The Robert Napier School, is a secondary school and

sixth form In the education systems of England, Northern Ireland, Wales, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and some other Commonwealth countries, sixth form represents the final two years of secondary education, ages 16 to 18. Pupils typically prepare for A-l ...

with academy status, located in Gillingham, Kent,

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. The school is a specialist Humanities School, and is non-selective, and does not have grammar school status. It has approximately 1100 students (according to

Department for Education The Department for Education (DfE) is a department of His Majesty's Government responsible for child protection, child services, education (compulsory, further and higher education), apprenticeships and wider skills in England. A Department ...

figures). The school is a member of Fort Pitt Thomas Aveling Academies.

History

The school sits on the former site of Gillingham Grammar School. The school moved to its new site on Third Avenue on 20 April 1977. The headmistress, Mrs Louisa Stanley, had been appointed in 1974. When the school opened in September 1977 there were only 680 students and 39 members of staff. The origins of the Robert Napier School extend back to 1905 when the 'Napier Road School' opened at Napier Road, Gillingham. In 1923 Gillingham County Council (Grammar) School was opened by Kent County Council on what is now the site of the present school on Third Avenue. Shortly after its opening, the area experienced a sudden influx in population meaning many local schools rapidly reached their maximum capacity. It was not until the 1970s however, when the Gillingham County Council School moved sites and became The Howard School, Kent that the Robert Napier School was formed.

Academics

The school is noted for the formal way that pupils must address teachers- calling them 'Sir' and 'mam'. The school aims to: * Create a culture of high expectations * Develop a clear sense of purpose for students who are given the drive and ambition to succeed * A firm emphasis on good behaviour to provide a calm and orderly environment for students and staff * High expectations for uniform, attendance, punctuality and excellent manners * To develop every teacher skills using reflection to improve performance The school chooses to teach a two year Key Stage 3 pupils are exposed to a broad and balanced curriculum of subjects. These provide a common foundation for the more specialised

Key Stage 4 Key Stage 4 (KS4) is the legal term for the two years of school education which incorporate GCSEs, and other examinations, in maintained schools in England normally known as Year 10 and Year 11, when pupils are aged between 14 and 16 by August 31 ...

. The only language studied is Spanish. The school works on a two-week timetable. In the three year Key Stage 4, students study a core of seven subjects, and three options one of which must be History or Geography GCSE. There are nineteen GCSE and BTEC options on offer. A pass in Maths and English is seen as essential for further study. At

Key Stage 5 Key Stage 5 is a label used to describe the two years of education for students aged 16–18, or at sixth form, in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, aligning with previous Key Stages as labelled for the National Curriculum. Key Stage 5 is als ...

eighteen

A level The A-Level (Advanced Level) is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education, as well as a school leaving qualification offered by the educational bodies in the United Kingdom and the educational au ...

s and BTEC Level 3s are offered. There is no provision for a modern language. Ofsted has described how the school has improved; in 2019 this was rated a good school.

Extra curriculum

There are several sporting clubs including-an early morning basketball academy which is very popular with pupils, especially those whose behaviour and attendance have been weaker in the past. Trips to local places of interest, such as Dover castle and central London, visits to Europe and America have been organised. Ofsted noted that through such activities, pupils develop their spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding.

Houses

There are four houses named after birds of prey such as

Eagle Eagle is the common name for many large birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of genera, some of which are closely related. Most of the 68 species of eagle are from Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, j ...

(red), Harrier (yellow),

Osprey The osprey (''Pandion haliaetus''), , also called sea hawk, river hawk, and fish hawk, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey with a cosmopolitan range. It is a large raptor reaching more than in length and across the wings. It is brown o ...

(Green) and

Kestrel The term kestrel (from french: crécerelle, derivative from , i.e. ratchet) is the common name given to several species of predatory birds from the falcon genus ''Falco''. Kestrels are most easily distinguished by their typical hunting behaviou ...

(blue).

Former pupils

* Ryan Bertrand - footballer

References

External links

Robert Napier School
{{DEFAULTSORT:Robert Napier School Secondary schools in Medway Gillingham, Kent Academies in Medway