In short: Most primary schools here are rated Good or better, about the same as across England. Results at 11 are close to England, and results at 16 were close to England in 2026. Attendance is close to the England figure.
Gillingham (Medway) at a glance
Close to England on most measures
How Gillingham (Medway)'s schools compare with England, area by area.
Schools and nurseries6425 primary · 7 secondary · 29 nurseries
Primaries Good or better95%England 96%
Met the standard at 1161%England 62%
Grade 5 in English and maths35%Attainment 8 44.1, England 46.2
Free school meals, primary26%A sign of family income
Missed a lot of school18%England 18%
Top-rated
The highest-rated schools in Gillingham (Medway)
Primary and secondary schools are ranked by Eduscope score, which weighs up results, inspections, attendance and more. Nurseries, special and independent schools aren't ranked. A high score isn't everything: always visit.
Inspections, exam results and attendance, next to the figure for England where we have it.
Worked out by Eduscope from each school's published figures. Not an official statistic for this town.
Numbers that sum up Gillingham (Medway)
Gillingham (Medway)England
Primaries rated Good or Outstanding
Latest Ofsted grade, 21 primaries with one.
95%
England 96%
Close to England
Secondaries rated Good or Outstanding
3 of the 3 with a grade.
100%
England 93%
Above England
Met the expected standard at 11
Reading, writing and maths.
61%
England 62%
Close to England
Grade 5 or above in English and maths
At GCSE.
35%
Pupils who miss a lot of school
Missed 1 in 10 days or more. Lower is better.
18%
England 18%
Close to England
Primary pupils on free school meals
A sign of family income, not of school quality.
26%
Ofsted grades
Latest graded inspection for the 26 schools that have one.
96%
Good or Outstanding
Outstanding0
Good25
Requires improvement1
Inadequate0
How it has changed
Gillingham (Medway) in blue. There were no tests in 2020 and 2021 because of Covid.
Met the expected standard at 1161% in 2025. England now 62% (dashed line).Grade 5 or above in English and maths35% in 2026.Pupils who miss a lot of school18% in 2025. England now 18% (dashed line).
Living here
What it's like for families
Gillingham (Medway) has 64 schools and nurseries.
There are 12% more pupils than in 2018.
26% of primary pupils here get free school meals. Schools get extra money for each of them.
Pupil numbers
Pupils in Gillingham (Medway)'s state schools each January.
17.4k2018
17.5k2019
18.3k2021
18.8k2022
19.0k2023
19.4k2024
19.5k2025
19.5k2026
Up 12% since 2018. More children can mean popular schools fill up faster.
Free school meals
Out of every 10 primary pupils, how many get free school meals. It's a sign of family income, not of school quality.
Gillingham (Medway)26%
Dates to know
Apply through your local council, even for academies and faith schools.
31 OctSecondary deadlineFor children starting Year 7.
15 JanPrimary deadlineFor children starting Reception.
1 MarSecondary offersOffers day for Year 7 places.
16 AprPrimary offersOffers day for Reception places.
Keep up with schools in Gillingham (Medway)
Follow any school and we'll email you when it gets a new Ofsted report or new results are out. Nothing else.
Gillingham (Medway) has 64 schools, including 27 primary schools, 9 secondary schools, 29 nurseries, 1 independent school, 3 special schools. Some count in more than one group. You can browse each category using the filters on Eduscope.
What are the best schools in Gillingham (Medway)?+
The highest-ranked schools in Gillingham (Medway) on Eduscope are Rainham Mark Grammar School, Fairview Community Primary School, Napier Community Primary and Nursery Academy. We rank each state school against schools of the same phase across England on its Ofsted inspection, results and attendance. Independent, special and nursery schools aren't ranked.
What percentage of schools in Gillingham (Medway) are rated Good or Outstanding?+
96% of inspected schools in Gillingham (Medway) hold a Good or Outstanding Ofsted rating, which is above the England average of 94.8%. This includes 0 schools rated Outstanding and 25 rated Good.
How do primary schools in Gillingham (Medway) perform at Key Stage 2?+
Across primary schools in Gillingham (Medway), 61% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing, and maths at Key Stage 2. This is based on the latest published results from the Department for Education.
What is the average pupil-teacher ratio in Gillingham (Medway)?+
The average pupil-teacher ratio across schools in Gillingham (Medway) is 19.0:1. While not a direct measure of class size, this indicates the level of teaching resource available per pupil. Across England it is 17.9:1.
What is the persistent absence rate in Gillingham (Medway) schools?+
The persistent absence rate across schools in Gillingham (Medway) is 18.1%. A pupil is classed as persistently absent if they miss 10% or more of school sessions. Across England it is 18.1%.
How many pupils attend schools in Gillingham (Medway)?+
There are 19,455 pupils enrolled across schools in Gillingham (Medway), with 10,839 in primary and 8,616 in secondary. 25.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals.
How many private schools are in Gillingham (Medway)?+
There is 1 independent school in Gillingham (Medway), a special school for children with special educational needs, where councils usually pay the fees. You can compare it on Eduscope, including inspection reports where available.
How do I choose the right school in Gillingham (Medway)?+
Start by considering your child's age, your location, and whether you prefer a state or independent school. Use Eduscope to compare 64 schools in Gillingham (Medway) by Ofsted ratings, exam results, and distance. Filter by school type, gender, religious character, and admissions policy to narrow your options.
Sources: DfE school performance tables, DfE school census and workforce, DfE pupil absence, Ofsted. Photos are stand-ins.
