Holcombe Grammar School

Holcombe Grammar School has been confirmed to continue its status as a good school during its recent inspection. The school provides a supportive and inclusive environment where pupils feel safe and valued. With a strong attendance rate and a thriving sixth form, students are well-prepared for future endeavors, often progressing to prestigious universities and careers. The school's commitment to personal development reflects positively on its ethos, with initiatives like the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and a focus on students’ mental health being well received by the community.

Strengths

• High-quality curriculum with a wide range of subject offerings.
• Strong subject knowledge and passion among teaching staff.
• Positive attitudes to learning and marked improvement in behaviour.
• Effective support for students with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
• Strong focus on reading for pleasure and literacy development.
• Comprehensive personal development curriculum valued by pupils.
• Well-structured careers guidance programme with individual support.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent teaching assessment and resource utilization affecting learning.

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 Holcombe Grammar School attended 94.6% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 14.1% 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, 6.9% of pupils at Holcombe Grammar School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). One pupil was 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 Holcombe Grammar School had 18.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 13.7% 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, 2.3% of pupils at Holcombe Grammar School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 0.4% 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 Holcombe Grammar School received £6,804 and spent £7,205 for each of its 1,036 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £18,000 (£17 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

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

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

What is Holcombe Grammar School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Holcombe Grammar School is Good, from an inspection in May 2024.

When was Holcombe Grammar School last inspected by Ofsted?

Holcombe Grammar School was last inspected in May 2024.

How many pupils does Holcombe Grammar School have?

Holcombe Grammar School has 1,060 pupils on roll.

What age range does Holcombe Grammar School cover?

Holcombe Grammar School for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Holcombe Grammar School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 59.8, and 82% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Holcombe Grammar School?

Holcombe Grammar School is at Holcombe, Maidstone Road, Chatham, Kent, ME4 6JB.