Rainham School for Girls

Rainham School for Girls is a large secondary school with a sixth form, part of The Kemnal Academies Trust. In its May 2026 full section 5 inspection, it was judged to be reaching a strong standard overall, with safeguarding standards met. Inspectors found pupils achieve well, including in GCSEs, A levels and vocational subjects, and that pupils with SEND or other barriers, including disadvantaged pupils, are well supported and frequently achieve at least in line with their peers. The curriculum is broad and well structured, teachers check understanding carefully, and sixth-form students benefit from a seamless curriculum and strong support. Leadership and governance are notable strengths: leaders act in pupils' best interests, have an accurate view of quality, and governors and trustees know the school well. Staff are positive about workload and professional development, and parents are overwhelmingly positive. Pupils attend well, behave respectfully and feel safe; pastoral care and careers education are particular strengths. The main areas for development are personal development and attendance: although provision is well tailored, some pupils' understanding of protected characteristics and fundamental British values is less developed, and leaders should continue refining support for persistently absent pupils. Attendance and behaviour and personal development and wellbeing are currently at expected standard, while achievement, curriculum and teaching, inclusion, leadership and governance, and post-16 provision are strong.

Strengths

• Pupils achieve well across GCSEs, A levels and vocational subjects.
• Pupils with SEND and other barriers, including disadvantaged pupils, are well supported and achieve at least as well as peers.
• The curriculum is broad, well structured and meets pupils' needs, with strong GCSE and A level options.
• Teachers have detailed subject knowledge and use precise assessment to address gaps in learning.
• Reading and foundational knowledge are prioritised, with targeted support for pupils who need extra help.
• Sixth-form students flourish because the curriculum builds seamlessly on lower school study.
• Leaders and governors have an accurate understanding of school quality and act in pupils' best interests.
• Staff workload is well managed and professional development is closely mapped to school development needs.
• Pupils attend frequently, behave well and build positive relationships with staff and each other.
• Pastoral care is impactful and tailored, helping vulnerable pupils thrive.
• Careers education is a strength, preparing pupils well for next steps, apprenticeships and university.
• The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding.

Areas for Improvement

• Some pupils' understanding of protected characteristics and fundamental British values is less well developed.
• Personal development teaching is not consistently of the same impactful quality across all aspects.
• Leaders should continue refining attendance support processes for persistently absent pupils.

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 Rainham School for Girls attended 91.4% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 25.9% 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, 3.4% of pupils at Rainham School for Girls were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 2 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 Rainham School for Girls had 18.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 8.4% 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, 14.3% of pupils at Rainham School for Girls were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 1.7% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

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 Rainham School for Girls received £6,244 and spent £7,005 for each of its 1,625 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £729,000 (£449 per pupil).

Across all 45 schools of The Kemnal Academies Trust, income was £8,501 and spending £8,452 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 Gillingham · Medway local authority: places and applications

Rainham School for Girls is part of The Kemnal Academies Trust, which runs 45 schools. The nearest others:

• Napier Community Primary and Nursery Academy Gillingham
• Pluckley Church of England Primary School Ashford
• Smarden Primary School Ashford
• Horizon Primary Academy Swanley
• Orchards Academy Swanley
• Shenstone School Crayford
• Royal Park Primary Academy Sidcup
• Cleeve Park School Sidcup
• Cleeve Meadow School Sidcup
• Gray's Farm Primary Academy Orpington

What is Rainham School for Girls's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Rainham School for Girls is Expected standard, from an inspection in July 2026.

When was Rainham School for Girls last inspected by Ofsted?

Rainham School for Girls was last inspected in July 2026.

How many pupils does Rainham School for Girls have?

Rainham School for Girls has 1,622 pupils on roll.

What age range does Rainham School for Girls cover?

Rainham School for Girls for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Rainham School for Girls's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 44.8, and 29% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Rainham School for Girls?

Rainham School for Girls is at Derwent Way, Rainham, Gillingham, Kent, ME8 0BX.