Best Schools in Medway

How many schools are there in Medway?

Medway has 117 open schools: 76 state primary, 25 state secondary or all-through, 3 independent, 11 special and 2 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Medway are rated Outstanding?

10 schools in Medway were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Leigh Academy High Halstow, Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School, Fort Pitt Grammar School, The Rowans, Bradfields Academy and 5 more. Counting Good as well, 98% of the 91 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.

Leigh Academy High HalstowSir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical SchoolFort Pitt Grammar SchoolThe RowansBradfields Academy

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Medway get the best GCSE results?

Of the 22 schools in Medway with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School (selective grammar), with an Attainment 8 score of 69.9 and 96% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; The Rochester Grammar School (selective grammar), with an Attainment 8 score of 67.5 and 93% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Rainham Mark Grammar School (selective grammar), with an Attainment 8 score of 63.1 and 89% 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.

Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical SchoolThe Rochester Grammar SchoolRainham Mark Grammar School

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Medway have the best SATs results?

Of the 54 primary schools in Medway with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Walderslade Primary School (93% in reading, 93% in maths); The Pilgrim School (A Church of England Primary With Nursery) (87% in reading, 97% in maths); and St Margaret's at Troy Town CofE Voluntary Controlled Primary School (90% in reading, 90% 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.

Walderslade Primary SchoolThe Pilgrim School (A Church of England Primary With Nursery)St Margaret's at Troy Town CofE Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Medway?

Yes. Chatham Grammar, Fort Pitt Grammar School, Holcombe Grammar School, Rainham Mark Grammar School, Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School and The Rochester Grammar School are state grammar schools in Medway. Grammar schools admit pupils by ability through an entrance test, usually sat at the start of Year 6.

Chatham GrammarFort Pitt Grammar SchoolHolcombe Grammar SchoolRainham Mark Grammar SchoolSir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical SchoolThe Rochester Grammar School

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Medway have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Medway have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, Medway 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 Medway?

Apply to Medway 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.