Gravesend Grammar School

Gravesend Grammar School is a strong school where pupils feel happy, safe and well supported. Inspectors found the curriculum to be broad, balanced and carefully sequenced, with calm and purposeful lessons, high expectations of behaviour, and exceptionally positive relationships between staff and pupils. Personal development is a particular strength, supported by an extensive extra-curricular programme, a well-structured careers programme and strong character education. The sixth form is also good, with students benefiting from personalised university preparation and high-quality academic support. The school meets the needs of pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils well, promotes reading effectively, and has effective safeguarding arrangements. Attendance is excellent and pupils demonstrate mature, respectful behaviour. Staff well-being is a priority, and teachers value the collaborative and supportive culture. The school joined the Aletheia Academies Trust in March 2025, and the trust is already helping to refine evaluation and improvement systems. There are a small number of areas for improvement. Professional development to deepen teachers’ pedagogical knowledge is not yet embedded consistently, so some pupils could achieve even more highly. In addition, some self-evaluation and improvement strategies are not sharp enough, meaning leaders and governors are not always fully clear about the effectiveness of certain aspects of the school’s work.

Strengths

• Broad, balanced and thoughtfully sequenced curriculum
• Calm, purposeful lessons with passionate and expert teaching
• Pupils regularly recall and rehearse knowledge effectively
• Accurate identification and skilled support for pupils with SEND
• Disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND achieve well
• Effective reading support and a strong reading-for-pleasure culture
• Outstanding behaviour and exceptionally positive staff-pupil relationships
• Excellent attendance across the school
• Personal development programme is a shining strength
• Extensive extra-curricular programme that promotes inclusion
• Highly effective careers information, advice and guidance
• Strong sixth-form support and aspirational university preparation
• Knowledgeable governors provide effective oversight
• Staff well-being is prioritised and teachers feel well supported
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

Areas for Improvement

• Professional development to refine teachers’ pedagogical knowledge is not yet embedded consistently, so not all pupils achieve as well as they could
• Strategies for deepening learning sometimes need finessing, including in the sixth form
• Some self-evaluation and improvement strategies are not sharply focused enough
• Leaders and governors are not always fully clear on the effectiveness of some aspects of the school’s work

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 Gravesend Grammar School attended 95.2% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 8.4% 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, 0.6% of pupils at Gravesend 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 Gravesend Grammar School had 18.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 2.7% 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, 4.0% of pupils at Gravesend Grammar School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 0.3% 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 2023–24 Gravesend Grammar School received £5,998 and spent £5,813 for each of its 1,465 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £845,000 (£577 per pupil).

Across all 18 schools of Aletheia Academies Trust, income was £6,271 and spending £6,423 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 Gravesend · Kent local authority: places and applications

Gravesend Grammar School is part of Aletheia Academies Trust, which runs 19 schools. The nearest others:

• Holy Trinity Church of England Primary School Gravesend
• Whitehill Primary School Gravesend
• Saint George's Church of England School Gravesend
• Rosherville Church of England Academy Gravesend
• St Botolph's Church of England Primary School Gravesend
• Shorne Church of England Primary School Gravesend
• Sedley's Church of England Primary School Gravesend
• Alkerden Church of England Academy Ebbsfleet Valley
• Cliffe Woods Primary School Rochester
• Stone St Mary's CofE Primary School Greenhithe

What is Gravesend Grammar School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Gravesend Grammar School is Good, from an inspection in May 2025.

When was Gravesend Grammar School last inspected by Ofsted?

Gravesend Grammar School was last inspected in May 2025.

How many pupils does Gravesend Grammar School have?

Gravesend Grammar School has 1,495 pupils on roll.

What age range does Gravesend Grammar School cover?

Gravesend Grammar School for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Gravesend Grammar School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 67.9, and 98% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Gravesend Grammar School?

Gravesend Grammar School is at Church Walk, Gravesend, Kent, DA12 2PR.