Brompton Academy Review 2026: Oversubscribed Medway secondary with a growing sixth form

Brompton Academy is a large 11 to 18 state secondary in Medway, with an all ability intake and a separate specialist resource provision, the Eliot Centre, for students with speech, language and communication needs on an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). It opened as an academy in September 2010, and now has around 1,400 students on roll, including a sixth form of just over 200.

Leadership has been in transition, with Dan Walters taking up the role of Principal from 12 June 2023, following the retirement of Jenny Best (Executive Principal and Deputy CEO). The most recent Ofsted inspection in November 2024 graded all judgement areas as Good, and confirmed safeguarding as effective.

For families, the headline practical point is demand. This is a heavily oversubscribed school, and admission for Year 7 depends on completing a fair banding assessment as well as applying through Medway’s coordinated admissions route.

The academy’s identity is framed through the REACH sculpture at the entrance, created in 2013, with REACH used as a shorthand for the values that shape daily expectations, Resilience, Equality, Aspiration, Community and Happiness. That values language matters because it gives staff and students a shared way to talk about behaviour, belonging, and ambition without reducing everything to sanctions and grades.

Day to day culture, as described in formal evaluation, is built around clear routines and expectations that students recognise as fair and consistent. Behaviour is described as positive in lessons and around the site, with older students acknowledging a rapid improvement trajectory. That matters for parents because consistency is usually the difference between a school that feels settled and one that feels reactive, particularly in a large setting.

Pastoral support is organised in a way students can describe and navigate. The “Umbrella” model is explicitly valued by students because it makes it straightforward to find help, whether the issue is academic, social, or personal. In a school of this size, clarity of routes to help is a material feature, not a slogan, because it reduces the risk that quieter students fall between gaps.

Brompton Academy is ranked 3,631st in England for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), and 5th among local schools in the Gillingham area used here. This places performance below the England average overall, within the bottom 40% of schools in England on this measure.

At GCSE, the average Attainment 8 score is 35.9. The Progress 8 score is -0.38, which indicates students made less progress than pupils with similar starting points across England. EBacc average point score is 2.81, compared with an England average of 4.08.

For sixth form, the picture is similar in relative terms. Brompton Academy is ranked 2,329th in England for A-level outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), and 4th locally. This again sits below the England average overall, within the bottom 40% on this measure.

In the A-level data provided, 0.63% of grades are A*, 4.43% are A, and 20.89% are B. A* to B accounts for 25.95% of grades, compared with an England average of 47.2% A* to B for the reference measure.

What do these numbers imply for families? For many students, the route to strong outcomes will rely on the effectiveness of teaching routines, the precision of intervention, and the stability of attendance. The school’s recent inspection narrative points to rapid improvement in curriculum planning and classroom consistency, but it also flags that some areas are still becoming embedded, particularly in key stage 3 and in the systematic identification of reading needs.

Parents comparing local options should use the FindMySchool Local Hub page and Comparison Tool to view GCSE and A-level indicators side by side, and to separate outcomes from reputation.

A central theme in the school’s recent improvement story is curriculum sequencing, building knowledge more logically over time rather than treating topics as stand alone blocks. In practice, that typically shows up in clearer lesson routines, tighter checks for understanding, and more consistent expectations of independent work. The recent evaluation describes regular knowledge checks and precise feedback that helps students fill gaps quickly, which is a meaningful operational detail rather than a generic claim.

However, the same evidence base is candid that not all subjects are equally mature in implementation, especially in key stage 3. For parents, this nuance matters. A school can have a well planned curriculum on paper while still training staff to deliver it consistently, and that delivery gap often shows up first in lower years, where habits and foundations are laid.

Reading is the other key teaching and learning thread. The library is positioned as a core lever for whole school literacy, with events that promote reading and a welcoming feel. The library itself is presented as a multi use learning space, including access to iMacs and refreshments via Joe’s Cafe, which signals that it is intended to be used before, during and after the school day, rather than being a quiet room that students rarely enter.

The main development point is that some aspects of reading support are still at an early stage, particularly the accuracy and consistency of identifying students who need additional help to become fluent readers. For families, this is a useful question to take into an open event conversation: how is reading assessed on entry, how quickly are gaps spotted, and what does intervention look like week by week?

Because Brompton Academy is an 11 to 18 school, “next steps” includes both post 16 and post 18 routes.

Post 16: Sixth form pathways

Brompton Academy has a sixth form and is part of a wider UKAT sixth form collaboration with Chatham Grammar, established as a joint post 16 provision in 2017. This model can be attractive for students who want a broader course choice and a larger peer group than a single small school sixth form can offer, while remaining within familiar trust systems.

For families considering external entry to Year 12, published admissions information indicates that the overall Year 12 capacity is 200, with a small number of places (five) intended for eligible external applicants in the standard admission number, with scope to admit more if fewer internal students transfer. Practically, this means external entry may be possible but is likely to be constrained and dependent on internal retention.

Post 18: University, apprenticeships and employment

For the 2023 to 2024 leaver cohort provided, 48% progressed to university, 5% to apprenticeships, 24% to employment, and 3% to further education (with the remainder not specified).

Oxbridge progression is present but small in volume. Over the measurement period provided, two applications were recorded, with one offer and one acceptance, all in the Cambridge pathway. In a school context, that suggests there is at least some experience of supporting highly academic applicants, but it is not a defining feature of the destination profile.

What this implies for families is that the sixth form proposition is likely to be strongest for students seeking a structured route into a mix of university, apprenticeship, and employment outcomes, rather than a heavily specialised high tariff pipeline. Students who are aiming for the most competitive university courses should ask directly about super curricular support, subject specific extension, and how references and predicted grades are quality assured.

Year 7 entry, September 2026

Admission is coordinated through Medway, but Brompton Academy has a distinctive additional step: all applicants must complete the school’s fair banding assessment to be considered. The purpose is not selection by pass mark, but to secure an intake that reflects the national ability range.

The school publishes a clear admissions timeline for September 2026 entry:

• Applications open: 01 September 2025

• Fair banding session: from 12 September 2025

• Open events: 18 and 20 September 2025

• Applications close: 31 October 2025

• National offer day: 02 March 2026

• Deadline for accepting offers, waiting list requests and appeals: 27 March 2026

• Re allocation of places and late applications processed: 20 April 2026

• Waiting lists close: 31 August 2026

The published admission number for Year 7 is 240, including 20 places per year group in the Eliot Centre specialist resource provision. Where the school is oversubscribed, applications are first considered within ability bands, then prioritised by rules that include (among others) sibling association, children of staff, nearness of home, and random allocation within bands when required.

Demand data in the provided dataset supports the “hard to get” picture. For the Year 7 entry route measured, there were 934 applications for 217 offers, a ratio of 4.3 applications per place offered. The first preference ratio is also high, indicating that many families list the school as a top choice rather than a fall back.

Families who are distance sensitive should use the FindMySchool Map Search to measure their home to school distance precisely, then compare it with the pattern of offers across years. the last distance offered value is not available, so it is particularly important to rely on Medway’s published allocation information and the school’s own admissions updates rather than informal estimates.

Specialist provision: the Eliot Centre

The Eliot Centre is a specialist resource provision for students whose primary need is speech, language and communication needs, supported by an EHCP. The model is deliberately integrated: from entry, students attend around 20% of lessons in the mainstream school, increasing later as GCSE options are chosen, while keeping a base within the Eliot Centre for form and core subjects.

Admissions for the Eliot Centre are not handled in the same way as Year 7 mainstream entry and involve consultation via Medway. Places are limited, with 20 spaces per year group, and entry criteria are specific about the needs profile and compatibility with the wider cohort.

Sixth form entry

The UKAT sixth form publishes a route that includes internal progression and external applications. For the September 2026 start, course pages in the Kent Prospectus platform list applications opening on 13 November 2025 and closing on 31 March 2026.

Because sixth form places can depend on subject level entry requirements, the practical question is not only “can I get a place”, but “can I access the subjects I want”. Families should look for the options booklet for the September 2026 intake and ask how subjects are blocked, how oversubscription is handled for popular courses, and what happens if a course does not run due to low numbers.

Pastoral systems work best when students can use them without friction. The “Umbrella” model, valued by students as a clear route to help, is a strong indicator that support is structured rather than ad hoc. The school also places emphasis on helping students understand risk and safety in the local context, including relationships and consent education that students find helpful and well judged.

For families with additional needs, the school’s SEND team is visible and named, and the Eliot Centre offers a defined framework for students whose plans specify communication needs. The integrated mainstream proportion is important. It signals that the intent is inclusion with scaffolding, not separation.

Attendance is the main wellbeing related watch point. Evidence indicates that a minority of students do not attend regularly enough, and the school has put measures in place to reduce absence, including working with families to remove barriers. For parents, it is worth asking what early intervention looks like, how quickly patterns are picked up, and whether support is practical, for example transport, anxiety related plans, or mentoring.

In large secondaries, extracurricular life can easily become a list of clubs with uneven take up. The more helpful question is what the school does that creates participation at scale, and what a student can commit to consistently across a term.

Leadership, service and outdoor challenge

Brompton Academy offers the Combined Cadet Force (CCF), framed as a structured youth organisation that develops leadership, responsibility and service. This will suit students who respond well to routines, teamwork, and progressive challenge. It can also be a confidence builder for quieter students because the roles are defined, and progression is visible.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is another established strand, with Bronze and Silver activity evidenced through expedition activity and trust wide celebration events. The practical benefit is that it gives students a credible narrative for post 16 and post 18 applications, volunteering, resilience, and planning, provided they see it through rather than sampling it.

Sport and performance spaces

Facilities listed by the academy include a floodlit astro turf football pitch, sports hall, netball courts, dance studio, drama studio, and a lecture theatre, plus a sensory room. The presence of both sports and performance spaces matters because it suggests the school can timetable physical education, performing arts, and enrichment without constant competition for rooms.

At sixth form level, partnerships are a distinguishing feature. UKAT promotes a Chelsea FC partnership within its sixth form offer, designed to combine education with structured football coaching and competitive play. There is also a Kent Crusaders basketball partnership linked to the UKAT sixth form. For students who are motivated by sport, these links can make sixth form feel purposeful, provided the academic programme remains strong enough for their goals.

T1 Rugby, described as a fast paced non contact rugby offer open to all abilities and genders, is another example of sport as an access point rather than an elite only pathway.

Reading culture and enrichment

The library’s role is unusually prominent for a secondary. It is described as open before, during and after the day, and includes access to iMacs and a cafe style element through Joe’s Cafe. That matters because it makes the library a practical study base for students who need a quieter space, and it can support homework routines for those who find home study difficult.

The wider reading culture is reinforced through events, including author visits and structured activities. For students who do not naturally gravitate to reading, the key issue is whether intervention is systematic enough to build fluency early. This is an area the school has identified for further strengthening.

Brompton Academy is a state school with no tuition fees. Families should budget for standard extras, typically uniform, equipment, trips, and optional activities.

The academy day is clearly set out. The site opens at 8.00am for breakfast, lessons start at 8.30am, and finish at 3.15pm Monday to Thursday, with an earlier finish of 2.10pm on Friday. After school clubs and enrichment are scheduled until 4.45pm on most days, and until 3.10pm on Friday.

Travel guidance is signposted through a dedicated travel information page covering walking, car, train and bus options, alongside links to local travel schemes such as student bus tickets and youth passes. Parking for events is described as extremely limited, so families should plan accordingly for open evenings.

• Admission requires more than an online form. Year 7 applicants must complete the fair banding assessment to be considered, alongside applying through Medway. If you miss the assessment window, an application may not be taken forward.

• Outcomes are still rebuilding. GCSE and A-level measures in the provided dataset sit below England average overall, with a negative Progress 8 score. Families should ask how improvement work in key stage 3 is translating into measurable gains year on year.

• Reading support is a key development area. The library culture is strong, but the school is still strengthening how consistently it identifies students who need additional reading support. For some learners, this detail is crucial to accessing the full curriculum.

• Specialist provision has a separate route. The Eliot Centre is an EHCP based resource provision with specific entry criteria and a distinct admissions pathway through consultation. It is not simply an extension of mainstream Year 7 entry.

Brompton Academy is a large, popular Medway secondary with clear demand and a distinctive admissions model through fair banding. The school’s recent inspection evidence points to stronger consistency in behaviour, clearer classroom routines, and an improving curriculum offer, alongside specific areas still being embedded, particularly reading identification and key stage 3 consistency.

It will suit families who value an all ability intake, want sixth form continuity, and prefer a school where expectations are made explicit and support routes are clearly defined. Securing admission is the limiting factor, so families serious about this option should use Saved Schools to manage their shortlist early and track admissions milestones carefully.