Rainham Mark Grammar School

Rainham Mark Grammar School is performing well overall, rated as 'Good' in all inspected areas, including the quality of education and leadership. The school has undergone significant changes in leadership recently, which has fostered a renewed focus on curricular improvements and teaching consistency. Pupils express a strong appreciation for their knowledgeable teachers and the school's emphasis on academic success, alongside a robust offering of extra-curricular activities. However, the report notes areas for improvement, particularly in identifying pupils who need support with reading and ensuring all students receive personal careers guidance.

Strengths

• Strong focus on academic success
• Passionate and knowledgeable teachers
• Effective personal, social, health and economic education program
• Wide range of extra-curricular activities
• Pupil leadership and mentoring opportunities
• Calm and orderly behavior in classes

Areas for Improvement

• Slow identification of pupils needing extra reading support
• Not all pupils receive personal careers guidance
• Many pupils unaware of extra-curricular club offerings

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 Mark Grammar School attended 94.6% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 9.7% 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, 3.2% of pupils at Rainham Mark Grammar School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). No 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 Mark Grammar School had 19.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 3.8% 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, 6.2% of pupils at Rainham Mark 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 Rainham Mark Grammar School received £6,798 and spent £8,703 for each of its 1,551 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,865,000 (£1,203 per pupil).

Across all 18 schools of Aletheia Academies Trust, income was £5,972 and spending £6,275 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 Mark Grammar School is part of Aletheia Academies Trust, which runs 19 schools. The nearest others:

• Twydall Primary School and Nursery Gillingham
• Riverside Primary School Gillingham
• Cliffe Woods Primary School Rochester
• Halling Primary School Rochester
• Shorne Church of England Primary School Gravesend
• Ditton Church of England Junior School Aylesford
• Gravesend Grammar School Gravesend
• Whitehill Primary School Gravesend
• Holy Trinity Church of England Primary School Gravesend
• Saint George's Church of England School Gravesend

What is Rainham Mark Grammar School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Rainham Mark Grammar School is Good, from an inspection in July 2022.

When was Rainham Mark Grammar School last inspected by Ofsted?

Rainham Mark Grammar School was last inspected in July 2022.

How many pupils does Rainham Mark Grammar School have?

Rainham Mark Grammar School has 1,568 pupils on roll.

What age range does Rainham Mark Grammar School cover?

Rainham Mark Grammar School for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Rainham Mark Grammar School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 63.1, and 89% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Rainham Mark Grammar School?

Rainham Mark Grammar School is at Pump Lane, Rainham, Gillingham, Kent, ME8 7AJ.