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, HOWARD! YOU DELIVERED! 💛💜 A HUGE thank you to our amazing Howard community for all of the incredibly generous donations we've received over the past few weeks! 🥫🥛🍝🧃🪥🧴 Students, parents, carers and staff have all got involved, and the donations have been piling up! 📦📦📦 🚗💨 Today, Mr Hillier had the pleasure of loading everything up and taking it over to the brilliant team at Medway Foodbank at their warehouse in Rochester! 💚 Every tin 🥫, every packet 🍝 and every essential item 🧴 will now help support local people and families who need it most. 🫶 This is what being part of the Howard community is all about! 💜 🤝 Coming together 💚 Supporting our community 🥫 Helping local families Making a real difference To EVERYONE who donated THANK YOU! 🙌💜💛 You absolutely smashed it! 👏👏👏
🇮🇸🌋 ICELAND 2026... SMASHED IT! 🌋🇮🇸 Our final day in Iceland for The Howard School Geographers! 🥹 We spent the morning exploring the incredible Reykjanes Peninsula, visiting a geothermal hot spring , seeing lava domes and driving through Grindavík – a town heavily impacted by the 2024 volcanic eruptions. Our students even managed to take home their own little lava souvenirs from the fresh lava flows! 🌋🪨 Our final stop was the Bridge Between Continents, where our students stood proudly in the rift between the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates. 🌍 And, of course, we couldn't leave Iceland without a staff selfie! 🤳😂 What a trip this has been. We are incredibly proud to offer residential experiences like this at The Howard School – giving our students opportunities to see the world, experience Geography beyond the classroom and make memories that will last a lifetime. There have been laughs, coach karaoke 🎤, plenty of "OMGs" and "WOWs" at the natural world, and nothing but good vibes throughout. 🇮🇸💙 And if you'd like your son to have opportunities like these at The Howard School, applications for Year 7 entry close on 31st October! 👀 Our Geography Department will also be announcing their NEXT Iceland adventure soon... so keep an eye on those emails! 👀🌋 Four days. One incredible country. A LOT of memories. 🇮🇸 ICELAND 2026. SMASHED IT. 🇮🇸 #TheHowardSchool #Iceland2026 #Geography #LearningBeyondTheClassroom #ESTO #ESTOSchoolTrips
🇮🇸🌋💦 ICELAND – DAY 3: THE GOLDEN CIRCLE! 💦🌋🇮🇸 Another absolutely incredible day in Iceland as our students took on the famous Golden Circle! 🤩 We started at Hellisheiði, learning about Iceland's geothermal energy revolution and how the country harnesses the incredible power beneath its feet, before visiting geothermal greenhouses to see how that energy is put into practice. 🌱 💦 After lunch, it was on to the spectacular Gullfoss – the Golden Falls. The views were simply breathtaking, with our students able to stand just metres from the enormous volumes of water plunging into the canyon below! 😍 🌋 Next stop: Geysir, where we watched Strokkur erupt, firing boiling water high into the Icelandic air. Safe to say, everyone was waiting with phones at the ready! 📸😂 🏔 Our final stop of the Golden Circle is Þingvellir National Park, where the dramatic Rift Valley provides yet another reminder of just how extraordinary Iceland's landscape really is. And we're still not finished... 😅 🍽 Tonight we're heading into Reykjavík for a meal out before finishing Day 3 with some seriously competitive bowling! 🎳🏆 Three days in and this trip just keeps delivering. Our students are having an absolutely unforgettable experience! 🇮🇸 #ESTO #ESTOSchoolTrips
🇮🇸🌊 ICELAND – DAY 2 CONTINUES! 🌊🇮🇸 After an incredible morning walking on a glacier, the adventures just kept coming! 🧊🥾 The rest of Day 2 took us along Iceland's spectacular South Shore, starting with the dramatic black sand beach 🖤🌊 before taking on THREE very different waterfalls! 💦 A waterfall straight out of Game of Thrones 🔦 A secret cave expedition in search of a hidden waterfall 💦 And finally, the spectacular Seljalandsfoss – where you can actually walk BEHIND the waterfall! 🤯 What a day. What a country. 🇮🇸 Our students are genuinely having the time of their lives – and somehow, it's only DAY TWO! 🙌 Now it's back to our countryside hotel for a well-earned rest... with everything crossed that Iceland has one more surprise waiting for us tonight... 🌌🤞 Come on, Northern Lights! 💚 #ESTO #ESTOSchoolTrips #Iceland #SouthShore #SchoolTrip #MakingMemories
Where you can find us
Sixth Form Open Evening
4th November 2026
Join us on Wednesday 4th November 2026, 5pm-7:30pm for our Sixth Form Open Evening!
- Hear from our Principal, Mr. Johal, as he shares insights into our Sixth Form’s vision, ethos, and the unique opportunities we offer.
- Chat with our Sixth Form students, who are ready to share their experiences. They’ll give you a genuine look into life at The Howard School, from A-levels and BTECs to our supportive community and diverse extracurricular activities.
- Visit our classrooms, meet our dedicated teachers, and learn about the wide range of A-level and vocational courses we offer. Whether you’re interested in the sciences, humanities, arts, or business, see how we support every student’s unique goals and learning styles.
- Take a tour of our state-of-the-art facilities, including advanced science labs, modern IT suites, creative arts studios, and dedicated Sixth Form spaces designed for independent and collaborative study.
You can find out more about our Sixth Form here.
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.