The Academy of Woodlands, Gillingham
The Academy of Woodlands is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 11 in Gillingham, part of Rivermead Inclusive Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2011. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 12th-highest of the 25 schools in Gillingham with published results, and 9,159th of 14,452 across England. It was full in 2025, at 103% of capacity.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2011)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
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
The Academy of Woodlands in detail
The Academy of Woodlands in its own words
The school runs a breakfast club.
Coming up: an admissions event on Wednesday 18 November 2026 and an admissions event on Wednesday 2 December 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Medway
Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 74% of Year 6 pupils at The Academy of Woodlands 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 rose from 67% in reading and 56% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at The Academy of Woodlands
For September 2026 entry, 68 families put The Academy of Woodlands as their first choice and 158 named it as one of their preferences, for 72 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 The Academy of Woodlands
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to The Academy of Woodlands are Featherby Infant and Nursery School (0.4 miles, Good); Barnsole Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 65% reading, 64% maths); Featherby Junior School (0.5 miles, Good, 72% reading, 74% maths); and Napier Community Primary and Nursery Academy (0.7 miles, Good, 90% reading, 87% maths).
The Academy of Woodlands's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 3 schools.
Featherby Infant and Nursery SchoolBarnsole Primary SchoolFeatherby Junior SchoolNapier Community Primary and Nursery Academy
The trust
The Academy of Woodlands is one of 6 schools run by Rivermead Inclusive Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 64% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
What parents say
135 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about The Academy of Woodlands (as of September 2025): 62% would recommend the school, 74% say their child is happy there and 29% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child does well at the school (78%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (29%).
Who goes there
34.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 185 pupils (24.4%) received SEN support and 26 (3.4%) 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 Gillingham (Kent) Rail Station, about 0.9 miles away in a straight line.
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is The Academy of Woodlands (opposite), 70 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 380 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Medway (250), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, The Academy of Woodlands issued 14 suspensions, 1.8 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to The Academy of Woodlands are The Robert Napier School (0.4 miles), Chatham Grammar (1 mile), Hospital and Medical Tuition Service (1.1 miles) and Rainham Mark Grammar School (1.4 miles).
The Robert Napier SchoolChatham GrammarHospital and Medical Tuition ServiceRainham Mark Grammar School
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; Ofsted Parent View; 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
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 · 2 years agoThis judgement is from October 2011, 15 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's March 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
The Academy of Woodlands has transformed under new leadership and now provides a caring, inclusive environment where all children - including those with special needs and disadvantaged backgrounds - thrive. Staff work tirelessly to support pupils' well-being, and the school offers a wide range of experiences both in and outside lessons. Pupils are proud of their achievements and benefit from high expectations across academics, character development, and creative pursuits.
Key Strengths
- Strong pastoral care and nurturing environment where all pupils, including those with additional vulnerabilities, can flourish
- Pupils from all backgrounds and those with SEND are making much better progress through an evolving curriculum
- Secure work on early reading with effective checks and support for struggling readers
- Well-established outreach work with families and outside agencies supporting pupil well-being
- Excellent early years provision preparing children well for Year 1
Areas for Improvement
- Some staff need more support to deliver the phonics programme precisely and with complete fidelity
- Pupil absence rates remain too high, impacting learning for some children despite ongoing improvement efforts
- Need to better showcase the school's excellent work to enhance communication with all parents
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with the school creating an open and positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Messy play club, music, drama, sporting activities, outside learning sessions, team missions as part of personal development programme, cross-year-group communities at lunchtime
The Academy of Woodlands is a large primary school that has undergone significant positive changes in recent times under new leadership. Pupils are making much better progress through the curriculum, and the school provides a happy, safe community with high aspirations for all learners.
At a Glance
34.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
135 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 67% to 74% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 56% to 72% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 65% to 83% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
26.3
Avg class size
28.8
Infant (KS1)
29.3
KS2
25
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from The Academy of Woodlands
Tour dates for Reception 2027
2 Sep 2026
2 Year old spaces available in the Nursery.
14 Oct 2025
New Catering company from September, 25
23 Jul 2025
Easter Parade
11 Mar 2025
Art Centre Car Park information
11 Mar 2025
World Book Day reading challenge
13 Feb 2025
From The Academy of Woodlands's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with The Academy of Woodlands
Before and after school care
The Academy of Woodlands is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Source: Free breakfast clubs: schools on the programme, Department for Education Free breakfast clubs in Medway
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to The Academy of Woodlands from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. The Academy of Woodlands 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
- 33
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 6
- Children hurt
- 7
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 33 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 6 serious and 27 slight.
7 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 5 on foot and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
8 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 The Academy of Woodlands
Will you get a place at The Academy of Woodlands? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against The Academy of Woodlands's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for The Academy of Woodlands:
- The straight-line distance from your home to The Academy of Woodlands.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Medway, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at The Academy of Woodlands for 2014 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
103%
Over capacity
650 pupils
630 places
20 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.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(4)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
185
SEN Support
26
EHC Plans
27.8%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
758
Total Pupils
384
Boys
374
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
32
Teachers
23.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£46,991
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,336
Per pupil
£4060k
Total funding
£409k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.5%
Overall absence
18.1%
Persistent absence
586
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
Questions parents ask about The Academy of Woodlands
What are SATs results like at The Academy of Woodlands?
Of the pupils at The Academy of Woodlands who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 74% reached the expected standard in reading and 72% did so in maths.
What is The Academy of Woodlands's Ofsted rating?
The Academy of Woodlands's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in October 2011, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for The Academy of Woodlands?
No fixed boundary. When The Academy of Woodlands is oversubscribed, Medway allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at The Academy of Woodlands?
The Academy of Woodlands was full in 2025, at 103% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at The Academy of Woodlands?
Classes at The Academy of Woodlands average 26.3 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to The Academy of Woodlands?
The Academy of Woodlands has around 758 pupils on roll. 35% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at The Academy of Woodlands?
6.5% of sessions were missed at The Academy of Woodlands in 2024/25. 18.1% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to The Academy of Woodlands?
Apply through Medway's coordinated admissions process, naming The Academy of Woodlands 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 The Academy of Woodlands have a breakfast club or after-school club?
The Academy of Woodlands is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school.
How many road collisions happen near The Academy of Woodlands?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 33 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 6 serious and 27 slight. 7 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 5 on foot and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 8 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 The Academy of Woodlands?
The Academy of Woodlands is at Woodlands Road, Gillingham, Kent, ME7 2DU.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)