Leigh Academy Strood, Rochester

Ofsted's report card from its 9 June 2026 inspection grades Leigh Academy Strood on 7 areas: 5 strong standard and 2 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Attendance and behaviour - Strong standard. "Many pupils join the school having had weak attendance in the past."

Curriculum and teaching - Strong standard. "Leaders have a detailed, accurate and insightful understanding of the education they provide."

Inclusion - Strong standard. "Leaders are highly ambitious for the most vulnerable pupils in the school."

Leadership and governance - Strong standard. "Pupils' best interests are at the centre of leaders' decision-making."

Personal development and wellbeing - Strong standard. "Leaders have created a coherent and highly effective personal development programme that is an entitlement for every pupil."

Achievement - Expected standard. "Attainment in national examinations at the end of key stage 4 and key stage 5 has historically been below the national average."

Post 16 provision - Expected standard. "Leaders have an accurate understanding of the strengths and areas for development of the post-16 curriculum."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should sustain the highly effective and embedded approaches to teaching so that all pupils achieve well in national examinations, including students at post-16".

In 2026, pupils at Leigh Academy Strood averaged an Attainment 8 score of 43.7, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 46.3 in Medway and 47 across England.

31% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 44% in Medway and 47% in England.

That is up from 41.2 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.17: pupils made below average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 38.3, against 46 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 7.7 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 22 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Statistics and History.

For September 2026 entry, 199 families put Leigh Academy Strood as their first choice and 497 named it as one of their preferences, for 246 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Leigh Academy Strood are Maritime Academy (1.9 miles); The Rochester Grammar School (2.3 miles, Good, selective, Attainment 8 67.5); Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School (2.3 miles, Outstanding, selective, Attainment 8 69.9); and Fort Pitt Grammar School (2.4 miles, Outstanding, selective, Attainment 8 63).

Each of them had higher 2026 results than Leigh Academy Strood.

Leigh Academy Strood is one of 33 schools run by Leigh Academies Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 47.4 in 2024/25.

Of the 221 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 86% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 46% to a further education college, 3% to an apprenticeship and 2% into work.

Of the 41 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 22% went on to university or other higher education and 46% into work. 3% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

8.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (73%), Black (9%) and Mixed (7%).

Leigh Academy Strood has a resourced provision (25 places, 5 pupils on roll) and a SEN unit (25 places, 5 pupils on roll) for autism.

The nearest railway station is Strood Rail Station, about 1.5 miles away in a straight line.

10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Strood Academy (outside), 240 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 134 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Medway (250).

In 2024/25, Leigh Academy Strood issued 71 suspensions, 5.4 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Leigh Academy Strood are Bligh Primary School (Infants) (0.2 miles), Bligh Primary School (Juniors) (0.2 miles), Elaine Primary School (0.5 miles) and Cedar Children's Academy (0.7 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.