The Rochester Grammar School

Worst school ever. My time here was shocking. Wouldn't even know where to begin. Don't send your children here unless you want them to have 0 self confidence. Every teacher I had was on a power trip and made everyone's lives miserable because they were. More like a prison.

This school is useless. Do NOT attend this school. It doesnt give a crap about any child's mental health, and this school nearly killed me, it's the reason I have attempted to end my life multiple times. It doesnt stick to any safety plans put in place and the wellbeing manager should be fired. She doesnt know what shes doing. And god forbid you have a disability or mental illness, they treat you like an alien. This school only cares about its image - not your life or your health.

Outstanding school lovely school wonderful school i love the school go to this school you wont regret it love it here so much. Best decision I ever made

We are generally very pleased with the Rochester Grammar School. The school's values of respect, responsibility, and resilience are well-embedded, and the teachers are knowledgeable and enthusiastic. However, we have experienced some issues with communication with the school and would like to see improvements in this area.

We have been thoroughly impressed with the Rochester Grammar School since our daughter joined in Year 10. The school's facilities are excellent, and the teachers are supportive and knowledgeable. We particularly appreciate the school's emphasis on developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills, which we believe will benefit our daughter in her future academic and professional pursuits.

We have been impressed with the Rochester Grammar School since our daughter joined in Year 7. The facilities are modern and well-maintained, and the teachers are supportive and knowledgeable. We particularly appreciate the school's emphasis on 'excellence for all' and its commitment to providing enriching opportunities for all students.

Our son had a fantastic time at Rochester Grammar School, and we are grateful for the excellent education and support he received. The school's Thinking Schools Academy Trust is a particular strength, and we appreciate the emphasis on developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills. We would highly recommend the school to any parent looking for a high-quality education for their child.

I am currently a student at this school and i believe i have enough experience to give people considering this school an honest opinion.

WORK/LESSONS: The lessons are well organized and planned well which i enjoy as many teachers can also place the lesson resources and PowerPoints online for students to access. In lesson time, the classes are well taught and most teachers give students courage to participate and share opinions, which really helped my confidence and report. Most of the time, i can understand lessons but this depends on the teachers. The work can be challenging at times but you can really ask your teacher first, but most teachers allow you to ask classmates too. Overall, i would rate lessons an 8/10.

TEACHERS: I would say that most if not all teachers right now are great. They really explain lessons well and are sympathetic towards mental health or physical health. My teachers have been kind and sympathetic, especially considering the difficult lockdown and COVID. I would rate teachers 7/10

HOMEWORK: Honestly, the amount of homework depends on the subject and your attitude towards it. Personally, i review work and actively revise it for some subjects so i find them easy and get given less homework, but if homework is given i would find it quite easy. If you re struggling with homework ,i will 100% advise you ask you subject teacher as they are more knowledgeable but mostly i ask classmates. And the teachers will explain it during lesson time if most of the class have struggled with it. Many people say there is a lot of hw which is true but most schools do. During Y7-9, i promise there is barely any homework so don't worry at first. 7/10

BEHAVIOUR/COMMUNITY: I have been here for a long time and during my years here, i have never found such an accepting and involved school. This school celebrates many diverse and cultural events, i felt so happy when people were celebrating my culture events. This school is very inclusive. Many students are from different backgrounds and sexualities. All the staff will deal with any homophobia ,racism, or any kind of discrimination very severely and seriously. If you are struggling with bullying or just private issues you can talk to your 'form tutor' or 'head of house', or any staff willing to talk. I would rate their behaviour 8/10.

CLUBS: The amount of clubs during lunchtime and after school is phenomenal. There is a great variety of clubs, some for education, some for fun, some for feeling included. There are just so many i promise you will never get bored. During these you can meet many people like you, i have bonded with many people during some clubs. I will rate clubs 9/10

UNIFORM: At first i hated the school uniform but i just got used to it and its not too bad. Students can wear skirts or trousers now. I love the trousers!! Anyways, one issue i have is the jewellery rules but i do understand some. You can only wear small gold or silver earing studs and only other religious jewellery. For PE, there are joggers, shorts and skorts, which can be worn depending on the weather or type of sport being played.

In conclusion, i believe this school is great if you want to have higher grades and become more well-rounded. I enjoyed years 7-9 the most as it was not too serious but just fun times, but during y10-11 it did get a but hard but i still have so many wonderful memories. I have gained so much insight and wisdom, and i loved my time.

I went to RGS, they are terrible with pastoral care. Almost every student leaves with severe anxiety and poor mental health. They are focussed only on driving students through to pop out A-A*s, and have no interest on individual student capabilities, wishes, and progress. They don't explore other avenues, and it is very much a 'You will get A*s or Else, and we will meet our targets, you are just statistics' kind of school. I know a few hundred people from my year, above, and below, and almost every girl there says how awfully they treated us and how messed up we are mentally now. Only attend this school if you are the top of every academic class, not just the smartest in the area but the cleverest of the smartest group in Medway, and focussed entirely on exams and academics. Anyone who struggles marginally to keep up or has other interests than getting A*s in Maths, Science, and English, will absolutely lose it and will come out changed and damaged, but with many GCSEs. Are the GCSEs worth it for the enormous mental and emotional toll? You decide. You only need 5 GCSEs to get into A level and Uni, or apprenticeships and courses. Let's be honest, if you do well in them, or even just attain them, future employers have no interest in those GCSEs. You weigh up the importance of getting 11 GCSEs A-A*, over getting absolutely damaged and needing therapy for life.

Not very supportive. Care more about numbers than individuals...

right so i’m in year eleven so been at this school for a long time. i’m gonna give an honest and detailed review.
teachers: very 50/50. some of the teachers are wildly sexist, racist or just generally rude and aggressive. however the majority are very warm-hearted and bubbly, always willing to help and listen. most of them are lovely, it’s just the odd few that’re unbearable and you will get very angry at them lmao. however even some of the nice teachers are strict, as the school rules are unbelievable.
rules: the school rules are literally stupid. they make no sense. no jewellery unless plain silver ear studs, skirts below knee length, no dyed hair, completely taking away every single bit of self expression. you’ll get in trouble for the most ridiculous things, you won’t even believe it. teachers just look for ways to get you into trouble, it seems- and the decisions they’ve made over exams during covid are stupid.
building: the building is old-fashioned but kinda comforting in a way. there’s lots of toilets but the doors have been taken off?? really weird and uncomfortable. they’re gross as well. the school has rats and gum everywhere and lots of places are damaged or just all around gross. however it’s not unbearable- just a bit musty.
teaching: the teaching at this school is not good. most teachers will just read from a powerpoint without explaining anything, and expect you to understand it yourself. and lots of teachers will embarrass you when you don’t understand something, saying stuff like ‘were you not listening?’. very much makes you want to just suck it up and not understand the content rather than ask for help. the homework is a heavy load, very overwhelming but lots of teachers will offer extensions if you speak to them- so not TOO bad but bear that in mind. i think the reason students here get good grades is because of the heavy homework load and the unbelievable pressure, not the actual teaching itself. the stress you’ll feel is immense, but maybe it’s worth it- that’s up to you to decide.
students: the students here are mostly alright. better than other schools i’ve seen where they literally have physical fights- that doesn’t happen much here. there’s a LOT of drama and bullying, but mostly everything stays verbal. a lot of students are very homophobic, and some are loud and rowdy- but some are also lovely and good to talk to. it’s definitely a mix. but as i said before, it’s not too much to handle. i wouldnt worry about the students when going here.
mental health support: the school offers a lot of support for mental health, however personally i don’t find it helpful. it’s more just ‘remember to breathe’ ‘manage your workload’ rather than actual help. the heads of houses are really good to speak to, however will they change your mental issues? no, probably not. but at least it’s good to have someone to talk to.
stuff to do: at lunch there’s normally music rooms you can play/learn instruments, lots of clubs (including drama club, science club, sports clubs, language learning slubs, general safe spaces) and spaces to just hang out and talk so all in all it’s never boring!! and the lunch food isn’t that bad too.

i guess that’s it?? have fun.

School doesnt allow children who arent comfortable to wear skirts to wear trousers unless they identify as a different gender than assigned at birth