Welcome to The Howard School
Thank you for your interest in The Howard School at what I think is a very exciting time to be part of the school’s community. As part of The Howard Academy Trust, we are committed to a shared moral purpose; to make a positive difference to the lives of the young people in our community.
High Standards lead to High Achievement
The Howard School is a highly inclusive school community where every individual matters. High levels of discipline ensure everyone is expected to work hard and make a positive contribution to the learning environment. The school has been recognised as a Rights Respecting School at Gold Level by UNICEF, the only secondary school in Kent or Medway to receive such an award.
An "Exceptional" Rated School
"Pupils feel happy and safe. They are proud to be part of The Howard School community."
"Teaching is highly effective across the curriculum. Teachers are experts in their subjects."
- Ofsted, 2026
Our Curriculum
We endeavour to enhance the life chances of our young people by maximising their educational achievement. Our local and national reputation is one that continues to grow. The curriculum that we offer ensures all our students receive a solid academic education alongside a wide range of opportunities for personal development.
Ethos & Values
At The Howard School we aspire for all our students to gain the academic results and personal skills to make a positive contribution to society, both now and in the future.
House Points
Latest News
26/06/18 14:20:0818 Jun 2026
The Howard School receives the first Exceptional Ofsted Grading for a secondary school in Kent
The Howard School is today celebrating a monumental Ofsted result, having secured the first ‘Exceptional...
26/04/08 00:00:008 Apr 2026
The Howard School Welcomes Minister Sarah Jones to Discuss Knife Crime Prevention
The Howard School was proud to welcome Minister of State for Crime, Policing and Fire Sarah Jones MP and local...
25/12/19 00:00:0019 Dec 2025
Charity Drive
A MASSIVE festive THANK YOU to our incredible parents and carers! We have been absolutely blown away by the generos...
25/11/14 00:00:0014 Nov 2025
Real World Maths in Action
Today our Year 9 students took part in a special workshop exploring maths in everyday life, with a particular focus on t...
PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE MONTH – HOLIDAY FUN! After revealing the winners of our first Howard Community Photography Competition, it's time for Round Two! This month, we want to see what our parents, carers and staff got up to over the summer! The theme is... HOLIDAY FUN! Whether it was an amazing holiday abroad, a day at the seaside, a family adventure, a festival, a sporting event, a UK day trip or simply relaxing in the sunshine – we want to see the moment you captured! No fancy camera needed either – that perfect phone snap could be our winner! Parents & Carers Staff One brilliant summer photograph Judged by our Photography students Winner featured across our Howard socials! Deadline: 23rd September Send your photograph in JPEG format to photoentries@thehowardschool.co.uk We've seen what Vanessa and Natasha produced last month... who's taking the crown next?
OUR FIRST HOWARD COMMUNITY PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE MONTH! Last month we threw down the challenge to our parents, carers, staff and wider Howard community to take on our students at their own game... and you absolutely delivered! The theme was SUMMER VIBES and our Year 9 Photography students had the difficult job of choosing their favourites! WINNER – Vanessa Kelly Cruise Ship Sailing Out at Sunset in Agadir Our judges in 9E/PH loved the composition, the reflection of the sun across the ocean and the cruise ship adding a story to the image. What a shot! RUNNER-UP – Natasha Douglas Sunset Swimming Another stunning photograph that our students felt perfectly captured the Summer Vibes brief. A huge congratulations to Vanessa and Natasha – and a massive THANK YOU to everyone who entered our very first community competition! We absolutely love the fact that our students are now getting to turn the tables and judge the adults! Think you can beat them next month? Keep your eyes peeled for our next theme... parents, carers and staff, we want YOUR photos!
PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION – PARENTS, CARERS & STAFF... IT'S YOUR TURN! Our Photographer of the Month competition has showcased some absolutely brilliant work from our students over the last few years... but now we're opening up the challenge! For the first time, we're inviting parents, carers AND staff from across The Howard School community to get involved and show us what you can do! A new theme each month Entries judged by our very own Photography students The winning photograph featured across The Howard School socials Parents, carers & staff all welcome! Whether you're a keen photographer, an enthusiastic amateur, or simply someone who manages to capture the perfect moment on your phone – we want to see it! And yes... that means our students get to be the judges this time! Keep an eye out for this month's theme and submission details and get snapping! Who will become our first Howard Community Photographer of the Month?
ACADEMIC YEAR 2026–27 IS OFFICIALLY UNDERWAY! Today, we had the absolute pleasure of welcoming our brand-new Year 7 students through the doors of The Howard School for their very first day! It was fantastic to see everyone arriving, settling in and beginning the next chapter of their journey. To every one of our new Year 7s: WELCOME TO THE HOWARD FAMILY! We cannot wait to see what you achieve, the friendships you make, the opportunities you embrace and the people you become during your time with us. And tomorrow... the whole school is back! We are really looking forward to welcoming back Years 8–13 and getting 2026–27 properly underway. And after the year we had last year, we certainly have some big shoes to fill! Ofsted recognised Personal Development at The Howard as EXCEPTIONAL Our BEST-EVER KS5 results Our BEST-EVER KS4 results Nearly 300 GCSE grades at 7–9 10% of those top grades were Grade 9s! And now we wait for the validated performance data to see whether those incredible results have been enough to take us from 2nd to 1st among non-selective schools for boys' education across Kent and Medway! Last year set the bar incredibly high. Now it is time for a new group of students to write the next chapter. New year. New opportunities. Same high standards. High Standards Lead to High Achievement. WELCOME TO 2026–27!
Where you can find us
Open Events
1st & 3rd October
Are you considering sending your child to The Howard School in September 2027? Join us at our Open Events for a chance to take a look around our school!
Open Evening
Date: Thursday 1st October 2026
Time: 4:30pm - 7pm. Bookable Principal Talks at 4:45pm and 5:30pm
Open Morning
Date: Saturday 3rd October 2026
Time: 10am - 12pm. Bookable Principal Talks at 10am and 10:45am
What to Expect:
- Tour our school grounds, and get a taste of the fantastic facilities we have on site
- Speak to our staff and students to hear about life at The Howard School
- Visit our classrooms to learn more about our exciting curriculum
- Hear from Mr Johal, our Principal, at a number of bookable talks
- Come and see our ‘Exceptional’ education for yourselves!
The Howard Ofsted Result
The first ‘Exceptional’ criteria grading for a secondary school in Kent
We are proud to share that The Howard School is celebrating a monumental Ofsted result, having secured the first ‘Exceptional’ criteria grading for a secondary school in Kent, under the new Ofsted framework.
This result comes amidst an overwhelmingly positive Ofsted inspection, which also sees the school receiving four ‘Strong Standard’ and two ‘Expected Standard’ judgements.
Inspectors judged Personal Development and Wellbeing to be ‘Exceptional’, a grade reserved for practice that is among the very best in the country. Inspectors found that the school’s work to support pupils’ mental health, character, and spiritual growth has a "transformational” impact, particularly for its most vulnerable learners.