/22 85%[11] 17%[11] 0%[11] 54%[11] 5%[11] 9%[11]
2020/21 84%[12] 15%[12] 0%[12] 53%[12] 7%[12] 7%[12]
2019/20 90%[13] 13%[13] 0%[13] 68%[13] 5%[13] 3%[13]
2018/19 82%[14] 14%[14] 0%[14] 55%[14] 5%[14] 7%[14]

Destinations after 16–18 study

Sustained education, apprenticeship or employment
63% 2014/15[15]
Education
38% 2014/15[15]
Employment
25% 2014/15[15]

Higher education after 16–18 study

Progressed to higher education
36% 2015/16[16]
Top third of most selective universities
0% 2015/16[16]
Russell Group universities
0% 2015/16[16]
Oxford or Cambridge
0% 2015/16[16]

Shares of the pupils who left in the year shown. Russell Group and Oxford or Cambridge figures were published for leavers up to 2019/20 only.

Ofsted

Latest inspection
10 Jan 2023[17]
Type
S5 Inspection[17]
Report published
1 Mar 2023[17]
Personal development
Requires improvement[17]
Quality of education
Good[17]
Overall effectiveness
Good[17]
Behaviour and attitudes
Good[17]
Safeguarding is effective
Yes[17]
Effectiveness of leadership and management
Good[17]
Earlier inspections
InspectionTypeOverall
17 May 2017[18] Requires Improvement S5 Reinspection Visit 2[18] Good[18]

Competition to get in

Applications and offers, Year 7

Applications per place
2.5 Entry Sept 2026[19]
Applications (any preference)
268 Entry Sept 2026[19]
First preferences
76 Entry Sept 2026[19]
Places offered
106 Entry Sept 2026[19]
First preferences per place
0.7 Entry Sept 2026[19]
Earlier years
Entry Applications First preferences Places offered Per place First preferences per place
Entry Sept 2025 245[19] 68[19] 117[19] 2.1[19] 0.6[19]
Entry Sept 2024 304[19] 96[19] 137[19] 2.2[19] 0.7[19]
Entry Sept 2023 315[19] 98[19] 138[19] 2.3[19] 0.7[19]
Entry Sept 2022 301[19] 108[19] 147[19] 2.0[19] 0.7[19]

Character & practicalities

Type
Academy sponsor led[1]
Ages
11–16[1]
Boys / girls
Mixed[1]
Admissions
Non-selective[1]
Sixth form
Yes[1]
Boarding
No boarders[1]
Capacity
750[1]
Trust
ORION EDUCATION[1]
Local authority
Kent[1]
Website
http://www.orionspires.org.uk[1]
District
Canterbury[20]
Postcode
CT2 0HD[1]
URN
135305[1]

School details as recorded in Get Information About Schools on 14 Oct 2026.

Pupils

Number on roll
667 2024/25[21]
English as an additional language
11.2% 2024/25[21]
SEN support
13.8% 2024/25[21]
EHC plan
6.2% 2024/25[21]
Free school meals in the last 6 years
41.2% 2024/25[21]

Pupils' ethnicity 2025/26

White
86.1%[22]
Mixed
3.2%[22]
Asian
4%[22]
Black
3.2%[22]
Any other ethnic group
1%[22]
Unclassified
2.4%[22]

The school census's major ethnic groups as shares of the school's pupils, summed by us from the published counts. For information only: never used to rank, filter or colour schools.

Sources

  1. Department for Education: Get Information About Schools: all establishments. Period 2026-10-14, published 2026-10-14. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  2. Department for Education: Performance tables schools data (explore education statistics). Period 2025/26, provisional, published 2026-10-15. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  3. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: KS4 final. Period 2023/24, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  4. Department for Education: Key stage 4 performance 2024/25: data guidance. Period 2024/25. Archived copy; original. Licence: OGL-3.0.
    Quote
    It is not possible to calculate Progress 8 for academic years 2024/25 and 2025/26 due to gaps in the baseline caused by COVID-19 disruption.
  5. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: KS4 final. Period 2024/25, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  6. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: KS4 final. Period 2022/23, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  7. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: KS4 final. Period 2021/22, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  8. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: KS5 (16-18) final. Period 2014/15, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  9. Department for Education: A level and other 16 to 18 results 2020/21. Period 2020/21. Archived copy; original. Licence: OGL-3.0.
    Quote
    Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the summer exam series was cancelled in both 2020 and 2021, and alternative processes were set up to award grades.
  10. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: KS4 destinations. Period 2022/23, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  11. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: KS4 destinations. Period 2021/22, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  12. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: KS4 destinations. Period 2020/21, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  13. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: KS4 destinations. Period 2019/20, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  14. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: KS4 destinations. Period 2018/19, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  15. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: 16-18 destinations. Period 2014/15, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  16. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: 16-18 progression to higher education. Period 2015/16, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  17. Ofsted: State-funded schools inspections and outcomes. Period 2022/23. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  18. Ofsted: State-funded schools inspections and outcomes. Period 2016/17. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  19. Department for Education: Primary and secondary school applications and offers: school level. Period Entry Sept 2026, final, published 2026-06-29. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  20. Office for National Statistics: Parish to Ward to Local Authority District (May 2026) Lookup in EW. Period 2026-05-01. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  21. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: School census. Period 2024/25, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  22. Department for Education: Schools, pupils and their characteristics: school level underlying data. Period 2025/26, published 2026-06-04. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.