Alchemy School, Gillingham

Special
Other independent special school
Mixed
Ages 1119

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mrs Lisa Bowles
Pupils:58 / 120 capacity
LA:Medway
Phone:01634217721
Address:105 Nelson Road, Gillingham, ME7 4LT
Admissions:Non-selective
Status:open
Opened:4 February 2019

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 2 months ago

Report card - no overall grade (new Ofsted framework from Sep 2024)

Achievement
Expected Standard
Behaviour
Expected Standard
Personal Development
Strong Standard
Leadership
Expected Standard
Inspected 14 July 2026View full report
URN:146736
UKPRN:10085691
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:Gillingham and Rainham
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

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

No

Special Measures

Class Sizes

0.0

Avg class size

0

Total classes

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Train Stations

Gillingham (Kent) Rail Station (Entrance)
807m · 13 min walk

Bus Stops

St Barnabas Church (adj)
80m · 1 min walk
Napier Road (opp)
159m · 3 min walk
Byron Primary School (opp)
199m · 3 min walk
Montgomery Road (W-bound)
239m · 4 min walk
The Westcourt Arms (S-bound)
303m · 5 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

48%

Available places

58 pupils

120 capacity

62 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - Gillingham

Low pressure
New homes approved:1,897
Projected new pupils:341

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Gillingham

Admissions Demand - Medway

Low demand0.92x oversubscription

Places available

4,001

Applications

3,697

Got 1st preference

79.7%

Got preferred school

96.3%

Secondary admissions across Medway (2025/26)

Inspection History(7)

14 July 2026Report card
Achievement
Behaviour
Personal Development
Leadership
17 March 2026Report card
Achievement
Behaviour
Personal Development
Leadership
15 July 2025

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SEN Provision

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Pupil Demographics

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