Gad's Hill School, Rochester
Gad's Hill School is an independent school for pupils aged 3 to 16 in Rochester. It is inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) rather than Ofsted; its most recent ISI inspection was a routine inspection in October 2024.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Gad's Hill School in detail
Gad's Hill School in its own words
In its own words: "Gad’s Hill School is set in the expansive and beautiful grounds of the former family home of Charles Dickens, in the village of Higham, just on the outskirts of Rochester, Kent. Our independent day school is a wonderfully happy and vibrant school, educating girls and boys aged 3-16 years in the Lower and Upper Schools."
From the headteacher's welcome: "Children start in our Lower School in the nursery when they’re 3 years old. Our nursery is located in Charles Dickens’ Orchard, with two vibrant classrooms and an abundance of outdoor space to explore."
The school runs after-school care, from £10.00 per session.
Vision and values (school website)Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
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 Gad's Hill School can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other independent schools to Gad's Hill School are Cobham Hall (2 miles); King's School, Rochester (2.4 miles); St Andrew's School (Rochester) (2.6 miles); and Rochester Independent College (2.9 miles).
Cobham HallKing's School, RochesterSt Andrew's School (Rochester)Rochester Independent College
Who goes there
In 2026, 40 pupils (12.3%) received SEN support and 7 (2.1%) had an education, health and care plan.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Higham Rail Station, about 1.1 miles away in a straight line.
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Forge Lane (opposite), 130 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 24 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, criminal damage and arson and anti-social behaviour. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Kent (101).
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); 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 GIASISI Inspection Reports
Independent schools in England are inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI), not Ofsted.
Routine Inspection
8 October 2024
Regulatory Compliance
22 September 2021
Educational Quality / Focused Compliance
3 October 2017
Short Visit
24 March 2015
Interim
1 January 2011
Second Cycle
About
Gad's Hill School in Higham, Kent, England, is an independent school for day pupils, founded in 1924. It is set in the former Gads Hill Place, the country home of Charles Dickens.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
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 Gad's Hill School can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
GCSE Subjects Offered
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby all-through schools
Latest from Gad's Hill School
Open Days
2 Oct 2026
GCSE Results 2026
30 Sep 2026
Senior Leadership Team
18 Sep 2026
Policies
17 Sep 2026
School Catering
16 Sep 2026
School Bus Service
10 Sep 2026
From Gad's Hill School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Gad's Hill School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 10
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 10 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 9 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
0 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 Kent is 11 (the median across 711 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
43%
Available places
326 pupils
755 places
429 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Rochester
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Rochester
Across Kent council
Places available
19,539
Applications
18,644
Got 1st preference
78.9%
Got preferred school
96.2%
All secondary applications across Kent council (2026/27), not just this school.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
40
SEN Support
7
EHC Plans
14.4%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
326
Total Pupils
161
Boys
165
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Gad's Hill School
Showing 10 of 11 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Gad's Hill School
What are GCSE results like at Gad's Hill 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 Gad's Hill School can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
When was Gad's Hill School last inspected?
Gad's Hill School is inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) rather than Ofsted. Its most recent ISI inspection was a routine inspection in October 2024.
How many pupils go to Gad's Hill School?
Gad's Hill School has around 326 pupils on roll.
How do I apply to Gad's Hill School?
Gad's Hill 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 Gad's Hill School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 10 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 9 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 0 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 Kent is 11 (the median across 711 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Gad's Hill School?
Gad's Hill School is at Higham, Rochester, Kent, ME3 7PA.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)