St Margaret's Infant School, Gillingham
St Margaret's Infant School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 7 in Gillingham, part of The Westbrook Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2011. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in May 2025 did not change this grade. It was 96% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2011)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Medway (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
St Margaret's Infant School in detail
Getting a place at St Margaret's Infant School
For September 2026 entry, 67 families put St Margaret's Infant School as their first choice and 195 named it as one of their preferences, for 78 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at St Margaret's Infant School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Margaret's Infant School are St Margaret's Church of England Junior School (under 0.1 miles, Good, 81% reading, 72% maths); 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 SchoolMiers Court Primary SchoolThames View Primary SchoolRiverside Primary School
The trust
St Margaret's Infant School is one of 4 schools run by The Westbrook Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 63% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
What parents say
61 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about St Margaret's Infant School (as of September 2025): 98% would recommend the school, 98% say their child is happy there and 89% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that they are kept well informed about progress (98%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (89%).
Who goes there
10.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 39 pupils (12.5%) received SEN support and 3 (1%) 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.
Staffing
St Margaret's Infant School had 19 teachers in 2026, one for every 14 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
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
St Margaret's Infant School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St Margaret's Infant 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-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year agoThis judgement is from July 2011, 15 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school has improved significantly.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's May 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
St Margaret's provides exceptional care and compassion, making every child feel that they truly matter. The school has lofty ambitions for all pupils and delivers impressive results - by Year 2, pupils produce accurate and accomplished writing, apply mathematical concepts to solve problems, and excel across the curriculum. Teachers provide clear, helpful feedback that turns mistakes into learning opportunities, and pupils are proud to improve their work.
Key Strengths
- Highly effective teaching of early reading with consistent approach from Nursery through Year 1 - pupils become fluent, confident readers
- Well-designed curriculum with strong subject knowledge ensures pupils learn and remember knowledge over time, producing high-quality work
- Excellent behaviour and attitudes to learning - classrooms are purposeful and calm with pupils showing enthusiasm, kindness and respect
- Strong support for pupils with SEND through collaborative work with parents and outside agencies, with tailored resources and adaptations
- Rich personal development programme including leadership roles (Calming Crew, Play Rangers, Eco Squad) and diverse experiences like swimming, community singing and sports events
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with leaders prioritising pupils' best interests and creating a welcoming, reflective approach.
Extracurricular Activities
Calming Crew, Play Rangers, Eco Squad, School Learning Council, community singing, trust sports events, swimming lessons, online safety programme, road safety programme
St Margaret's Infant School has made impressive improvements across all areas since its previous inspection. Pupils flourish with confidence and happiness, achieving highly across the curriculum with excellent behaviour and strong support for all learners.
At a Glance
10.9%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
61 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Class Sizes
26.8
Avg class size
28.0
Infant (KS1)
11
Total classes
1 class 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 Infant School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near St Margaret's Infant 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 Infant School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Margaret's Infant 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
Your chances of a place at St Margaret's Infant School
Will you get a place at St Margaret's Infant School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Margaret's Infant School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Margaret's Infant School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Margaret's Infant School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Medway, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Margaret's Infant School for 2017 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Medway 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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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
96%
Near capacity
260 pupils
270 places
10 spare places 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.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
39
SEN Support
3
EHC Plans
13.5%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
312
Total Pupils
149
Boys
163
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
19
Teachers
16.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,886
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,032
Per pupil
£1493k
Total funding
£61k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.6%
Overall absence
11.6%
Persistent absence
181
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 Infant School
Questions parents ask about St Margaret's Infant School
What is St Margaret's Infant School's Ofsted rating?
St Margaret's Infant School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in May 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in July 2011, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for St Margaret's Infant School?
No fixed boundary. When St Margaret's Infant 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 Infant School?
St Margaret's Infant School was close to full in 2025, at 96% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at St Margaret's Infant School?
Classes at St Margaret's Infant School average 26.8 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to St Margaret's Infant School?
St Margaret's Infant School has around 312 pupils on roll. 11% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Margaret's Infant School?
4.6% of sessions were missed at St Margaret's Infant School in 2024/25. 11.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Margaret's Infant School?
Apply through Medway's coordinated admissions process, naming St Margaret's Infant School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
Does St Margaret's Infant 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 Infant 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 Infant 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 Infant School?
St Margaret's Infant School is at St Margaret's Infant School, Orchard Street, Orchard Street, Gillingham, Kent, ME8 9AE.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)