What ages does The Rowans teach?

The Rowans teaches children aged 5 to 16. It is a special school in Chatham.

Who is the headteacher of The Rowans?

The headteacher of The Rowans is Mrs Fiona May, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.

Has The Rowans been inspected?

Ofsted has inspected The Rowans, 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 The Rowans?

The Rowans has 54 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 5 to 16.

The Rowans has capacity for 95 pupils and 54 on roll (57%), so it has space against its published capacity. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.

Is The Rowans a faith school?

No. The Rowans has no designated religious character.

Is The Rowans part of an academy trust?

The Rowans is part of THE HOWARD ACADEMY TRUST. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.

What SEN provision does The Rowans have?

The schools register lists The Rowans's special educational needs provision as: SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health. Contact the school to discuss how it would support a particular child.

Does The Rowans publish exam results?

OfferDay shows exam results for a school only where the Department for Education has published them, and none are shown for The Rowans. That is usual for infant, nursery, special and independent schools, and for schools without recent published results.

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Medway
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The Rowans

The Rowans

Silverbank, Churchill Avenue, Chatham, ME5 0LB

Phase: Academies
School type: Academy alternative provision converter
Ages: 5 to 16
Gender: Mixed
Trust: THE HOWARD ACADEMY TRUST
Headteacher: Mrs Fiona May
Sponsor: The Howard Academy Trust
SEN provision: SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health
Constituency: Chatham and Aylesford
Setting: Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Capacity: 95
Pupils on roll: 54
URN: 144134
Local authority: Medway
Website: School website
Telephone: 01634338803

About this school

The Rowans is a special academy in Chatham. It teaches children aged 5 to 16 and has 54 pupils on roll.

Ofsted has inspected The Rowans, and its latest judgement is set out below. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Numbers and a report only go so far, so visit in person before you apply.

Ofsted judgement

England: inspection report card

Inspected 9 December 2025 · report published 1 March 2026

Ofsted no longer gives schools a single overall grade. Each area of the school's work is graded on a five-point scale, and safeguarding is judged separately.

Inclusion: Strong standard
Curriculum and teaching: Strong standard
Achievement: Strong standard
Attendance and behaviour: Strong standard
Personal development and wellbeing: Strong standard
Leadership and governance: Strong standard
Safeguarding: Met

Read the full report on Ofsted's website

Trends over time

How The Rowans has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.

Pupils on roll

Year	This school
2022/23	26
2023/24	50
2024/25	70

School census, spring count each academic year.

Inspection history

Graded inspection report
9 December 2025
Graded inspection — Outstanding report
9 November 2021

School context

From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.

Free school meals (last 6 years): 71.43%
English as an additional language: 0%

Location

Nearby schools

Bradfields Academy
Academies · Chatham

0.2 miles
INSPIRE Free Special School
Free Schools · Chatham

0.2 miles
PGW Partnership of Greenacre and Walderslade
Colleges · Chatham

0.3 miles
Blue Skies School
Special schools · Chatham

1.3 miles
Medway Secure Training Centre
Other types · Rochester

1.4 miles

Other schools in Chatham

Blue Skies School Special schools
Bradfields Academy Academies
INSPIRE Free Special School Free Schools
All Saints Church of England Primary School Primary
Balfour Junior School Primary
Greenvale Primary School Primary
Horsted Infant School Primary
Horsted Junior School Primary
Kingfisher Community Primary School Primary
Lordswood School Primary
Luton Primary School Primary
Maundene School Primary

Common questions

What ages does The Rowans teach?: The Rowans teaches children aged 5 to 16. It is a special school in Chatham.
Who is the headteacher of The Rowans?: The headteacher of The Rowans is Mrs Fiona May, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
Has The Rowans been inspected?: Ofsted has inspected The Rowans, 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 The Rowans?: The Rowans has 54 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 5 to 16.
Is The Rowans full?: The Rowans has capacity for 95 pupils and 54 on roll (57%), so it has space against its published capacity. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
Is The Rowans a faith school?: No. The Rowans has no designated religious character.
Is The Rowans part of an academy trust?: The Rowans is part of THE HOWARD ACADEMY TRUST. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
What SEN provision does The Rowans have?: The schools register lists The Rowans's special educational needs provision as: SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health. Contact the school to discuss how it would support a particular child.
Does The Rowans publish exam results?: OfferDay shows exam results for a school only where the Department for Education has published them, and none are shown for The Rowans. That is usual for infant, nursery, special and independent schools, and for schools without recent published results.

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 10 July 2026.