St Margaret's Church of England Junior School, Gillingham
St Margaret's Church of England Junior School is a primary school for pupils aged 7 to 11 in Gillingham, part of Medway Anglican Schools Trust. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in December 2013. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in September 2023 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 9th-highest of the 25 schools in Gillingham with published results, and 7,614th of 14,452 across England. It was full in 2025, at 101% of capacity.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2013)
- Capacity
- Full
- Attendance
- In line with England
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
St Margaret's Church of England Junior School in detail
St Margaret's Church of England Junior School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "Welcome to St Margaret's Church of England Junior School we pride ourselves on being one big family. A family that loves and cares for all members of our community, where our children receive an ambitious and inclusive curriculum. Our approach enables our community to thrive intellectually, spiritually, socially and culturally."
The school runs a breakfast club.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 81% of Year 6 pupils at St Margaret's Church of England Junior School reached the expected standard in reading and 72% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 74% and 72% in Medway and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 79% in reading and 82% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at St Margaret's Church of England 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 St Margaret's Church of England Junior School are St Margaret's Infant School (under 0.1 miles, Good); Miers Court Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 71% reading, 73% maths); Thames View Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 88% reading, 92% maths); and Riverside Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 61% reading, 62% maths).
St Margaret's Church of England Junior School's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 3 schools.
St Margaret's Infant SchoolMiers Court Primary SchoolThames View Primary SchoolRiverside Primary School
The trust
St Margaret's Church of England Junior School is one of 4 schools run by Medway Anglican Schools Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 62% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
Who goes there
6.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (76%), Black (9%) and Asian (5%).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Rainham (Kent) Rail Station, about 700 metres away (roughly a 9-minute walk).
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Holding Street (adjacent), 280 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 126 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).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St Margaret's Church of England Junior School issued 2 suspensions, 0.5 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St Margaret's Church of England Junior School are Rainham School for Girls (0.5 miles), The Howard School (0.5 miles), Rainham Mark Grammar School (0.8 miles) and Leigh Academy Rainham (0.8 miles).
Rainham School for GirlsThe Howard SchoolRainham Mark Grammar SchoolLeigh Academy Rainham
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; 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
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoThis judgement is from December 2013, 12 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 December 2013 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
20.1%
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 remained stable at around 81% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 82% to 72% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 79% to 72% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
30.2
Avg class size
30.2
KS2
10
Total classes
3 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with St Margaret's Church of England Junior School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near St Margaret's Church of England Junior School.
- Rainbow Pre-School and Out of School Club550m away · Ofsted: Good
- First Class Learning Gillingham South Ltd750m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Margaret's Church of England Junior School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Margaret's Church of England 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
- 27
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 7
- Children hurt
- 7
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 27 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 7 serious and 20 slight.
7 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot, 2 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
11 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
101%
Over capacity
362 pupils
360 places
2 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(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
43
SEN Support
13
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
363
Total Pupils
188
Boys
175
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
16
Teachers
22.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£44,381
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£4,955
Per pupil
£1956k
Total funding
£100k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.4%
Overall absence
9.5%
Persistent absence
368
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
St Margaret's Church of England Junior School
Questions parents ask about St Margaret's Church of England Junior School
What are SATs results like at St Margaret's Church of England Junior School?
Of the pupils at St Margaret's Church of England Junior School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 81% reached the expected standard in reading and 72% did so in maths.
What is St Margaret's Church of England Junior School's Ofsted rating?
St Margaret's Church of England Junior School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in September 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in December 2013, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for St Margaret's Church of England Junior School?
No fixed boundary. When St Margaret's Church of England 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 St Margaret's Church of England Junior School?
St Margaret's Church of England Junior School was full in 2025, at 101% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at St Margaret's Church of England Junior School?
Classes at St Margaret's Church of England Junior School average 30.2 pupils (2025/26). 3 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to St Margaret's Church of England Junior School?
St Margaret's Church of England Junior School has around 363 pupils on roll. 20% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Margaret's Church of England Junior School?
4.4% of sessions were missed at St Margaret's Church of England Junior School in 2024/25. 9.5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Margaret's Church of England Junior School?
Apply through Medway's coordinated admissions process, naming St Margaret's Church of England 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.
Does St Margaret's Church of England Junior School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists 2 out-of-school clubs within a kilometre of St Margaret's Church of England Junior School: Rainbow Pre-School and Out of School Club (550m away, rated Good by Ofsted) and First Class Learning Gillingham South Ltd (750m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near St Margaret's Church of England Junior School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 27 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 7 serious and 20 slight. 7 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot, 2 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 11 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 St Margaret's Church of England Junior School?
St Margaret's Church of England Junior School is at Orchard Street, Rainham, Gillingham, Kent, ME8 9AE.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)