The Academy of Woodlands

The Academy of Woodlands is a large primary and nursery school in Gillingham, part of Rivermead Inclusive Trust since 2022. This was its first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic, following significant leadership change and trust oversight that has brought new direction after a period of turbulence. Inspectors found a rapidly improving school providing a good quality of education. Pupils are positive and proud of their work, describe a happy and safe community, and behave well. Aspirations are high, and pupils—including those with SEND and disadvantaged backgrounds—are making much better progress than in the recent past. Strengths include a refreshed and evolving curriculum, secure early reading provision with effective support, strong pastoral care, and a wide extra-curricular offer that builds character and resilience. Early years provision is increasingly preparing children for Year 1, and identification and support for pupils with SEND are largely effective. Safeguarding is effective, staff are positive, and governance arrangements are clear. Attendance is rising, although absence remains a barrier for some pupils. The main concerns are that not all staff deliver the phonics programme precisely enough, which slows progress for some pupils, and that absence rates are still too high for some pupils, affecting their learning over time. A minority of parents are less positive than leaders would like, and the school recognises it needs to better showcase the excellent work underway. All key judgements were good, and no overall effectiveness grade was given under the current inspection framework.

Strengths

• Pupils behave well and staff handle occasional unkind behaviour effectively
• High aspirations and a renewed sense of purpose in learning
• Pupils, including those with SEND and disadvantaged backgrounds, make much better progress
• A refreshed and challenging curriculum, with strong science and mathematics
• Secure early reading provision with effective checks and additional support
• Strong pastoral care and a nurturing environment for vulnerable pupils
• A wide extra-curricular offer that builds character and resilience
• Effective work on diversity, equality and inclusion
• Rising attendance supported by tireless work with families and agencies
• Early years provision increasingly prepares children for Year 1
• Effective identification and support for the growing number of pupils with SEND
• Positive staff views and clear governance from the local advisory board and trust
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

Areas for Improvement

• Some staff do not implement the phonics programme precisely enough, slowing progress for some pupils
• Absence rates remain too high and some pupils fall behind as a result
• A minority of parents are less positive, and the school knows it must better showcase its 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 The Academy of Woodlands attended 93.5% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 18.1% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

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, 1.3% of pupils at The Academy of Woodlands were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). 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 The Academy of Woodlands had 23.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 32.1% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

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, 24.4% of pupils at The Academy of Woodlands were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.4% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

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 primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 The Academy of Woodlands received £7,568 and spent £9,144 for each of its 792 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £501,000 (£633 per pupil).

Across all 6 schools of Rivermead Inclusive Trust, income was £9,787 and spending £10,366 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

The Academy of Woodlands is part of Rivermead Inclusive Trust, which runs 6 schools. The nearest others:

• Rivermead School Gillingham
• Luton Primary School Chatham
• INSPIRE Free Special School Chatham
• Hoo St Werburgh Primary School and the Marlborough Rochester
• Walderslade Primary School Chatham

What is The Academy of Woodlands's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The Academy of Woodlands is Good, from an inspection in May 2025.

When was The Academy of Woodlands last inspected by Ofsted?

The Academy of Woodlands was last inspected in May 2025.

How many pupils does The Academy of Woodlands have?

The Academy of Woodlands has 758 pupils on roll.

What age range does The Academy of Woodlands cover?

The Academy of Woodlands for pupils aged 2 to 11.

What are The Academy of Woodlands's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 69% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is The Academy of Woodlands?

The Academy of Woodlands is at Woodlands Road, Gillingham, Kent, ME7 2DU.