Rainham School for Girls
104%
Capacity
1,625
Pupils
2.2x
Demand
About Rainham School for Girls
Rainham School for Girls is a large state secondary in Medway that delivers academic results comfortably above the local average. Its Progress 8 score of 0.33 means pupils here achieve nearly a third of a grade more per subject than students in similar schools nationally, and it sits well above the Medway LA average of -0.1. That places the school 5th out of 18 secondary schools in the borough, putting it in the top quarter of Medway schools. It’s also ranked 123rd out of 461 secondaries in the South East region and 783rd nationally out of 3,141 schools. The school is oversubscribed by a wide margin — 599 applications for 268 places in 2025/26 — and 224 of those offers went to first-preference families, which suggests strong local confidence. Headteacher Vicki Shaw leads a girls-only, non-denominational school that also runs its own sixth form.
At GCSE, the school’s Attainment 8 score is 46.1, and 64.4% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in both English and maths. The EBacc average point score is 3.96, with 44.1% of pupils entering the EBacc suite of subjects. The Progress 8 breakdown shows strongest gains in open subjects (0.75) and English (0.25), while maths progress is slightly negative at -0.05. In the sixth form, the school’s value-added score of 0.16 is rated ‘above average’, and the average points per entry grade is a C. The best three A-levels average out at grade C, with 3% of entries achieving AAB or higher. Ofsted last inspected the school in 2022 and confirmed it remains Good, with leadership and management, sixth-form provision, and overall effectiveness all rated Good — the same rating it held in its previous graded inspection in 2016.
The school is well equipped for a large student body of 1,625 pupils, with facilities including a swimming pool, sports hall, gymnasium, astro turf, tennis courts, and playing fields. There’s also a chapel and a dedicated sixth form centre. Sports on offer include swimming, athletics, netball, gymnastics, cricket, and martial arts, while clubs range from chess and debate to the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and Young Enterprise. The school’s SEND provision covers a broad spectrum, including support for dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social and emotional needs, speech and language challenges, hearing and visual impairments, physical disabilities, and autistic spectrum disorder. With 19.1% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a diverse intake. It’s a good fit for families who want a large, academically solid girls’ school with a strong sixth form and a wide range of extracurricular options, particularly those who value swimming and team sports.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 18 years |
| Gender | Girls |
| Religious Character | Does not apply |
| Address | Derwent Way, Gillingham, Medway, ME8 0BX |
| Headteacher | Vicki Shaw |
| Local Authority | Medway |
| Number of Pupils | 1,625 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 19.1% |
| School Capacity | 1,625 / 1,558 (104% full) |
| Sixth Form | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
21 Apr 2022Overall Effectiveness
Good
Latest inspection (21 Apr 2022): School remains Good
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 27 May 2016. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (+0.33)
783rd of 3,141
Nationally
123rd of 461
In South East
5th of 18
In Medway
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make more progress than similar students nationally
Attainment 8 (vs national avg)
Students achieve significantly higher grades than the national average
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. Progress 8 compares to students with similar Key Stage 2 results.
A-Level Results
2023/24Average Points per Entry
Value Added Score
Best 3 A-Levels (Average)
'21/22
31.1
'22/23
27.0
'23/24
29.3
Source: Department for Education 16-18 Performance Tables, 2023/24. Value Added measures progress compared to students with similar GCSE results.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/2360%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 268 pupils).
- School sixth form (stay)60%
- FE college29%
- Apprenticeship5%
- Not sustained3%
- Employment2%
97% of leavers had a sustained destination 6 months on.
Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance, KS4 pupil destinations 2022/23 (revised). Only state-funded schools are required to report.
Where school leavers go
2022/2356%
of A-level / Level 3 leavers go to higher education (cohort: 153 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
2%
Russell Group
3%
Top-third HE
Percentages of the whole cohort (not just HE-goers). Russell Group = 24 elite research universities. Top-third HE = top by mean UCAS tariff.
- University (HE)56%
- Employment27%
- Not sustained7%
- Apprenticeship5%
- Further education2%
Sources: DfE 16-18 destination measures (broad bucket); DfE KS5 student destinations file (Russell Group / top-third HE / Oxbridge). Level 3 cohort. “Sustained” means the pupil was in education, apprenticeship or employment for 6 months in the year following completion.
Sixth form A-level subjects
2022/23- Psychology45
- Sociology22
- Law20
- English Language and Literature14
- English Literature14
- Media/Film/Tv Studies14
- Biology11
- Art and Design (Graphics)9
- Art and Design (Photography)9
- Chemistry9
- Art and Design (Fine Art)8
- Art and Design (Textiles)7
Subjects with at least 3 entries in 2022/23. Number shown next to each subject is the number of pupils who sat that A-level exam — a rough indicator of subject popularity at this school. Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
9Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
15Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed268
599
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
259 families put this school as their 1st choice (43% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
School day
Teaching hours
08:40 – 15:10
Source: rainhamgirls-tkat.org. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
Class profile
2024/25Better than half of schools in England.
Better than 75% of schools in England.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Below the national average (25%).
Lower than the national median (10%) — mostly English as first language.
Ethnic background
- White British75.1%
- Mixed4.7%
- Asian4.1%
- White (other)2.6%
- Black0.6%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/2575% of schools in England do better than this.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Permanent exclusion is rare — most schools have none in a given year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
9
Total schools
8
Oversubscribed
6
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Rainham School for Girls
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
Understanding Progress 8
Learn how Progress 8 measures pupil progress from primary to GCSE
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Understanding School Catchment Areas
How admission distances work and tips for maximising your choices
Contact Information
Derwent Way, Gillingham
Medway, ME8 0BX
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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