 Birchington-on-Sea's secondary school is the secondary modern King Ethelbert School. In 2006, it had around 750 pupils and was seeking government support to become a specialist visual arts school. In 2005, 15 percent of its pupils gained at least five GCSEs at grades A * – C including English and maths, ranking it 103rd out of 120 Kent secondary schools. The school failed the 30 % GCSE target. Many secondary students living in Birchington-on-Sea commute to schools in nearby towns, especially to the grammar schools in Ramsgate and Broadstairs. The village's primary school is Birchington Church of England Primary School, which is a state school owned by the Church of England but run by Kent County Council. In 2006, the school's Key Stage 2 performances ranked 340th out of 386 Kent state primary schools.
