The Victory Academy

About The Victory Academy

The Victory Academy in Medway is a large secondary school that is clearly in high demand, with 579 applications for 233 places in the 2025/26 admissions round, making it oversubscribed by a ratio of 2.48 to one. Of those applications, 170 were first preferences, and 163 of those families received an offer. The school currently has 1,221 pupils on roll against a capacity of 1,500, so there is some room for growth. Its intake is notably diverse in terms of disadvantage: 43.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is significantly above the national average and suggests the school serves a community with higher-than-average levels of economic deprivation. The school is a mixed, non-denominational state secondary for ages 11 to 18, led by headteacher Oliver Owen, and it was rated Good in its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023.

Academically, the school's performance is a mixed picture. At Key Stage 4, its Progress 8 score of -0.36 is below the national average and places it 12th out of 18 schools in Medway, putting it in the bottom half of the local authority. This is below the Medway LA average Progress 8 of -0.1. The Attainment 8 score is 40, and 52.3% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths, while 32% achieved a grade 5 or above. The EBacc entry rate is 29.7%, with 15.3% achieving the EBacc at grade 4 or above. At A-level, the picture is more encouraging: the school's value-added score of 0.2 is positive, and the progress banding is rated as Average. The average points per entry is 25, equivalent to a C- grade, and the best three A-levels average out to a grade C. The sixth form has 49 pupils in the cohort, and 6.7% achieved at least AAB.

The school offers a wide range of facilities, including a swimming pool, theatre, astro turf, science labs, a sixth form centre, and a library, alongside clubs such as Coding, Young Enterprise, Debate, and the Duke of Edinburgh's Award. Sports provision is broad, covering football, netball, tennis, athletics, and swimming. The school has an extensive list of SEND provisions, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate to profound learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, hearing and visual impairments, physical disabilities, and autistic spectrum disorder. This suggests it is well-equipped to support a diverse range of needs. For families considering this school, it is a popular, non-selective option in Medway that serves a high-needs community, with a sixth form that adds value, though its KS4 outcomes lag behind the local average and the nearby grammar schools.

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