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...
WOW... what an incredible evening at the very first HOWIES! Think the Tonys... but Howard style! Our Performing Arts Department pulled out all the stops for a truly glamorous celebration of the amazing talent across our school. From the red carpet arrivals , welcome drinks and delicious nibbles to fantastic live music , brilliant drama performances and, of course, our prestigious HOWIES trophies ... it was a night to remember! A huge congratulations to all of our deserving winners and nominees – every single one of you should be incredibly proud! And thank you to the hundreds of students, families, staff and guests who joined us, all looking incredibly smart in your finest suits and dresses. Your support helped make the evening extra special. Here's to making the HOWIES a Howard tradition for many years to come!
Booking Now Open for The Howard School's Open Events 2026! We warmly invite parents, carers and students to visit The Howard School, Rainham, at this year's Open Events. Come and explore our exciting facilities, meet our dedicated staff, hear from our Principal at one of our bookable talks, and see why we received the first 'Exceptional' Ofsted rating for a Secondary School in Kent! Thursday 1st October, 2026 4.30pm till 7pm Saturday 3rd October, 2026 10am till 12pm Location: Derwent Way, Gillingham ME8 0BX Book your place here: https://bit.ly/thehoward2026opendays We can't wait to welcome you! #SchoolOpenEvent #FutureStartsHere #TrustTHAT
Sometimes, the emails that land in our inbox are the ones that stay with us forever... Over the past week, we've received some incredibly kind messages from parents, and we just had to share a couple of small extracts. "Receiving his award was such a wonderful confidence boost... He said to me after school, 'I didn't realise anyone noticed me.' Those words really stayed with me. His confidence, attitude and dedication have grown so much, and I sincerely thank you for helping to nurture those qualities." "I can't believe I'm even writing this email... For N. to be named Pupil of the Year was something else entirely. He has teachers who truly believe in him, staff who empower him to aim high and who just 'get him'." These words mean the world to us. But here's the thing... these moments don't belong to one teacher, one department or one member of staff. They belong to EVERYONE. They belong to the teachers who inspire. The pastoral teams who care. The support staff who are always there. The site, catering and office teams who keep everything running. The families who encourage and support at home. And most importantly... our AMAZING students, who work hard every single day and make us proud beyond words. The Howard School is so much more than a building... it's a community. When school and home work together, incredible things happen. Confidence grows. Friendships flourish. Opportunities appear. Young people discover what they're truly capable of. To every parent and carer who trusts us with their children... thank you. To every member of staff... thank you. And to every Howard student... thank YOU for making our school such an incredible place to be. You are the reason we do what we do.
What a fantastic Year 6 Induction Day at The Howard School yesterday! It was brilliant to welcome 270 new students through our doors as they spent the day experiencing life at The Howard ahead of joining us in September. From English and Maths to Science, Art, Technology, Games and so much more, our new Year 7s had the chance to explore our amazing subjects, meet our incredible staff and get a real taste of life at secondary school. And just look at some of the fantastic artwork created on day one by our talented budding artists! We think we've got some future stars in the making already!
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.