Gillingham School, Gillingham
Gillingham School is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 18 in Gillingham, part of United Learning Trust.
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 5 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Dorset (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Gillingham School in detail
Gillingham School in its own words
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, netball, rugby, hockey, cricket, basketball, badminton, yoga, dance and drama.
Coming up: an open evening on Thursday 19 November 2026 at 6pm. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Dorset
Clubs (school website)Open days on the school's site (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
Gillingham School has no published results of its own yet. Before it became an academy in 2026, under its previous registration (URN 113882), its pupils had an average Attainment 8 score of 46.8 and 45% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above in the 2026 GCSE results.
Getting a place at Gillingham School
Across Dorset, 98% of families were offered their first-choice secondary school for 2026 entry, and 99% were offered one of the schools they named.
In 2026, families in Dorset lodged 85 appeals against secondary school offers; 58 reached a hearing and 22 succeeded (37.9% of those heard).
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state secondary schools to Gillingham School are Gillingham School (under 0.1 miles, Good, Attainment 8 46.8); and Shaftesbury School (4.3 miles, Good, Attainment 8 40.1).
The trust
Gillingham School is one of 98 schools run by United Learning Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 49 in 2024/25.
Where pupils go next
Of the 282 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 83% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 34% to a further education college, 5% to an apprenticeship and 3% into work.
Of the 178 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 35% went on to university or other higher education, 6% to apprenticeships and 35% into work. 19% went to one of the most selective third of universities.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Gillingham (Dorset) Rail Station, about 560 metres away (roughly a 7-minute walk).
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is School and Leisure Centre (e-bound), 50 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 51 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, violence and sexual offences and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Dorset (25), as is usual near a town centre.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to Gillingham School are Gillingham Primary School (0.2 miles), St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School (0.7 miles), Wyke Primary School (0.9 miles) and Milton-on-Stour Church of England Primary School (1.5 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
Gillingham Primary SchoolSt Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary SchoolWyke Primary SchoolMilton-on-Stour Church of England Primary School
Sources: DfE school performance data; GIAS establishment links; DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; DfE destination measures; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Gillingham School has not been inspected by Ofsted since it became an academy in September 2026. Before that, as Gillingham School (URN 113882), it was rated Good in May 2023. See Gillingham School's inspections
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Sixth Form Performance (A-Level)
After A-Levels - Leaver Destinations
After A-Levels (Year 13) - 178 students
2023/24 data
University & Higher Education Destinations
19%
Top-third university
65%
Degree course
67%
Any L4+ destination
0%
Apprenticeships
Based on 162 students completing 16-18 study
2022/23 cohort - "Top-third" = most selective third of UK universities by student intake
Results at Gillingham School before it became an academy in 2026 (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26Published under the school's previous registration (URN 113882). There are no figures for it in its current form yet, so these are shown separately.
GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Progress 8 has remained stable at around -0.18 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has improved from 46.1 to 46.8 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has remained stable at around 45% (2023 to 2026).
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 1 nearby secondary school
Keep up with Gillingham School
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Gillingham School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Gillingham School is in Dorset; for families living there:
Apply to Dorset for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 17
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 6
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 17 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 6 serious and 11 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot.
5 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 Dorset is 3 (the median across 184 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
Will you get a place at Gillingham School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Gillingham School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Gillingham School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Gillingham School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Dorset, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- How many families in Dorset got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Applications and offers at Gillingham School before it became an academy in 2026
Published under the school's previous registration (URN 113882). There are no figures for it in its current form yet, so these are shown separately.
| Entry year | Places offered | First choices | Named at all | First choices per place | First choices not offered |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 265 | 284 | 369 | 1.1 | 23 |
| 2025 | 253 | 244 | 320 | 1.0 | 0 |
| 2024 | 264 | 265 | 369 | 1.0 | 7 |
| 2023 | 252 | 247 | 349 | 1.0 | 1 |
| 2022 | 280 | 277 | 359 | 1.0 | 5 |
| 2021 | 272 | 273 | 364 | 1.0 | 5 |
| 2020 | 270 | 267 | 360 | 1.0 | 0 |
| 2019 | 277 | 314 | 407 | 1.1 | 38 |
| 2018 | 276 | 266 | 383 | 1.0 | 2 |
| 2017 | 273 | 263 | 382 | 1.0 | 0 |
| 2016 | 275 | 297 | 433 | 1.1 | 24 |
| 2015 | 274 | 282 | 387 | 1.0 | 9 |
| 2014 | 272 | 295 | 407 | 1.1 | 25 |
Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers (school-level file). "Places offered" is the number of offers made on national offer day, which can differ from the school's published admission number.
Capacity & Demand
Area Demand Pressure - Gillingham
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Gillingham
Across Dorset council
Places available
2,797
Applications
2,105
Got 1st preference
97.9%
Got preferred school
99.0%
All secondary applications across Dorset council (2026/27), not just this school.
Absence at Gillingham School before it became an academy in 20262024/25
Published under the school's previous registration (URN 113882). There are no figures for it in its current form yet, so these are shown separately.
9.5%
Overall absence
26.1%
Persistent absence
1,416
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Questions parents ask about Gillingham School
Are there exam results for Gillingham School?
Gillingham School has no published results of its own yet. Before it became an academy in 2026, under its previous registration (URN 113882), its pupils had an average Attainment 8 score of 46.8 and 45% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above in the 2026 GCSE results.
What is Gillingham School's Ofsted rating?
Gillingham School has not been inspected by Ofsted since it became an academy in September 2026. Before that, as Gillingham School (URN 113882), it was rated Good in May 2023.
What is the catchment area for Gillingham School?
No fixed boundary. When Gillingham School is oversubscribed, Dorset allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How do I apply to Gillingham School?
Apply through Dorset's coordinated admissions process, naming Gillingham School on your application. Applications for Year 7 places starting in September 2027 close on Saturday 31 October 2026, and offers are made on Monday 1 March 2027.
How many road collisions happen near Gillingham School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 17 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 6 serious and 11 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot. 5 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 Dorset is 3 (the median across 184 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Gillingham School?
Gillingham School is at Hardings Lane, Gillingham, Dorset, SP8 4QP.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)