The Howard School

The Howard School is a large secondary school with a sixth form, part of The Howard Academy Trust, and was inspected in February 2026. It performs strongly across most areas: personal development and wellbeing are exceptional, with a transformational programme that includes pupil-led lessons on misogyny and highly effective careers education. Attendance is above national averages, persistent absence is below, and behaviour is excellent, with a calm, respectful culture where disruption is very rare. The curriculum is ambitious and well sequenced, teaching is highly effective, and inclusion is strong, with swift identification of needs, effective use of additional funding, and tailored support that helps pupils overcome barriers to learning. Safeguarding is met.

Strengths

• Personal development and wellbeing programme is exceptional and consistently delivered across all phases
• Pupils develop deep knowledge of the personal development curriculum and can relate it to their own lives
• Wider opportunities and enrichment are strategically planned and attended exceptionally well, including by disadvantaged pupils
• Careers education is integral, with pupils progressing to ambitious destinations
• Pastoral support, especially for pupils previously permanently excluded, is transformational
• Attendance is above national averages and persistent absence is below national averages
• Pupils' conduct is excellent, disruption is very rare, and discrimination is not tolerated
• The curriculum is ambitious, well sequenced, and supports pupils to build securely on prior learning
• Teaching is highly effective, with teachers who are experts in their subjects and who adapt learning skilfully
• Reading, writing and mathematics catch-up strategies are effective, including phonics for weakest readers
• Inclusion is strong, with quick and accurate identification of needs and effective use of external agencies
• Leaders use additional funding appropriately and very effectively to support disadvantaged pupils
• Leadership and governance are strong, with trustees holding leaders to account well and prioritising staff wellbeing
• Professional development is highly effective, evidence-informed and supports school improvement
• Pupils feel happy, safe and proud to be part of the school community and live the school's values

Areas for Improvement

• Pupils' overall progress in some areas is not consistently above national averages
• A-level attainment is slightly lower than national averages, and published outcomes in the sixth form do not yet reflect high-quality teaching
• Leaders should embed changes to the sixth-form curriculum so all students achieve consistently high outcomes
• GCSE outcomes in English and maths (grade 5 or above) are below national averages
• Disadvantaged pupils' performance gap in English and maths GCSE remains large compared with non-disadvantaged pupils nationally

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 Howard School attended 93.4% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 19.3% 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, 3.5% of pupils at The Howard School 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 The Howard School had 16.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 15.8% 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, 13.3% of pupils at The Howard School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 1.8% 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 The Howard School received £7,397 and spent £7,387 for each of its 1,535 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £672,000 (£438 per pupil).

Across all 8 schools of The Howard Academy Trust, income was £7,563 and spending £7,548 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 Howard School is part of The Howard Academy Trust, which runs 8 schools. The nearest others:

• Thames View Primary School Gillingham
• Miers Court Primary School Rainham
• Deanwood Primary School Gillingham
• Waterfront UTC Chatham
• Temple Mill Primary School Rochester
• The Abbey School Faversham
• Hurstmere School Sidcup

What is The Howard School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The Howard School is Expected standard, from an inspection in June 2026.

When was The Howard School last inspected by Ofsted?

The Howard School was last inspected in June 2026.

How many pupils does The Howard School have?

The Howard School has 1,471 pupils on roll.

What age range does The Howard School cover?

The Howard School for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are The Howard School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 47.3, and 36% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is The Howard School?

The Howard School is at Derwent Way, Rainham, Gillingham, Kent, ME8 0BX.