The Academy of Woodlands
Woodlands Road, Gillingham, ME7 2DUOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
The Academy of Woodlands is a primary school in Gillingham for ages 2 to 11. It is one of the 110 schools in Medway. It ranks 8th of 18 primary schools in Gillingham. Its latest Ofsted inspection, in March 2025, graded each key judgement and gave no overall Ofsted rating.
Ofsted inspection
Inspected 25 March 2025, report published 7 May 2025
This inspection graded each key judgement and gave no overall effectiveness grade.
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Early years provision
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Met
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 25 March 2025
Pupils are positive about their school and the opportunities it provides. They are proud of their work. Older pupils talk confidently about the things that have changed for the better in recent times. Pupils now behave well. Staff deal with occasional unkind behaviour effectively. Inspectors' classroom visits across all phases of the school showed that aspirations for what pupils can achieve are appropriately high. Pupils themselves confirm a renewed sense of purpose about learning. Pupils from all backgrounds, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are now making much better progress through the curriculum than in the recent past. This is a large school. Pupils describe it as a happy and safe community. Initiatives such as cross-year-group communities at lunchtime provide opportunities for pupils to socialise outside of their immediate peer group. They enjoy a wide range of extra-curricular activities that help develop character and resilience. A messy play club sits alongside a range of others, including opportunities to develop music, drama and sporting talents. As a result, pupils are equally as proud of their achievements on and off the pitch and the stage, as they are of their academic progress.
What the school should improve
- Not all staff implement the school's phonics programme as precisely as they could. This impacts on the progress some pupils are making on their journey to become fluent readers. The school needs to ensure that all staff who teach phonics are experts so that the school's chosen phonics programme is delivered with complete fidelity.
- Rates of absence are too high. Some pupils are falling behind because they do not attend school often enough. Work in this area is ongoing and beginning to have a positive impact on improving attendance. However, the school needs to redouble its efforts to reduce pupil absence, so that all pupils can benefit fully from the good quality of provision the school offers.
Exam results
SATs results (key stage 2), 2024/25
90 pupils took the tests
Pupil numbers and mix
758 pupils on roll, with places for 630
Schools near The Academy of Woodlands
| School | Distance | Ofsted | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Featherby Infant and Nursery School | 0.4 miles | Report card: Expected standard to strong standard | Not published |
| Barnsole Primary School | 0.5 miles | Ofsted: Good | 52% met the expected standard |
| Featherby Junior School | 0.5 miles | Ofsted: Good | 64% met the expected standard |
| Napier Community Primary and Nursery Academy | 0.7 miles | Ofsted: Good | 84% met the expected standard |
| St Mary's Catholic Primary School | 0.7 miles | Ofsted: Good | 57% met the expected standard |
School details
- School type
- Academy converter
- Sector
- Academy
- Trust
- RIVERMEAD INCLUSIVE TRUST
- Age range
- 2 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Nursery classes
- Yes
- Headteacher
- Mrs Chloe Brown
- Phone
- 01634336688
- Address
- Woodlands Road, Gillingham, ME7 2DU
- Local authority
- Medway
- URN
- 139493
School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Exam results for 2024/25 from the Department for Education. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.