The Victory Academy

The Victory Academy is performing well with an overall effectiveness rating of good. The school offers a welcoming environment where strong relationships between staff and students contribute to a positive learning atmosphere. Most students enjoy their education, with comprehensive support for those who struggle academically. Leaders have made notable improvements in the curriculum, increasing participation in modern foreign languages and ensuring a broad range of subjects are available that promote progressively complex knowledge and skills. High standards for behaviour and well-being are also emphasized, although there are areas for improvement in communication regarding bullying incidents and reading support for the weakest readers.

Strengths

• Strong relationships between staff and pupils
• Welcoming and caring school environment
• High standards for learning and behaviour
• Broad curriculum with a focus on progressive learning
• Effective support for pupils with SEND
• Strong emphasis on reading and well-being initiatives
• Robust pastoral support for pupils

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent implementation of curriculum across subjects
• Management of pupil behaviour lacks uniformity
• Staff need more training to support weak readers effectively
• Poor communication regarding bullying resolution

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at The Victory Academy attended 90.2% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 27.2% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 7.7% of pupils at The Victory Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 9 pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 The Victory Academy had 15.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 12.3% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 14.8% of pupils at The Victory Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 2.6% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

The school has resourced provision with 5 pupils.

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 The Victory Academy received £8,317 and spent £8,020 for each of its 1,224 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £446,000 (£364 per pupil).

Across all 19 schools of The Thinking Schools Academy Trust, income was £8,363 and spending £8,363 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Chatham · Medway local authority: places and applications

The Victory Academy is part of The Thinking Schools Academy Trust, which runs 25 schools. The nearest others:

• New Horizons Children's Academy Chatham
• Holcombe Grammar School Chatham
• The Rochester Grammar School Rochester
• All Faiths Children's Academy Rochester
• Maritime Academy Rochester
• Cedar Children's Academy Rochester
• Gordons Children's Academy, Junior Rochester
• Gordons Children's Academy, Infant Rochester
• Goodwin Academy Deal
• Colchester Royal Grammar School Colchester

What is The Victory Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The Victory Academy is Good, from an inspection in May 2023.

When was The Victory Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

The Victory Academy was last inspected in May 2023.

How many pupils does The Victory Academy have?

The Victory Academy has 1,213 pupils on roll.

What age range does The Victory Academy cover?

The Victory Academy for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are The Victory Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 38.9, and 25% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is The Victory Academy?

The Victory Academy is at Magpie Hall Road, Chatham, Kent, ME4 5JB.