The Howard School

The Howard School is a boys secondary school based in Rainham, near Gillingham for children aged 11 to 18. It has roughly 1534 pupils on roll. It is an academy, so its governing trust sets its own admission arrangements within the national code, and Medway coordinates offers. The school has its own sixth form for post-16 study. The headteacher is Mr Jasbinder Johal.

Inspection at a glance

Ofsted rated The Howard School Good at its inspection on 24 February 2026. The full inspection report is linked from this page so you can read the inspectors' own words.

How the school is performing

At A level the published average grade is D+ (2024/25). Attendance works out at roughly 93.4% (absence 6.6%) (2024/25). Around 23.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals. Figures come from the Department for Education's published school performance data and are shown in full further down this page.

Getting a place at The Howard School

You apply for a place at The Howard School on the secondary common application form through Medway, with the national deadline of 31 October. If the school is oversubscribed, places are allocated on its published admissions criteria, which usually give priority to looked-after children, siblings and distance from home to school. There is no separate entrance assessment. Always check the current admissions policy on the school's own website before you apply, because criteria can change year to year.

SEND at a glance

The Howard School is a mainstream school, supporting pupils with SEND alongside their classmates through the graduated approach of assess, plan, do, review. The school's SEN information report is the authoritative source and is linked in the SEND section below.

The Howard School contact details and location

The Howard School is at Derwent Way, Rainham, Gillingham, Kent, ME8 0BX. The school office can be reached on 01634 388765. A map, directions and the school's own website link are on this page.