The Trust

Barton Court Academy Trust (BCAT) is a multi-academy Trust which was established in 2017.

It currently consists of three secondary schools: Barton Court Grammar School, an 11-18 years, mixed selective school in the heart of Canterbury, rated “Good” with many outstanding features by Ofsted in February 2020 and November 2024; The Charles Dickens School, an 11-16 years mixed non-selective school in Broadstairs, rated “Good” by Ofsted in March 2023 and Barton Manor Free School, an 11–18 years non-selective mixed school in the heart of Canterbury which opened to Year 7 in September 2022 and as the school grows now has Y7, 8, 9 and 10 from September 2025, rated "Good" with many outstanding features by Ofsted in May 2025.

Our School

The Charles Dickens School is an Ofsted rated “Good” school (March 2023). We are a non-selective 11-16, highly popular, oversubscribed school located in Broadstairs, Kent. We have a vision and a determination to provide our community with an excellent school and we are making great strides towards this. Our results in 2022 identified us as the most improved school in Kent (out of 101 secondary schools) and one of the most improved schools in the country, and our results in 2023, 2024 and 2025 are strong and have continued to improve. Schools Week identified us as the 8th most improved school in the country between 2019 and 2023, for a school with an above average proportion of Pupil Premium pupils. Our progress 8 score in 2024 was +0.22. We are heavily oversubscribed and have an excellent reputation for our culture of high expectation. Our Ofsted Inspection in March 2023 graded the School “Good” in every category.

To work here is to embrace the challenges of an economically-diverse community and understand the influence education has in addressing social immobility. There are few schools in the country where a teacher’s ability to change lives is so evident. Without hyperbole, this is a career-defining mission. We’re looking for brilliant people to join us on our journey.

The School has excellent facilities. All rooms are equipped with state-of-the art electronic interactive whiteboards. There are excellent specialist facilities for sport, hospitality, engineering, dance, drama, music and art. We have a Specialist Resource Provision for visually-impaired children. We offer and value a broad curriculum aimed at promoting talent beyond traditional academic subjects. Our significant investment in professional development drives colleagues’ continuous improvement. This is a place where everyone improves regardless of their career stage.