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...
🇵🇪🌎 PERU 2028... THE NEXT HOWARD ADVENTURE! 🌎🇵🇪 This week, we launched something VERY exciting with our Year 9 and Year 10 students... 👀 🏔 In July 2028, The Howard School is heading to PERU with Camps International! 🇵🇪 And this isn't your average school trip! Two years ago, Howard students took on Tanzania. 🇹🇿 This summer, our students joined a group of 19 young people for four incredible weeks in Kenya 🇰🇪 working alongside local communities, building homes, supporting schools, experiencing Maasai culture, contributing to conservation projects and finishing their adventure on safari in Tsavo. 🐘🦁 They came home with new skills, greater confidence, new friendships and memories that will last a lifetime. Now it's time for the next chapter... 📖 🇵🇪 PERU 2028 🤝 Community projects 🌎 New cultures 🏔 Incredible landscapes 💪 Challenge and adventure 🤩 And, of course... Machu Picchu! Could you be one of the Howard students joining us? 📅 Parent/Carer Information Evening 🗓 Tuesday 3rd November 6:00pm 📍 The Howard School Interested? Intrigued? Want to know what an expedition like this actually involves? Come along and find out more! 🇹🇿 Tanzania 🇰🇪 Kenya 🇵🇪 Peru 🌎 Where will your Howard adventure take you next?
🎃👻 THE HEDGES HALLOWEEN HOUSE! 👻🎃 We absolutely LOVE this! 🧡 One of our Year 9 students, John, and his family have gone all out this Halloween, transforming their home into a spectacular Halloween display for the local community! 🎃🕷🦇💀👻 📍 234 Wigmore Road, Gillingham, ME8 0TW The display is completely FREE to visit, with everyone welcome to pop along and enjoy some spooky Halloween fun! 🎃👻 Even better, the family are using the display to raise money for My Shining Star, a wonderful charity supporting families affected by childhood cancer. There is absolutely no charge to visit, but if you enjoy the display and are able to make a donation, every contribution will help support this fantastic cause . 🎃 Donations can be made here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/hedgeshalloween A huge well done to John and his family for putting so much time and effort into creating something brilliant for the community while raising money for such an important cause. 👏🧡 We'd LOVE to see lots of Howard families supporting The Hedges Halloween House this October! 🎃👻🕸🦇
🎉🏆 YEAR 13 SUCCESS! 🏆🎉 A huge congratulations to M.D. and B.B. in Year 13, who are our Term 1 Lifestyle Voucher winners! 🎁👏 The vouchers recognise their fantastic commitment, hard work and academic success throughout the first term. 📚 Both students have made an excellent start to Year 13 and thoroughly deserve this recognition for the standards they have set and the effort they continue to put into their studies. 👏 Well done, M.D. and B.B. a brilliant start to the year and very well deserved! 💙💛
🤝 A VERY WARM WELCOME BACK TO THE HOWARD! Today we were delighted to welcome our friends from the Netherlands back to The Howard School for their annual visit – now in its fourth year! Our Dutch visitors joined our Year 10 and Year 11 students in lessons throughout the day, experiencing first-hand what life is like as a student at The Howard School. 🎓📚 And, of course, no visit would be complete without the now obligatory England v Holland football match! 🏆 With what appeared to be about 20 players on each side 😂, Holland took an early lead after a handball resulted in a penalty. England fought back, eventually taking a 2–1 lead... 🏴 Then came the controversy! 👀 With just minutes remaining and Holland pushing for an equaliser, an England player somehow managed to launch our ONLY football over the fence and into a neighbour's garden! 😳🏡 (Our sincere apologies to our neighbour! 😂) The Dutch quite rightly declared this to be foul play and demanded the match be recorded as a draw. After consultation with VAR*... we agreed. 🤝😂 *There was absolutely no VAR. Another fantastic day with our friends from the Netherlands. It is always such a pleasure to welcome you to The Howard School, and we already look forward to doing it all again next year! Safe travels home! 👋
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.