Medway’s best secondary schools 2025

Trying to find the right school for your child in Medway? You’re in the right place.

With so many options, many parents find themselves drowning in league tables and Ofsted reports. That’s exactly why we’ve done the heavy lifting for you. Our expert team has analysed the latest 2023/2024 Department for Education data to bring you a list of the top-performing state secondary schools in Medway.

We show two ranking tables, one for Progress 8 and one for GCSE 9–7 results, and also provide a complete list of all secondary schools in Medway. This full list includes Progress 8 scores, GCSE 9–7 percentages, and Ofsted ratings where available. The schools in this table are ordered alphabetically rather than ranked, so you can easily see every school in one place, even if some data points are missing.

Top secondary schools in Medway by Progress 8

Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School is currently ranked #1 in Medway based on its published Progress 8 score of +0.9. Progress 8 is a headline accountability measure used by the Department for Education to show how much progress pupils make between the end of primary school and their GCSEs, compared to students with similar prior attainment nationally.

RankSchool nameTypeGenderProgress 8Ofsted ratingGCSE 9-7%
1Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical SchoolAcademy converterBoys+0.9Outstanding55.53%
2The Rochester Grammar SchoolAcademy converterGirls+0.67Good60.86%
3Fort Pitt Grammar SchoolAcademy converterGirls+0.64Outstanding47.76%
4Chatham GrammarAcademy converterGirls+0.36Good33.17%
5Rainham School for GirlsAcademy converterGirls+0.33Good11.97%
6Rainham Mark Grammar SchoolAcademy converterMixed+0.28Good38.67%
7The Howard SchoolAcademy converterBoys+0.24Good7.81%
8The Thomas Aveling SchoolAcademy converterMixed+0.16Good9.28%
9Holcombe Grammar SchoolAcademy converterBoys+0.15Good28.55%
10The Hundred of Hoo AcademyAcademy sponsor ledMixed-0.07Good8.2%
11Strood AcademyAcademy sponsor ledMixed-0.17Good4.34%
12The Victory AcademyAcademy sponsor ledMixed-0.36Good9.25%
13Brompton AcademyAcademy sponsor ledMixed-0.37-7.92%
14St John Fisher Catholic Comprehensive SchoolVoluntary aided schoolMixed-0.55-8.87%
15Rivermead SchoolAcademy special converterMixed-0.9Good0%
16Waterfront UTCUniversity technical collegeMixed-0.9Good3.38%
17The Robert Napier SchoolAcademy sponsor ledMixed-1-0.37%
18Greenacre SchoolAcademy converterBoys-1.04-2.14%
19Walderslade SchoolAcademy converterGirls-1.15-3.06%
20Bradfields AcademyAcademy special converterMixed-1.66Outstanding0%
21INSPIRE Free Special SchoolFree schools specialMixed-1.96Good0%

Note: Rankings use 2023/2024 CSP data for state-funded schools and may not reflect recent changes, check school websites for the latest information.

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Top secondary schools in Medway by GCSE % 9–7

The Rochester Grammar School is currently ranked #1 in Medway based on the percentage of GCSE grades awarded at 9–7. This measure highlights how many pupils achieve the very top exam results, giving a clear picture of each school’s academic excellence.

RankSchool nameTypeGenderProgress 8Ofsted ratingGCSE 9-7%
1The Rochester Grammar SchoolAcademy converterGirls+0.67Good60.86%
2Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical SchoolAcademy converterBoys+0.9Outstanding55.53%
3Fort Pitt Grammar SchoolAcademy converterGirls+0.64Outstanding47.76%
4Rainham Mark Grammar SchoolAcademy converterMixed+0.28Good38.67%
5King's School, RochesterOther independent schoolMixed--37.76%
6Chatham GrammarAcademy converterGirls+0.36Good33.17%
7Holcombe Grammar SchoolAcademy converterBoys+0.15Good28.55%
8Rochester Independent CollegeOther independent schoolMixed--20.61%
9Rainham School for GirlsAcademy converterGirls+0.33Good11.97%
10The Thomas Aveling SchoolAcademy converterMixed+0.16Good9.28%
11The Victory AcademyAcademy sponsor ledMixed-0.36Good9.25%
12St John Fisher Catholic Comprehensive SchoolVoluntary aided schoolMixed-0.55-8.87%
13The Hundred of Hoo AcademyAcademy sponsor ledMixed-0.07Good8.2%
14Brompton AcademyAcademy sponsor ledMixed-0.37-7.92%
15The Howard SchoolAcademy converterBoys+0.24Good7.81%
16Strood AcademyAcademy sponsor ledMixed-0.17Good4.34%
17Waterfront UTCUniversity technical collegeMixed-0.9Good3.38%
18Walderslade SchoolAcademy converterGirls-1.15-3.06%
19Greenacre SchoolAcademy converterBoys-1.04-2.14%
20The Robert Napier SchoolAcademy sponsor ledMixed-1-0.37%
21Bradfields AcademyAcademy special converterMixed-1.66Outstanding0%
22INSPIRE Free Special SchoolFree schools specialMixed-1.96Good0%
23Rivermead SchoolAcademy special converterMixed-0.9Good0%
24Ripplevale School RochesterOther independent special schoolMixed--0%

Note: Rankings use 2023/2024 CSP data for state-funded schools and may not reflect recent changes, check school websites for the latest information.

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All secondary schools in Medway

Below is the complete list of secondary schools in Medway, including both state-funded and independent schools where data is available. This table provides an at-a-glance view of each school’s key performance metrics, including Progress 8 scores, the percentage of GCSE grades awarded at 9–7, and Ofsted ratings, where published.

School nameTypeGenderProgress 8Ofsted ratingGCSE 9-7%
Abbey Court Foundation Special SchoolCommunity special schoolMixed-Outstanding-
Blue Skies SchoolOther independent special schoolMixed---
Bradfields AcademyAcademy special converterMixed-1.66Outstanding0%
Brompton AcademyAcademy sponsor ledMixed-0.37-7.92%
Chatham GrammarAcademy converterGirls+0.36Good33.17%
City of Rochester SchoolOther independent special schoolMixed---
Fort Pitt Grammar SchoolAcademy converterGirls+0.64Outstanding47.76%
Greenacre SchoolAcademy converterBoys-Inadequate-
Greenacre SchoolAcademy converterBoys-1.04-2.14%
Holcombe Grammar SchoolAcademy converterBoys+0.15Good28.55%
INSPIRE Free Special SchoolFree schools specialMixed-1.96Good0%
King's School, RochesterOther independent schoolMixed--37.76%
Leigh Academy RainhamFree schoolsMixed-Good-
Manorway Independent SchoolOther independent special schoolMixed---
Maritime AcademyFree schoolsMixed---
Rainham Mark Grammar SchoolAcademy converterMixed+0.28Good38.67%
Rainham School for GirlsAcademy converterGirls+0.33Good11.97%
Ripplevale School RochesterOther independent special schoolMixed--0%
Rivermead SchoolAcademy special converterMixed-0.9Good0%
Rochester Independent CollegeOther independent schoolMixed--20.61%
Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical SchoolAcademy converterBoys+0.9Outstanding55.53%
St John Fisher Catholic Comprehensive SchoolVoluntary aided schoolMixed-0.55-8.87%
Strood AcademyAcademy sponsor ledMixed-0.17Good4.34%
The GFC SchoolOther independent schoolMixed---
The Howard SchoolAcademy converterBoys+0.24Good7.81%
The Hundred of Hoo AcademyAcademy sponsor ledMixed-0.07Good8.2%
The Robert Napier SchoolAcademy sponsor ledMixed-1-0.37%
The Rochester Grammar SchoolAcademy converterGirls+0.67Good60.86%
The Thomas Aveling SchoolAcademy converterMixed+0.16Good9.28%
The Victory AcademyAcademy sponsor ledMixed-0.36Good9.25%
Walderslade SchoolAcademy converterGirls-Inadequate-
Walderslade SchoolAcademy converterGirls-1.15-3.06%
Waterfront UTCUniversity technical collegeMixed-0.9Good3.38%

Source

Disclaimer

All data on this page is sourced from the Department for Education’s 2023/2024 Compare School Performance dataset. It includes state-funded and, where available, independent secondary schools. Some schools may be missing data for Progress 8 scores, GCSE 9–7 results, or Ofsted ratings due to unpublished or unavailable figures. Rankings are based only on schools with published data and may not reflect recent changes. Please check school websites for the latest information.

How we ranked the best schools in Medway?

Why trust our rankings? Our analysis is based on the latest 2023/2024 data from the Department for Education’s Compare School Performance (CSP) database, which publishes official performance data for all secondary schools in England, including both state-funded and independent schools where available.

We’ve created separate tables to highlight top performers in three key areas:

  • Progress 8 (pupil progress from KS2 to GCSE)
  • GCSE 9–7 grades (academic excellence)
  • Overall school listings, with available Ofsted ratings

Schools are primarily ranked by their Progress 8 score. This clever metric doesn’t just reward schools with high-attaining intakes – it highlights the ones that genuinely support student growth by measuring progress from the end of primary school to GCSEs. It adjusts for prior attainment, making it one of the fairest ways to compare schools.

Where available, we also show the percentage of GCSE grades at 9–7 to reflect high academic achievement, and Ofsted ratings for added context. All figures come directly from CSP’s official dataset.

Where Progress 8 data is not available for any schools in Medway, the corresponding table will not be shown. This simply means that no schools in this area had published Progress 8 scores at the time of the latest dataset, it does not reflect on the quality of the schools themselves.

How to support your child at home

Helping your child succeed at school doesn’t just happen in the classroom, the right support at home can make a big difference. Encourage a regular study routine, provide a quiet space for learning, and take an interest in what they’re covering in lessons. Even small actions, like checking in on homework or discussing what they learned that day, can build motivation and accountability.

If you’re looking for extra structure, our GCSE Revision Resources are designed to make studying easier. With expert-written notes, topic-by-topic exam questions, and mark schemes, your child can practise exactly what they need to know, when they need to know it.

Boosting confidence before exams

Confidence can make a huge difference to exam performance. Start by helping your child identify their strengths and weaknesses, then focus revision time on areas that need improvement. Practising under timed conditions can reduce exam-day nerves, while celebrating small wins along the way builds self-belief.

Our GCSE Exam Practice pages include hundreds of past-paper style questions and worked solutions, so students can walk into their exams knowing exactly what to expect. By building familiarity with the question styles and formats, they’ll feel prepared and ready to perform at their best.

Explore the best secondary schools in other areas

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FAQs - best secondary schools in Medway

Based on the latest Department for Education CSP data, the highest-rated secondary school in Medway is Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School by Progress 8 and The Rochester Grammar School by GCSE 9–7 results. In the case of an exact tie across these measures, the first school in alphabetical order is shown here. For full details and to compare all schools, please refer to the performance tables above.
No. This guide covers state-funded secondary schools only, including grammar, comprehensive, academy, and free schools. Independent/private schools are not included in our rankings.
Applications are usually managed by Kent County Council. You can find deadlines, admissions policies, and catchment area maps on the council’s official website.
Use Ofsted inspection reports, the Department for Education’s CSP performance tables, and our rankings to compare schools side by side. Visit schools during open days for first-hand impressions.
Ofsted rates secondary schools as Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement, or Inadequate. Outstanding secondary schools excel in teaching quality, student behaviour, leadership, and outcomes.
A Progress 8 score above 0 means students make better progress than the national average. Scores above +0.5 indicate well above average progress, while top-performing secondary schools typically achieve +0.7 or higher. The best schools in Medway consistently score above +0.8.

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