Hempstead Junior School, Gillingham
Hempstead Junior School is a primary school for pupils aged 7 to 11 in Gillingham. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2013. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 4th-highest of the 25 schools in Gillingham with published results, and 4,096th of 14,452 across England. It was full in 2025, at 104% of capacity.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2013)
- Capacity
- Full
- Attendance
- In line with England
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Hempstead Junior School in detail
Results
In 2025, 85% of Year 6 pupils at Hempstead Junior School reached the expected standard in reading and 82% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 74% and 72% in Medway and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 66% in reading and 70% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Hempstead Junior School
Across Medway, 94% of families were offered their first-choice primary school for 2026 entry, and 99% were offered one of the schools they named.
In 2026, families in Medway lodged 48 appeals against primary school offers; 37 reached a hearing and 15 succeeded (40.5% of those heard).
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Hempstead Junior School are Hempstead Infant School (under 0.1 miles, Good); Fairview Community Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 83% reading, 83% maths); Deanwood Primary School (0.9 miles, Good, 41% reading, 41% maths); and St Augustine of Canterbury Catholic Primary School (1.1 miles, Good, 78% reading, 78% maths).
Hempstead Junior School's 2025 results were higher than all 3 of them.
Hempstead Infant SchoolFairview Community Primary SchoolDeanwood Primary SchoolSt Augustine of Canterbury Catholic Primary School
Who goes there
11.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 4.6% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (84%) and Mixed (9%).
In 2026, 50 pupils (13.5%) received SEN support and 7 (1.9%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Rainham (Kent) Rail Station, about 2.2 miles away in a straight line.
9 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Infant School (opposite), 150 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Hempstead Junior School stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 59 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Medway (250).
Suspensions and exclusions
Hempstead Junior School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Hempstead Junior School are Rainham School for Girls (1.4 miles) and The Howard School (1.4 miles).
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoThis judgement is from October 2013, 13 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its October 2013 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
11.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 66% to 85% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 70% to 82% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 74% to 83% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
30.9
Avg class size
30.9
KS2
12
Total classes
10 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Hempstead Junior School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Hempstead Junior School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Hempstead Junior School is in Medway; for families living there:
Apply to Medway for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 8
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 6 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
1 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
104%
Over capacity
373 pupils
360 places
13 pupils over capacity in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Gillingham
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Gillingham
Across Medway council
Places available
3,675
Applications
3,130
Got 1st preference
93.9%
Got preferred school
99.1%
All primary applications across Medway council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
50
SEN Support
7
EHC Plans
15.4%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
371
Total Pupils
195
Boys
176
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
21
Teachers
17.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,683
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,081
Per pupil
£2024k
Total funding
£53k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.5%
Overall absence
11.9%
Persistent absence
378
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Hempstead Junior School
Questions parents ask about Hempstead Junior School
What are SATs results like at Hempstead Junior School?
Of the pupils at Hempstead Junior School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 85% reached the expected standard in reading and 82% did so in maths.
What is Hempstead Junior School's Ofsted rating?
Hempstead Junior School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in October 2013, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Hempstead Junior School?
No fixed boundary. When Hempstead Junior School is oversubscribed, Medway allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Hempstead Junior School?
Hempstead Junior School was full in 2025, at 104% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Hempstead Junior School?
Classes at Hempstead Junior School average 30.9 pupils (2025/26). 10 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Hempstead Junior School?
Hempstead Junior School has around 371 pupils on roll. 11% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Hempstead Junior School?
5.5% of sessions were missed at Hempstead Junior School in 2024/25. 11.9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Hempstead Junior School?
Apply through Medway's coordinated admissions process, naming Hempstead Junior School on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near Hempstead Junior School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 6 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 1 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 Hempstead Junior School?
Hempstead Junior School is at Birch Grove, Hempstead, Gillingham, Kent, ME7 3HJ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)