Alchemy School, Gillingham
Alchemy School is a special school for pupils aged 11 to 19 in Gillingham. Its most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2026, ended in a report card: 1 strong standard and 5 expected standard. Before that it was rated Good at its last graded inspection, in February 2023.
- Ofsted report card
- 1 of 6 areas strong or better
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Alchemy School in detail
What Ofsted's report card says
Ofsted's report card from its 17 March 2026 inspection grades Alchemy School on 6 areas: 1 strong standard and 5 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.
Personal development and wellbeing - Strong standard. "Personal development and wellbeing sit at the heart of the school's work."
Achievement - Expected standard. "Pupils often arrive at the school with much lower starting points than expected for their age."
Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Attendance is prioritised and is a constant focus for the school."
Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "The school's curriculum offers pupils much more than it did in the past."
Inclusion - Expected standard. "Pupils feel valued, understood and accepted at Alchemy School."
Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders at Alchemy School care deeply about their pupils and want every pupil to succeed."
Safeguarding standards were met.
Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should continue to check that their attendance strategy is having the intended impact on pupils' attendance to ensure they take swift actions to improve the attendance of individual pupils and groups of pupils where needed"; "Leaders should continue to strengthen the systems and processes that they use to check the impact of their work across the school".
Read the full report card on Ofsted's site (school website)
Source: Ofsted report card (Open Government Licence), quoted
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Alchemy School are Rivermead School (1 mile, Good); Danecourt School (1 mile, Good); Blue Skies School (1.3 miles, Good); and Ripplevale School Rochester (1.8 miles).
Rivermead SchoolDanecourt SchoolBlue Skies SchoolRipplevale School Rochester
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at Alchemy School has an education, health and care plan (58 of 58 in 2026).
Alchemy School is approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014, so parents can ask for it to be named in their child's education, health and care (EHC) plan.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Gillingham (Kent) Rail Station, about 810 metres away (roughly a 10-minute walk).
14 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is St Barnabas Church (adjacent), 80 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Alchemy School stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 739 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Medway (250), as is usual near a town centre.
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 months agoReport card - no single overall grade (Ofsted's framework since January 2026 for independent schools)
Safeguarding standards met
- Personal development and wellbeingStrong standard
- AchievementExpected standard
- Attendance and behaviourExpected standard
- Curriculum and teachingExpected standard
- InclusionExpected standard
- Leadership and governanceExpected standard
Safeguarding standards: met
Independent school standards
Met all the independent school standards.
- Part 1: quality of educationMet
- Part 2: pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural developmentMet
- Part 3: welfare, health and safetyMet
- Part 4: suitability of staff and proprietorsMet
- Part 5: premises and accommodationMet
- Part 6: information for parentsMet
- Part 7: handling of complaintsMet
- Part 8: leadership and managementMet
Source: Ofsted, non-association independent schools inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted's report card, in its own words
What it's like to be a pupil at Alchemy School
Many pupils at Alchemy School have attended several other schools before coming here. Their experience at Alchemy helps pupils to settle in quickly because their social and emotional needs are put first. They feel safe, supported and are generally happy at school. Many pupils overcome their challenges to attend well. However, leaders know there is still more to do to ensure that every pupil attends as regularly as possible. Pupils develop excellent, positive relationships with each other. Bullying and any form of discrimination are dealt with well. Pupils trust the staff, who work hard to understand each pupil's needs. Because of this, pupils feel accepted and confident. They enjoy learning and leave school with qualifications that prepare them for college, training or work. Pupils also benefit from a wide range of trips and activities outside the classroom. These experiences help them grow, learn new skills and enjoy school life. In lessons, pupils pay attention and like to share their ideas. They show a positive attitude towards learning. The curriculum is well planned to meets their needs. Leaders are committed to continually improving the curriculum and the quality of teaching. Clear routines help pupils understand what is expected of them in lessons. Staff have high expectations for behaviour and pupils respond well to this. They behave sensibly in lessons and during breaktimes. They are respectful to staff and to each other. The curriculum helps pupils learn about many important topics that support their personal development. For example, they learn about citizenship and how to play a positive role in their community. These lessons help pupils understand the world around them and how they can contribute to society in a positive way.
What Ofsted says the school should do next
- Leaders should continue to check that their attendance strategy is having the intended impact on pupils' attendance to ensure they take swift actions to improve the attendance of individual pupils and groups of pupils where needed.
- Leaders should continue to strengthen the systems and processes that they use to check the impact of their work across the school.
From Ofsted's report card (inspection 17 March 2026). Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's July 2026 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Alchemy School has effective leadership and maintains a safe, supportive environment where pupils feel happy and trusted. The school implements thorough safeguarding, health and safety systems with regular checks, and provides well-designed learning spaces with appropriate staff supervision ratios to meet pupils' individual needs.
Key Strengths
- Effective leadership with relevant expertise and use of external quality assurance
- Strong safeguarding culture with comprehensive staff training and well-maintained records
- Robust health and safety systems with frequent checks and compliance with fire safety regulations
- Well-designed and maintained school sites that are safe and appropriately resourced for current pupil numbers
- Appropriate staff ratios and training to support pupils' needs
Areas for Improvement
- Insufficient space at new premises to accommodate the full proposed increase in pupil numbers
- Not enough outdoor space to support the planned expansion
- Current facilities would not safely support the increased pupil capacity proposed
Safeguarding
Safeguarding is effective, with comprehensive staff training, well-trained designated safeguarding leads at each site, timely responses to concerns, and strong external agency partnerships.
Extracurricular Activities
Off-site trips, physical education lessons at local leisure centres
Alchemy School is unlikely to meet independent school standards if it expands pupil numbers as proposed due to insufficient space and resources at its premises, despite having effective leadership and strong safeguarding practices.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
Approved
Section 41
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Alchemy School
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 53
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 9
- Children hurt
- 5
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 53 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 9 serious and 43 slight.
5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise.
11 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Medway is 25 (the median across 117 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
48%
Available places
58 pupils
120 places
62 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Gillingham
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Gillingham
Across Medway council
Places available
3,844
Applications
3,586
Got 1st preference
80.4%
Got preferred school
96.8%
All secondary applications across Medway council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(7)
Independent School standard inspection
Met all the independent school standards.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
58
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Alchemy School is approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014, so parents can ask for it to be named in their child's education, health and care (EHC) plan.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
58
Total Pupils
47
Boys
11
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Alchemy School
Showing 10 of 14 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Alchemy School
What are GCSE results like at Alchemy School?
The Department for Education's GCSE measures do not count IGCSEs, which many independent schools take instead of GCSEs, so the Attainment 8 and English and maths figures it publishes for Alchemy School can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
What is Alchemy School's Ofsted rating?
Alchemy School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in July 2026, produced a report card, which grades each area but gives no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in February 2023, it was rated Good.
Does Alchemy School meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in March 2026, Alchemy School met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to Alchemy School?
Alchemy School has around 58 pupils on roll.
Does Alchemy School have specialist SEN provision?
Alchemy School is approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014, so parents can ask for it to be named in their child's education, health and care (EHC) plan.
How do I apply to Alchemy School?
Alchemy School is an independent school and runs its own admissions rather than going through the local authority. Contact the school directly for entry requirements, assessment dates, fees and any bursaries.
How many road collisions happen near Alchemy School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 53 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 9 serious and 43 slight. 5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise. 11 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Medway is 25 (the median across 117 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Alchemy School?
Alchemy School is at 105 Nelson Road, Gillingham, ME7 4LT.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)