Rainham School for Girls, Gillingham

Ofsted's report card from its 19 May 2026 inspection grades Rainham School for Girls 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.

Achievement - Strong standard. "Pupils are well prepared for their next steps."

Curriculum and teaching - Strong standard. "Leaders have ensured that the curriculum meets the needs of pupils."

Inclusion - Strong standard. "Leaders and teachers have positive and high ambition for pupils, regardless of any barriers that they may face."

Leadership and governance - Strong standard. "Leaders unfailingly act in the best interests of pupils."

Post 16 provision - Strong standard. "Many of the high-quality processes and structures seen in the lower school are also present in the sixth form, including the very effective support that is in place for students with barriers to their learning."

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Pupils attend school frequently, and those who find this more difficult are supported to recognise the importance of regular attendance and to attend more."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Personal development and wellbeing are central aspects of the school's work."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that the personal development curriculum is consistently impactful, leading to pupils being able to apply a broad and secure knowledge of aspects such as protected characteristics and fundamental British values to their daily lives and experiences"; "Leaders should continue to prioritise enabling all pupils to attend as frequently as possible, particularly those who are persistently absent, through the continued development and refinement of attendance support processes".

In 2026, pupils at Rainham School for Girls averaged an Attainment 8 score of 44.8, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 46.3 in Medway and 47 across England.

29% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 44% in Medway and 47% in England.

That is in line with 2025, when the score was 44.3.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.33: pupils made above 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 40.9, against 46.1 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 5.2 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 26 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Social Studies and History.

For September 2026 entry, 265 families put Rainham School for Girls as their first choice and 574 named it as one of their preferences, for 263 places offered. That is slightly more first choices than places. 37 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Rainham School for Girls are The Howard School (under 0.1 miles, Good, Attainment 8 47.3); Rainham Mark Grammar School (0.6 miles, Good, selective, Attainment 8 63.1); Leigh Academy Rainham (1.4 miles, Good, Attainment 8 44.5); and The Robert Napier School (1.7 miles, Good, Attainment 8 30.2).

Rainham School for Girls's 2026 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.

Rainham School for Girls is one of 45 schools run by The Kemnal Academies Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 38.2 in 2024/25.

Of the 281 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 91% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 41% to a further education college, 1% to an apprenticeship and 1% into work.

Of the 134 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 42% went on to university or other higher education, 10% to apprenticeships and 29% into work. 1% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

9.2% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (75%) and Black (9%).

In 2026, 232 pupils (14.3%) received SEN support and 27 (1.7%) 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 a specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia.

The nearest railway station is Rainham (Kent) Rail Station, about 0.9 miles away in a straight line.

In August 2026, police recorded 155 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and other theft. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Medway (250).

In 2024/25, Rainham School for Girls issued 226 suspensions, 13.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 2 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Rainham School for Girls are St Margaret's Church of England Junior School (0.5 miles), St Margaret's Infant School (0.5 miles), Thames View Primary School (0.7 miles) and St Thomas of Canterbury RC Primary School (0.7 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.