Hildenborough, #1 on this list · Photo: Stacey Harris · CC BY-SA 2.0

Kent rankings · Schools

Towns with the best schools in Kent

Hildenborough ranks first on schools among Kent’s 87 towns of 2,500+; 17 of the 87 grade A− or better against UK towns.

The School Grade (England only): Key Stage 2 and GCSE results of the state schools in the town (or within 3 km), weighted by pupils and measured against England’s schools. The rank across England sits beside each letter. How grades work

Hildenborough

4,943 people

A⁺

Better than almost every UK town·#10 of 1,973 in England

Rusthall and Langton Green

7,783 people

A⁺

Better than almost every UK town·#12 of 1,973 in England

South Darenth and Sutton at Hone

4,091 people

A⁺

Better than 96% of UK towns·#59 of 1,973 in England

All 87 towns, ranked

Schools grade, best first; ranks are the county ranks on each town’s page (T = tied). Military garrison towns and university campuses keep their grades but aren’t ranked. Each rank across England links to the national list.

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87 towns.

#TownGrade · UK rankCompared with UK towns

1Hildenborough4,943 peopleA⁺#10 of 1,973 nationallybetter than almost every UK town

2Rusthall and Langton Green7,783 peopleA⁺#12 of 1,973 nationallybetter than almost every UK town

3South Darenth and Sutton at Hone4,091 peopleA⁺#59 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 96% of UK towns

4Dartford69,131 peopleA⁺#67 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 95% of UK towns

T5Hawkhurst3,683 peopleA#91 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 94% of UK towns

T5Marden3,489 peopleA#91 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 94% of UK towns

7Southborough9,632 peopleA#100 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 94% of UK towns

8Tonbridge36,136 peopleA#166 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 91% of UK towns

T9Cranbrook3,962 peopleA#178 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 90% of UK towns

T9Royal Tunbridge Wells51,215 peopleA#178 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 90% of UK towns

11Hextable4,100 peopleA#187 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 89% of UK towns

12Joyden's Wood4,912 peopleA#246 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 86% of UK towns

13Bearsted8,349 peopleA#251 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 86% of UK towns

14Swanley17,209 peopleA#260 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 85% of UK towns

15Ash (Dover)2,529 peopleA⁻#278 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 85% of UK towns

16Maidstone109,503 peopleA⁻#348 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 81% of UK towns

17Hawkinge8,499 peopleA⁻#451 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 75% of UK towns

18Westerham3,390 peopleB⁺#479 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 74% of UK towns

19Cliffe2,531 peopleB⁺#515 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 72% of UK towns

20Sevenoaks26,474 peopleB⁺#521 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 72% of UK towns

21Cuxton3,039 peopleB⁺#546 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 70% of UK towns

22Folkestone51,987 peopleB⁺#576 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 69% of UK towns

23Dunton Green3,241 peopleB⁺#583 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 69% of UK towns

24Faversham20,941 peopleB⁺#593 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 68% of UK towns

25Rochester67,279 peopleB⁺#602 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 68% of UK towns

26Hythe14,613 peopleB⁺#612 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 67% of UK towns

27Broadstairs25,780 peopleB#679 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 64% of UK towns

28Otford and Kemsing7,332 peopleB#698 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 63% of UK towns

29Edenbridge7,903 peopleB#725 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 62% of UK towns

30Darenth2,588 peopleB#728 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 62% of UK towns

31Northfleet29,892 peopleB#734 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 62% of UK towns

32Stone6,438 peopleB#778 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 59% of UK towns

33Ramsgate42,031 peopleB#788 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 59% of UK towns

34Ashford82,143 peopleB#794 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 59% of UK towns

35Dymchurch3,097 peopleB#798 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 58% of UK towns

36Ebbsfleet Valley2,989 peopleB#808 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 58% of UK towns

37Swanscombe15,462 peopleB#842 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 56% of UK towns

38Herne14,874 peopleB⁻#951 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 51% of UK towns

39West Malling4,251 peopleB⁻#981 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 49% of UK towns

40Kings Hill9,963 peopleB⁻#990 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 49% of UK towns

T41Canterbury55,107 peopleB⁻#998 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 49% of UK towns

T41Gravesend58,105 peopleB⁻#998 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 49% of UK towns

43Dover36,349 peopleB⁻#1,025 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 47% of UK towns

44Pembury5,783 peopleC⁺#1,085 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 45% of UK towns

45West Kingsdown4,306 peopleC⁺#1,100 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 44% of UK towns

46Sandwich4,258 peopleC⁺#1,121 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 43% of UK towns

47Paddock Wood7,616 peopleC⁺#1,155 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 41% of UK towns

48Minster (Swale)16,735 peopleC⁺#1,172 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 40% of UK towns

49Chatham76,956 peopleC⁺#1,224 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 38% of UK towns

50Coxheath8,453 peopleC⁺#1,237 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 37% of UK towns

51Sittingbourne54,385 peopleC⁺#1,268 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 36% of UK towns

52Teynham3,128 peopleC#1,286 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 35% of UK towns

53Meopham4,349 peopleC#1,315 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 34% of UK towns

54Halfway Houses4,396 peopleC#1,327 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 33% of UK towns

55Whitfield6,509 peopleC#1,339 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 33% of UK towns

56Cliffe Woods2,689 peopleC#1,371 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 31% of UK towns

57Gillingham108,485 peopleC#1,389 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 30% of UK towns

58Sturry4,857 peopleC#1,439 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 28% of UK towns

59Longfield, New Ash Green and Hartley16,077 peopleC#1,463 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 27% of UK towns

60Queenborough3,915 peopleC#1,492 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 25% of UK towns

61Higham2,642 peopleC⁻#1,516 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 24% of UK towns

62Headcorn3,293 peopleC⁻#1,536 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 23% of UK towns

63Newington2,691 peopleC⁻#1,562 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 22% of UK towns

64Istead Rise3,398 peopleC⁻#1,567 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 22% of UK towns

65Halling2,926 peopleC⁻#1,580 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 21% of UK towns

66Larkfield26,147 peopleC⁻#1,593 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 21% of UK towns

67Minster (Thanet)4,739 peopleC⁻#1,608 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 20% of UK towns

68Hadlow3,168 peopleC⁻#1,614 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 20% of UK towns

69Hoo St Werburgh8,758 peopleC⁻#1,638 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 18% of UK towns

70Whitstable32,185 peopleC⁻#1,678 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 17% of UK towns

71Snodland11,820 peopleD#1,751 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 13% of UK towns

72Chartham3,569 peopleD#1,760 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 13% of UK towns

73Aylesham5,788 peopleD#1,811 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 10% of UK towns

74Sheerness13,253 peopleD#1,826 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 9% of UK towns

75Lenham and Harrietsham4,763 peopleD#1,861 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 8% of UK towns

76St Mary's Bay2,966 peopleD#1,866 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 7% of UK towns

77Borough Green4,712 peopleD#1,877 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 7% of UK towns

78Staplehurst6,181 peopleD#1,883 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 6% of UK towns

T79Deal28,992 peopleD#1,889 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 6% of UK towns

T79Margate63,315 peopleD#1,889 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 6% of UK towns

81Lydd3,911 peopleD⁻#1,910 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 5% of UK towns

T82Littlestone-on-Sea5,271 peopleD⁻#1,921 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 4% of UK towns

T82New Romney3,870 peopleD⁻#1,921 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 4% of UK towns

84Iwade4,533 peopleD⁻#1,926 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 4% of UK towns

85Herne Bay24,873 peopleD⁻#1,938 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 3% of UK towns

86Tenterden7,775 peopleD⁻#1,951 of 1,973 nationallybetter than 2% of UK towns

87Eastchurch3,381 peopleD⁻#1,964 of 1,973 nationallybehind almost every UK town

Quick answers

Questions people ask

Which town in Kent has the best schools?

Hildenborough ranks first on schools among 87 towns, with an A+: better than almost every UK town. Rusthall and Langton Green and South Darenth and Sutton at Hone follow.

How are these towns ranked?

The School Grade (England only): Key Stage 2 and GCSE results of the state schools in the town (or within 3 km), weighted by pupils and measured against England’s schools. The letter and rank are the same as on each town’s page. How grades work.

Why isn’t my town on this list?

Welsh towns have no School Grade: Wales doesn’t publish school-level results. Garrison towns and university campuses aren’t ranked, and towns without the figures this grade needs are counted above. The list covers Kent’s towns of 2,500+ with the figure. Smaller places show it on their own pages; every town in Kent is on the county page.

Go deeper

More Kent lists

Every list ranks the same 2,500+ towns, so a town’s rank means the same thing on each.

All Kent rankings →

Best places to live87 towns · #1 Hildenborough Best small towns56 towns · #1 Hildenborough Most affordable towns87 towns · #1 Sheerness Safest towns87 towns · #1 Cuxton Healthiest towns87 towns · #1 Otford and Kemsing Best towns for jobs & income87 towns · #1 Sevenoaks Most walkable towns87 towns · #1 Canterbury Towns with the lowest flood risk87 towns · #1 Ash (Dover) and 27 more Best towns for the outdoors87 towns · #1 Folkestone Most historic towns87 towns · #1 Sandwich Towns with the most civic life87 towns · #1 Ash (Dover)Towns with the highest household incomes87 towns · #1 Kings HillDescribed, no letters Towns with the lowest council tax87 towns · #1 GillinghamDescribed, no letters Towns with the mildest winters87 towns · #1 SheernessDescribed, no letters Towns with the warmest summers87 towns · #1 DartfordDescribed, no letters Towns with the coolest summers87 towns · #1 HawkingeDescribed, no letters Towns with the fewest frosts87 towns · #1 RamsgateDescribed, no letters Driest towns87 towns · #1 QueenboroughDescribed, no letters Wettest towns87 towns · #1 HawkingeDescribed, no letters

Sources: DfE Get Information about Schools (16 October 2026), Key Stage 2 performance tables (2023–2025, three-year average) and Key Stage 4 (2025/26, provisional); Ofsted state-funded school inspections as at 30 September 2026 · TownRatings grades: our own summary of the data, ranked against UK towns only. All under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.