When these become academies, the Special Measures classification is cancelled, thus reducing the number of problem schools in Medway! They are all being taken over by successful Medway Academy Trusts, but schools who have no previous additional academies attached: Byron Primary by the Westbrook Trust (Brompton Westbrook Primary School); Temple Mill Primary by the Howard Academy Trust and Twydall Primary by Rainham Mark Grammar School.

Whilst Riverview Infants in Gravesend has become an academy, the sister Junior School is in no position at present to make a decision, the headteacher having been removed earlier in the year, leaving much to be done to get the school back on track.  

You will find a full list of Kent and Medway academies and applications here; and a list of multi-academy Trusts here. When I started these sections they were quite straightforward, but are now becoming unwieldy and I am grateful for any errors that need to be corrected, or omissions and updates that need to be added.

I have currently no news of fresh Free School applications, but you will find details of current and proposed Free Schools here. 

Two recent articles on the website are both Medway based: the proposal by Chatham Boys’ Grammar, part of the Thinking Schools Academy Trust to become co-educational, and a look at the Griffin Academy Trust, responsible for four Medway primaries.