Best Schools in Gravesend

How many schools are there in Gravesend?

Gravesend has 41 open schools: 26 state primary, 9 state secondary or all-through, 1 independent, 4 special and 1 other.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Gravesend are rated Outstanding?

6 schools in Gravesend were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Mayfield Grammar School, Gravesend; Cobham Primary School; St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Northfleet; Gravesend Grammar School; Ifield School; and 1 more. Counting Good as well, 92% of the 38 graded schools here are rated Good or better. Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall grades in September 2024, so these are the grades from each school's last full inspection.

Mayfield Grammar School, GravesendCobham Primary SchoolSt Joseph's Catholic Primary School, NorthfleetGravesend Grammar SchoolIfield School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Gravesend get the best GCSE results?

Of the 8 schools in Gravesend with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Gravesend Grammar School (selective grammar), with an Attainment 8 score of 67.9 and 98% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Mayfield Grammar School, Gravesend (selective grammar), with an Attainment 8 score of 62.2 and 84% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and St John's Catholic Comprehensive, with an Attainment 8 score of 45.3 and 34% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Selective schools admit by ability, so their raw results are not a like-for-like comparison with comprehensives. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Gravesend Grammar SchoolMayfield Grammar School, GravesendSt John's Catholic Comprehensive

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Gravesend have the best SATs results?

Of the 25 primary schools in Gravesend with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Painters Ash Primary School (90% in reading, 97% in maths); Istead Rise Primary School (87% in reading, 87% in maths); and Sedley's Church of England Primary School (87% in reading, 87% in maths). Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Painters Ash Primary SchoolIstead Rise Primary SchoolSedley's Church of England Primary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Gravesend?

Yes. Gravesend Grammar School; and Mayfield Grammar School, Gravesend are state grammar schools in Gravesend. Grammar schools admit pupils by ability through an entrance test, usually sat at the start of Year 6.

Gravesend Grammar SchoolMayfield Grammar School, Gravesend

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Gravesend have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Gravesend have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, Kent allocates places on its published criteria - usually looked-after children first, then siblings, then home-to-school distance - so the practical cut-off moves each year. Each school's page here shows an estimate of its catchment radius.

How do I apply for a school place in Gravesend?

Apply to Kent through its coordinated admissions process, even for academies and faith schools. In England the closing date is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts. Independent schools run their own admissions, so apply to those directly.