Best Schools in Rochester

How many schools are there in Rochester?

Rochester has 50 open schools: 34 state primary, 8 state secondary or all-through, 4 independent and 4 special.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Rochester are rated Outstanding?

7 schools in Rochester were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Leigh Academy High Halstow, Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School, Bligh Primary School (Infants), Cliffe Woods Primary School, The Pilgrim School (A Church of England Primary With Nursery) and 2 more. Counting Good as well, 100% of the 40 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 SchoolBligh Primary School (Infants)Cliffe Woods Primary SchoolThe Pilgrim School (A Church of England Primary With Nursery)

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Rochester get the best GCSE results?

Of the 6 schools in Rochester 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 Leigh Academy Strood, with an Attainment 8 score of 43.7 and 31% 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 SchoolLeigh Academy Strood

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Rochester have the best SATs results?

Of the 25 primary schools in Rochester with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at The Pilgrim School (A Church of England Primary With Nursery) (87% in reading, 97% in maths); St Margaret's at Troy Town CofE Voluntary Controlled Primary School (90% in reading, 90% in maths); and Burham Church of England Primary School (91% 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.

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

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Rochester?

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

Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical SchoolThe Rochester Grammar School

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Rochester have catchment areas?

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

Apply to your council - Medway or Kent, depending on your address - 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.