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...
This week at The Howard School, it's been all about our final House Event of the year... THE 1% CLUB! Inspired by the hit ITV show, representatives from our five Houses – Attenborough, Hawking, Pankhurst, Tull and Turing – battled their way through a series of mind-bending questions to prove they had what it takes to join the 1% Club! There were some seriously tricky questions, plenty of tense moments and lots of cheering as competitors put their thinking skills to the test! A huge well done to every student who represented their House and their year group this week. You did yourselves proud and absolutely smashed it! Who would have made it into the 1% Club?
HUGE congratulations to JS in Year 9! What an incredible way to finish the year! From THOUSANDS of Golden Tickets in the draw, it was JS whose ticket was pulled from the pot by Head of Year, Ms Jaiyeoba! That means JS is now the proud winner of a brand new VR headset! Every single Golden Ticket earned throughout the year gave students another chance to win one of our amazing prizes, proving that hard work, positive behaviour and doing the right thing really does pay off! A massive well done, JS – we hope you enjoy your fantastic prize!
HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to J. on an incredible performance at the Nacra 15 National Sailing Championships! As the youngest competitor in the entire championship, J. faced an incredibly tough challenge, competing against some of the very best young sailors in the country – including several members of the GBR Youth Team. Despite the challenge, J. got off to a phenomenal start, winning his first THREE races before finishing 3rd in his fourth race, leading the fleet with some outstanding sailing! Unfortunately, the conditions on the second day proved incredibly demanding. With many of his competitors being older, heavier and physically stronger, J. made the mature and sensible decision to retire from the remaining races to ensure the safety of both himself and his crew. Even without racing on the final day, J. still secured an outstanding 4th place overall in the National Championships! What an incredible achievement and one to be immensely proud of. Your determination, resilience and sportsmanship are a real credit to yourself and to The Howard School. Congratulations, J.! We are all incredibly proud of you and can't wait to see where your sailing journey takes you next!
A HUGE thank you to all of our new Year 11 students and external applicants who joined us for our Sixth Form Induction Days last Wednesday and Thursday! It was fantastic to welcome so many of you into our Sixth Form community. We hope you enjoyed meeting staff and students, experiencing your chosen subjects and getting a real taste of life at The Howard Sixth Form. The excitement is already building, and we can't wait to welcome you back in September! A quick reminder about enrolment: Thursday 20th August 9:00am – Current Howard School students 10:00am – External students Best of luck with your results over the summer – we're looking forward to celebrating with you and beginning the next exciting chapter together!
Where you can find us
Year 6 Induction Day
Thursday 2nd July, 9:15am – 2:15pm & Parents ONLY Induction Evening – Thursday 9th July 2026
Year 6 Transition Day – Thursday 2nd July, 9:15am – 2:15pm
We are really looking forward to welcoming all of our new Year 7 students for their Transition Day on Thursday 2nd July.
Arrival:
Students should arrive at the Main Derwent Way gate by 9:15am, where they will be greeted by staff.
What to bring:
Primary school uniform
A full pencil case
A packed lunch
A refillable water bottle
Collection:
Parents/carers can collect their child from the Main Derwent Way entrance at 2:15pm.
Important note:
Derwent Way can become very congested at drop-off and collection times. We kindly ask parents/carers to park considerately and not attempt to drive onto the school site.
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Parents ONLY Induction Evening – Thursday 9th July 2026
We are pleased to invite parents/carers only to The Howard School for our Year 6 Induction Evening. This is a valuable opportunity to meet the Pastoral Teams and learn more about the support available as your child transitions into Year 7.
Our SENCO will also be available throughout the evening to answer any specific queries.
To help manage numbers, we have allocated set times based on your child’s surname:
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6:00pm – Surnames A to I
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6:30pm – Surnames J to Z
On arrival at the school, you will be welcomed by student ambassadors who will direct you to parking and guide you to the main hall for the opening presentation.
We look forward to welcoming you and sharing how we will support your child’s journey into secondary school.
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.