Walderslade School, Chatham
Walderslade School is a secondary school for girls aged 11 to 18 in Chatham, part of Beyond Schools Trust. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 7th-highest of the 7 schools in Chatham with published results, and 3,259th of 3,298 across England. It was 84% full in 2025.
- GCSE results
- Below England average
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 5 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Medway (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Walderslade School in detail
Results
In 2026, pupils at Walderslade School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 29.2, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 46.3 in Medway and 47 across England.
12% 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 29.9.
Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 20.3, against 35.4 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 15.1 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 24 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Art and Design and Social Studies.
Getting a place at Walderslade School
For September 2026 entry, 73 families put Walderslade School as their first choice and 154 named it as one of their preferences, for 112 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state secondary schools to Walderslade School are PGW Partnership of Greenacre and Walderslade (under 0.1 miles); Greenacre School (under 0.1 miles, Attainment 8 29.4); Holcombe Grammar School (1.1 miles, Good, selective, Attainment 8 59.8); and The Victory Academy (1.3 miles, Good, Attainment 8 38.9).
Each of them had higher 2026 results than Walderslade School.
PGW Partnership of Greenacre and WaldersladeGreenacre SchoolHolcombe Grammar SchoolThe Victory Academy
The trust
Walderslade School is one of 10 schools run by Beyond Schools Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 44.9 in 2024/25.
Who goes there
38.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 12.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (71%) and Black (13%).
In 2026, 102 pupils (14.6%) received SEN support and 11 (1.6%) 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.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Chatham Rail Station, about 2 miles away in a straight line.
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Poachers Pocket (outside), 70 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Walderslade School issued 709 suspensions, 88 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 4 permanent exclusions.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to Walderslade School are St Thomas More Roman Catholic Primary School (0.2 miles), Oaklands School (0.3 miles), Maundene School (0.4 miles) and Horsted Junior School (0.6 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
St Thomas More Roman Catholic Primary SchoolOaklands SchoolMaundene SchoolHorsted Junior 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; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); 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
Walderslade School has not been inspected by Ofsted since it took its current form in April 2024. Before that, as Walderslade School (URN 137630), it was rated Inadequate in February 2023.
At a Glance
38.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Attainment 8 has declined from 29.9 to 29.2 (2025 to 2026), while gCSE English & Maths 5+ has remained stable at around 12% (2025 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 29.2 | 12% |
| Disadvantaged(55) | - | 20.3 | 1.8% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(78) | - | 35.4 | 19.2% |
| Girls(133) | - | 29.2 | 12% |
Show more breakdowns (2)
| Known or believed to be other than English(16) | - | 35.2 | 25% |
| Non mobile(111) | - | 30.4 | 12.6% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
+ 4 more subjects
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
Exclusions & Suspensions
4
Permanent exclusions
0.50%
Exclusion rate
709
Suspensions
87.97%
Suspension rate
176 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 806 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby secondary schools
Keep up with Walderslade School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Walderslade School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Walderslade 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
- 16
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 16 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 12 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot.
3 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 Walderslade School
Will you get a place at Walderslade School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Walderslade School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Walderslade School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Walderslade School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Medway, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Walderslade School for 2025 and 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
84%
Available places
794 pupils
949 places
155 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Chatham
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Chatham
Across Medway council
Places available
3,844
Applications
3,586
Got 1st preference
80.4%
Got preferred school
96.8%
All secondary applications across Medway council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
102
SEN Support
11
EHC Plans
16.2%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
697
Total Pupils
0
Boys
697
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
56
Teachers
12.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,215
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,536
Per pupil
£5898k
Total funding
£300k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
12.6%
Overall absence
40.5%
Persistent absence
845
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Walderslade School
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Walderslade School
What are GCSE results like at Walderslade School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Walderslade School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 29.2. 12% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Walderslade School's Ofsted rating?
Walderslade School has not been inspected by Ofsted since it took its current form in April 2024. Before that, as Walderslade School (URN 137630), it was rated Inadequate in February 2023.
What is the catchment area for Walderslade School?
No fixed boundary. When Walderslade 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 Walderslade School?
Walderslade School was not full in 2025: it ran at 84% of its 949 places.
How big are the classes at Walderslade School?
Classes at Walderslade School average 17.4 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Walderslade School?
Walderslade School has around 697 pupils on roll. 39% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Walderslade School?
12.6% of sessions were missed at Walderslade School in 2024/25. 40.5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Walderslade School?
Apply through Medway's coordinated admissions process, naming Walderslade School on your application. Applications for Year 7 places starting in September 2027 close on Saturday 31 October 2026, and offers are made on Monday 1 March 2027.
How many road collisions happen near Walderslade School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 16 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 12 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot. 3 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 Walderslade School?
Walderslade School is at Bradfields Avenue, Walderslade, Chatham, Kent, ME5 0LE.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)