Alchemy School
105 Nelson Road, Gillingham, ME7 4LT
- Phase
- Special schools
- School type
- Other independent special school
- Ages
- 11 to 19
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- None
- Headteacher
- Mrs Lisa Bowles
- Admissions policy
- Non-selective
- Constituency
- Gillingham and Rainham
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 50
- Pupils on roll
- 58
- URN
- 146736
- Local authority
- Medway
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01634217721
About this school
Alchemy School is an independent special school in Gillingham. It teaches children aged 11 to 19 and has 58 pupils on roll.
Ofsted has not yet inspected Alchemy School under its current framework. 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
Alchemy School has not been inspected by Ofsted yet. It opened in its current form in February 2019, and new or converted schools usually wait a few years for their first inspection.
Exam results
Key stage 4 (GCSEs)
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 4 | 14 | 14 | 21 |
| Attainment 8 score | 5.9 | 3.4 | 2.0 |
| Progress 8 score | - | - | - |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| English Baccalaureate average point score | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.1 |
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 Alchemy 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 | 5.9 | 34 | 39.8 |
| 2023/24 | 3.4 | 36 | 39.5 |
| 2024/25 | 2 | 36.1 | 39 |
Department for Education KS4 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 46 |
| 2023/24 | 75 |
| 2024/25 | 73 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 0%
- Pupils with an EHC plan
- 58
- Pupils on SEN support
- 0
Location
Nearby schools
-
Hospital and Medical Tuition Service0.4 miles
Other types · Gillingham
-
Will Adams Academy0.7 miles
Academies · Gillingham
-
Rivermead School1.0 miles
Academies · Gillingham
-
Danecourt School1.0 miles
Academies · Gillingham
-
Blue Skies School1.3 miles
Special schools · Chatham
Other schools in Gillingham
- Danecourt School Academies
- Rivermead 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 Alchemy School teach?
- Alchemy School teaches children aged 11 to 19. It is a special school in Gillingham.
- Who is the headteacher of Alchemy School?
- The headteacher of Alchemy School is Mrs Lisa Bowles, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has Alchemy School been inspected?
- Ofsted has not inspected Alchemy School under its current framework, so no current judgement is shown. That is common for newer schools and is not a mark against a school.
- How many pupils are at Alchemy School?
- Alchemy School has 58 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 11 to 19.
- Is Alchemy School full?
- Alchemy School has capacity for 50 pupils and 58 on roll (116%), so it is at or above 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 Alchemy School a faith school?
- No. Alchemy School has no designated religious character.
- Is Alchemy School a selective school?
- No. Alchemy School is recorded as non-selective in the schools register.
- How have Alchemy School's results changed over recent years?
- Its Attainment 8 score was 5.9 in 2022/23 and 2 in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- What are Alchemy School's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, Alchemy 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 24 July 2026.