Leigh Academy Rainham
Secondary · Free schools · Ages 11–19 · Gillingham, Medway
Last distance offered · Year 7 2026
3.11 miles
Published by Medway Council · offers on 2 March 2026
Nearby schools' earlier years 🔒
Leigh Academy Rainham is a secondary school in Gillingham, Medway for ages 11–19 (free schools). Its latest Ofsted outcome is Good, from the inspection on 27 February 2024. Medway has published a last distance offered for this school for Year 7 2026 entry.
Leigh Academy Rainham catchment area: last distance offered
Parents often call this the catchment area: it's how far from the school the last child offered a place lived. It changes every year.
| Entry | Last distance offered |
|---|---|
| Year 7 2026 | 3.11 mi |
What the pass includes · How to read it: one past year, not a catchment
What the figures show
- In 2026 the last child offered a Year 7 place lived 3.11 miles away, the 7th longest of 13 Medway secondary schools with a published Year 7 2026 last distance.
- For Year 7 in 2026 there were 176 first-choice applications for 174 offers; 156 offers went to first-choice families and 20 first-choice families (11%) were not offered a place.
- Of the 681 applications for Year 7 in 2026, 107 (16%) came from families living outside Medway, and 31 offers went to them.
- The share of pupils eligible for free school meals is 22.3%, against a middle figure of 32.3% across the 8 nearest secondary schools in Medway.
Worked out by Catchmently from the published figures on this page and those for other Medway schools. Distances are as published; how they were measured differs between admission authorities.
Key facts
- Address
- Otterham Quay Lane, Rainham, Gillingham, ME8 8GS
- Type
- Free schools
- Phase
- Secondary
- Ages
- 11–19
- Admissions policy
- Non-selective
- Council
- Medway
- Pupils on roll
- 964 January 2026 school census
- Free school meals
- 22.3% of pupils eligible
- Pupils per teacher
- 18.4
Official record: Get Information about Schools · as at 15 September 2026
Ofsted
Good Inspected 27 February 2024
Strengths
- “They appreciate that staff have high expectations of them, which pupils rise to very well.”
- “The curriculum is interesting and ambitious.”
- “Pupils respond positively to their learning, working with focus, independence and resilience.”
To improve
- “Staff have strong subject expertise, but a small number do not always use the most effective strategies when delivering learning.”
- “This means a few pupils do not learn as well as they could.”
Safeguarding: Effective
Quoted from the Ofsted report published 25 April 2024 (read the report). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.
Applications and offers
- 2026 Year 7 entry: 176 first-preference applications, 174 offers in total, 156 offers to first-preference applicants.
Department for Education, school-level applications and offers, figures on national offer day. Earlier years are in the pass.
Nearby secondary schools
Straight-line distance, in Medway.
- Rainham School for Girls 1.4 mi No Ofsted grade Last distance published
- The Howard School 1.4 mi No Ofsted grade Last distance published
- Rainham Mark Grammar School 1.4 mi Good Last distance published
- The Robert Napier School 2.9 mi Not judged Last distance published
- Chatham Grammar 3.4 mi School remains Good Last distance published
- Brompton Academy 3.9 mi Not judged Last distance published
- The Victory Academy 4.0 mi Good Last distance published
- Waterfront UTC 4.1 mi Good