What year groups does Leigh Academy Hugh Christie teach?

Leigh Academy Hugh Christie teaches children aged 11 to 18. It is a secondary school in Tonbridge.

Who is the headteacher of Leigh Academy Hugh Christie?

The headteacher of Leigh Academy Hugh Christie is Mr Palak Shah, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.

When was Leigh Academy Hugh Christie last inspected?

Ofsted has inspected Leigh Academy Hugh Christie, and its latest judgement is set out in the inspection section on this page, with the framework and the date it was made.

How big is Leigh Academy Hugh Christie?

Leigh Academy Hugh Christie has 688 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 11 to 18.

Is Leigh Academy Hugh Christie full?

Leigh Academy Hugh Christie has capacity for 1,226 pupils and 688 on roll (56%), so it has space against its published capacity. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.

Is Leigh Academy Hugh Christie a faith school?

No. Leigh Academy Hugh Christie has no designated religious character.

Is Leigh Academy Hugh Christie a selective school?

No. Leigh Academy Hugh Christie is recorded as non-selective in the schools register.

Who runs Leigh Academy Hugh Christie?

Leigh Academy Hugh Christie is part of LEIGH ACADEMIES TRUST. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.

What SEN provision does Leigh Academy Hugh Christie have?

The schools register lists Leigh Academy Hugh Christie's special educational needs provision as: ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder. Contact the school to discuss how it would support a particular child.

What is Leigh Academy Hugh Christie's absence rate?

Leigh Academy Hugh Christie's overall absence rate is 10.7% in the latest published census, above the England average of 6.2%.

What are Leigh Academy Hugh Christie's exam results?

Where the Department for Education has published them, Leigh Academy Hugh Christie's key stage results are shown in the results section on this page, with the last three years so you can see the trend rather than a single year.

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Kent
Tonbridge
Leigh Academy Hugh Christie

Leigh Academy Hugh Christie

White Cottage Road, Tonbridge, TN10 4PU

Phase: Secondary
School type: Academy sponsor led
Ages: 11 to 18
Gender: Mixed
Religious character: None
Trust: LEIGH ACADEMIES TRUST
Headteacher: Mr Palak Shah
Admissions policy: Non-selective
Sponsor: Leigh Academies Trust
SEN provision: ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder
Constituency: Tonbridge
Setting: Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Capacity: 1,226
Pupils on roll: 688
URN: 150743
Local authority: Kent
Website: School website
Telephone: 01732353544

About this school

Leigh Academy Hugh Christie is a secondary academy in Tonbridge. It teaches children aged 11 to 18 and has 688 pupils on roll.

You can read Ofsted's latest judgement for the school below. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Numbers and a report only go so far, so visit in person before you apply.

Ofsted judgement

England: previous inspection framework

Inspected 11 October 2023 · report published 27 November 2023

Requires improvement

Overall judgement at the last full inspection

This inspection took place under the previous framework, which gave a single overall grade. Ofsted now publishes report cards instead, so newer inspections of other schools will look different. How Ofsted report cards work

Quality of education: Good
Behaviour and attitudes: Requires improvement
Personal development: Good
Leadership and management: Good
Sixth form: Good
Safeguarding: Effective

This inspection took place when the school was registered as Hugh Christie School (URN 118903).

Read the full report on Ofsted's website

Exam results

Key stage 4 (GCSEs)

Measure	2024/25
Pupils at the end of key stage 4	137
Attainment 8 score	40.5
Progress 8 score	-
Grade 5 or above in English and maths	29.9%
Grade 4 or above in English and maths	54.7%
Entered the English Baccalaureate	50.4%
English Baccalaureate average point score	3.5

Progress 8 is paused nationally for the 2024/25 and 2025/26 school years. Those pupils sat no key stage 2 tests during the Covid pandemic, so there is no starting point to measure progress from. A blank figure here is not missing school data.

Trends over time

How Leigh Academy Hugh Christie has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.

Overall absence rate

Year	This school	England average
2022/23	—	6.8%
2023/24	15%	6.6%
2024/25	10.7%	6.2%

Department for Education pupil absence data.

How Leigh Academy Hugh Christie compares

Leigh Academy Hugh Christie ranked 58th of 100 secondary schools in Kent for Attainment 8 in 2024/25. Its Attainment 8 score was higher than 40% of England secondary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 6% of England schools in 2024/25.

School	Attainment 8 (2024/25)	Absence	FSM (6 years)	Pupils	Distance
This school	40.5	10.7%	39.8%	688	—
Hillview School for Girls	48	9.7%	16.8%	1,500	1.8 miles
The Judd School	78.4	4.6%	2.7%	1,541	1.9 miles
Leigh Academy Tonbridge	43.1	7.3%	33%	807	2.0 miles
Tonbridge Grammar School	77.2	5.8%	2.2%	1,150	2.1 miles
Weald of Kent Grammar School	70	6.8%	4%	1,913	2.1 miles

Results reflect each school's cohort as much as its teaching, and free school meals share is context, not a judgement. Small gaps between neighbouring schools are rarely meaningful on their own.

School context

From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.

Free school meals (last 6 years): 39.78%
English as an additional language: 5.9%
Overall absence: 10.73%
Persistent absence: 33.99%

Location

Nearby schools

Hillview School for Girls
Secondary · Tonbridge

1.8 miles
The Judd School
Secondary · Tonbridge

1.9 miles
Leigh Academy Tonbridge
Secondary · Tonbridge

2.0 miles
Tonbridge Grammar School
Secondary · Tonbridge

2.1 miles
Weald of Kent Grammar School
Secondary · Tonbridge

2.1 miles

Other schools in Tonbridge

Leigh Academy Hugh Christie ranks 6th of the 7 ranked secondary schools in Tonbridge.

Hillview School for Girls Secondary
Leigh Academy Mascalls Secondary
Leigh Academy Tonbridge Secondary
The Judd School Secondary
Tonbridge Grammar School Secondary
Weald of Kent Grammar School Secondary
Bishop Chavasse Primary School Primary
Brenchley and Matfield Church of England Primary School Primary
Cage Green Primary School Primary
Capel Primary School Primary
East Peckham Primary School Primary
Hadlow Primary School Primary

Common questions

What year groups does Leigh Academy Hugh Christie teach?: Leigh Academy Hugh Christie teaches children aged 11 to 18. It is a secondary school in Tonbridge.
Who is the headteacher of Leigh Academy Hugh Christie?: The headteacher of Leigh Academy Hugh Christie is Mr Palak Shah, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
When was Leigh Academy Hugh Christie last inspected?: Ofsted has inspected Leigh Academy Hugh Christie, and its latest judgement is set out in the inspection section on this page, with the framework and the date it was made.
How big is Leigh Academy Hugh Christie?: Leigh Academy Hugh Christie has 688 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 11 to 18.
Is Leigh Academy Hugh Christie full?: Leigh Academy Hugh Christie has capacity for 1,226 pupils and 688 on roll (56%), so it has space against its published capacity. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
Is Leigh Academy Hugh Christie a faith school?: No. Leigh Academy Hugh Christie has no designated religious character.
Is Leigh Academy Hugh Christie a selective school?: No. Leigh Academy Hugh Christie is recorded as non-selective in the schools register.
Who runs Leigh Academy Hugh Christie?: Leigh Academy Hugh Christie is part of LEIGH ACADEMIES TRUST. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
What SEN provision does Leigh Academy Hugh Christie have?: The schools register lists Leigh Academy Hugh Christie's special educational needs provision as: ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder. Contact the school to discuss how it would support a particular child.
How does Leigh Academy Hugh Christie rank locally?: Leigh Academy Hugh Christie ranked 58th of 100 secondary schools in Kent for Attainment 8. Its Attainment 8 score was higher than 40% of England secondary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 6% of England schools in 2024/25. Results reflect each cohort as well as the school, so treat rankings as a starting point.
What is Leigh Academy Hugh Christie's absence rate?: Leigh Academy Hugh Christie's overall absence rate is 10.7% in the latest published census, above the England average of 6.2%.
What are Leigh Academy Hugh Christie's exam results?: Where the Department for Education has published them, Leigh Academy Hugh Christie's key stage results are shown in the results section on this page, with the last three years so you can see the trend rather than a single year.

School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. This page was last updated on 10 July 2026.