Rivermead School
Forge Lane, Gillingham, ME7 1UG
- Phase
- Academies
- School type
- Academy special converter
- Ages
- 4 to 16
- Gender
- Mixed
- Trust
- RIVERMEAD INCLUSIVE TRUST
- Headteacher
- Miss Shelley Campbell
- Sponsor
- Rivermead Inclusive Trust
- SEN provision
- SLCN - Speech, language and Communication, ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder, SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health, PD - Physical Disability
- Constituency
- Gillingham and Rainham
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Pupils on roll
- 163
- URN
- 142555
- Local authority
- Medway
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01634338348
About this school
Rivermead School is a special academy in Gillingham. It teaches children aged 4 to 16 and has 163 pupils on roll.
Ofsted has inspected Rivermead School, and its latest judgement is set out below. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Seeing a school for yourself shows what no page can, so arrange a visit before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Confirmed by a short inspection, not a full one
Ofsted's most recent visit was a short inspection on 21 February 2024, where inspectors confirmed the school remains Good. The school's last full inspection took place before September 2019, so its area grades are not part of Ofsted's current published data. Older reports are on the school's Ofsted page.
Exam results
Key stage 4 (GCSEs)
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 4 | 25 | 22 | 23 |
| Attainment 8 score | 16.0 | 13.8 | 13.3 |
| Progress 8 score | -0.84 -1.46 to -0.22 | -0.90 -1.57 to -0.22 | - |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 0% | 0% | 4.3% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 0% | 4.5% | 8.7% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| English Baccalaureate average point score | 1.3 | 1.1 | 1.0 |
Progress 8 is paused nationally for the 2024/25 and 2025/26 school years. Those pupils sat no key stage 2 tests during the Covid pandemic, so there is no starting point to measure progress from. A blank figure here is not missing school data.
Trends over time
How Rivermead School has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.
| Year | This school | Medway average | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 16 | 34 | 39.8 |
| 2023/24 | 13.8 | 36 | 39.5 |
| 2024/25 | 13.3 | 36.1 | 39 |
Department for Education KS4 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 14.4% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 13% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 14.5% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 181 |
| 2023/24 | 181 |
| 2024/25 | 139 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 64.29%
- English as an additional language
- 2.2%
- Overall absence
- 14.49%
- Persistent absence
- 34.25%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Will Adams Academy1.0 miles
Academies · Gillingham
-
Alchemy School1.0 miles
Special schools · Gillingham
-
Hospital and Medical Tuition Service1.2 miles
Other types · Gillingham
-
Danecourt School1.5 miles
Academies · Gillingham
-
Blue Skies School2.1 miles
Special schools · Chatham
Other schools in Gillingham
- Alchemy School Special schools
- Danecourt School Academies
- Will Adams Academy Academies
- Barnsole Primary School Primary
- Brompton-Westbrook Primary School Primary
- Burnt Oak Primary School Primary
- Byron Primary School Primary
- Deanwood Primary School Primary
- Fairview Community Primary School Primary
- Featherby Infant and Nursery School Primary
- Featherby Junior School Primary
- Hempstead Infant School Primary
Common questions
- What ages does Rivermead School teach?
- Rivermead School teaches children aged 4 to 16. It is a special school in Gillingham.
- Who is the headteacher of Rivermead School?
- The headteacher of Rivermead School is Miss Shelley Campbell, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has Rivermead School been inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Rivermead School, and its latest judgement is set out in the inspection section on this page, with the framework and the date it was made.
- How many pupils are at Rivermead School?
- Rivermead School has 163 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 4 to 16.
- Is Rivermead School a faith school?
- No. Rivermead School has no designated religious character.
- Is Rivermead School part of an academy trust?
- Rivermead School is part of RIVERMEAD INCLUSIVE TRUST. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- What SEN provision does Rivermead School have?
- The schools register lists Rivermead School's special educational needs provision as: SLCN - Speech, language and Communication; ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder; SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health; PD - Physical Disability. Contact the school to discuss how it would support a particular child.
- How have Rivermead School's results changed over recent years?
- Its Attainment 8 score was 16 in 2022/23 and 13.3 in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- What is Rivermead School's absence rate?
- Rivermead School's overall absence rate is 14.5% in the latest published census, above the England average of 6.2%.
- What are Rivermead School's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, Rivermead School's key stage results are shown in the results section on this page, with the last three years so you can see the trend rather than a single year.
School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. This page was last updated on 2 July 2026.