GCSE Results 2026

Proudly Celebrating Top GCSE Grades for 2026

As a non-selective school, we are especially proud to see pupils across the full ability range achieving top grades, with more than 50% of all pupils achieving at least one grade 9-8 – a reflection of inspiring teaching and the commitment of our young people.

Our pupils have once again achieved excellent results in this year’s GCSE examinations, exceeding the national average in every measure. More than a quarter (26%) of all GCSE grades were awarded at grades 8 and 9, and almost half (44%) achieved grades 7–9, 20% above national average (24% nationally). An overall increase in top grades of 4% percentage points for our pupils.

King’s continues to combine a rich history with dynamic, modern academic success, fostering an environment where pupils excel across the full spectrum of academic disciplines.

The results are a clear reflection of the dedication of both pupils and staff combined. Behind every grade is a story of hard work and determination. What makes King’s distinctive is the way pupils combine academic excellence with confidence, creativity and resilience.

Grades	%
9-8	25.8
9-7	44.1
9-6	66.0
9-4 (pass rate)	92.1
Average Point Score	6.23

SENIOR SCHOOL

Individual Success STORIES

From Nursery to Nine Grade 9s for Lifer Maia

GCSE Results: 9 x 9, 1 x 8

Next Steps: King’s Sixth Form (considering Maths, Chemistry, History and French)

Huge congratulations to Maia on her outstanding results. Having been at King’s since Nursery, Maia capped off her long-standing journey with an outstanding set of GCSE results, securing nine grade 9s.

She was particularly pleased with her result in French: “I went to France the other week and it sounded like I couldn’t speak much French, so getting a nine was pretty good!”

Maia praised the tight-knit environment at King’s for creating a collaborative atmosphere during exam season: “All the teachers give really good support and there’s a real community spirit, so everyone works together in classes.”

As she prepares to transition into Sixth Form to take on four A-levels, Maia is looking forward to the step up in academic independence: “I’m excited for a bit more reading and working independently.” Her advice for future GCSE candidates is simple: “Don’t stress before an exam. Everyone does the preparation, but it’s all about how you handle the day itself.”

Rika’s Art A Level Ambitions

GCSE Results: 7 x 9s, 3 x grade 7-8
Next Steps: King’s Sixth Form to study History, Art, and English Literature

Rika was celebrating after achieving seven Grade 9s.

Having spent her entire educational journey at King’s since Nursery, Rika was delighted with an exceptional set of GCSE results. “I’m so happy,” Rika shared upon opening her envelope. “I got mainly nines!” She was particularly surprised and delighted by her results in Maths and Computing, subjects she had previously felt apprehensive about.

For Rika, the creative arts have always been the centrepiece of her time at King’s, naming the Art department as her absolute highlight. She is now looking forward to diving deeper into her passions during Sixth Form, where she will study History, Art, and English Literature, along with taking on High Level Art for her Singapore submission.

Reflecting on her progress, Rika praised her teachers for their continuous guidance: “There are really good teachers there, and they’ve really helped me progress. Looking back, I can see so much improvement.” Her advice to incoming GCSE students is to keep perspective during exam season: “Don’t stress too much. It’s actually a quite relaxed period, and don’t take the summer for granted – it’s a really nice time.”

Charlie Celebrates 5 x 9s and a Place at The Purcell School for Young Musicians

GCSE Results: 5 x 9, 4 x grades 6-8
Next Steps: The Purcell School for Young Musicians

Huge congratulations to Charlie who has won a Sixth Form place at The Purcell School for Young Musicians, the world’s oldest specialist music school.

Charlie was selected from an international field following two audition rounds. The School enjoys international renown for training some of the world’s best musicians. It represents an incredible achievement for Charlie to receive such an offer. There, he will study violin (first study) and voice (second study) alongside three A-levels and some conducting and composition.

Charlie’s musical journey accelerated when joining King’s as a chorister in Year 5. The rich, immersive training he received from Mr Bawtree as part of the choir at Rochester Cathedral clearly nurtured both his musicianship and his enjoyment of making music. Mr Jamieson-Smith has been Charlie’s singing teacher ever since those early days as a pupil of King’s. Singing is an important, integral part of being a good musician, training the ear and the mind, as well as the voice itself. The weekly routines of rehearsals, services and vocal lessons have been a significant factor in Charlie’s path as a musician.

Learning to play the violin to such a technically very high standard is a rewarding but also demanding course to pursue. Mr Milone has coached Charlie across the same period of time, providing first-class tuition on the violin, supporting Charlie every step of the way, as he developed the techniques, musicality, discipline and ambition required to perform at his level. Following Mr Milone’s guidance, Charlie has navigated that tough route from elementary to advanced studies, where he is now able to tackle some impressively testing repertoire.

Charlie said “I’m eternally grateful to King’s Rochester for the musical foundations I’ve been given. The Cathedral choir immersed me in music and taught me discipline and ensemble skills. Without my Choristership and Music Scholarship I would not have learned at school from such amazing teachers, Mr Milone and Mr Jamieson-Smith. I’ve enjoyed so many opportunities to perform at King’s. I’ll cherish my collaborations with Miss Roux who has supported me with immense generosity and musicality. There have been so many other highlights: King’s Piano Trio, Gordon Shakespeare in ‘Nativity’, performing in the bands of King’s musicals, ‘Oh what a lovely war’ and ‘Les Miserables’, and in the choir for Bach’s St Matthew Passion to name a few. I’m very excited about the next stage but King’s and Cathedral will always be my musical home.”

We are very lucky at King’s to have such dedicated and capable professionals whose expertise and hard work can empower pupils here to achieve amazing musical outcomes. Sincere thanks are due to Julian Milone for Charlie’s inspirational and superbly judged violin teaching and to Michael Jamieson-Smith for nurturing Charlie’s voice with consummate skill, care and musicianship. We wish Charlie all the best.

Triple 9 Science Success for Nathan!

GCSE Results: 4 x 9 (Physics, Chemistry, Biology and History), 5 x grades 5-8

Nathan was left celebrating an outstanding set of GCSE results, headlined by an impressive sweep of 9s across the sciences.

Reflecting on his achievements, Nathan shared that his grade 9 in Physics was his proudest moment, explaining, “The majority of my GCSE course, Physics was by far my weakest science, and I’ve just gone and hit a nine! That is incredible.”

Looking back at his time at King’s, Nathan credited the close-knit learning environment for helping him reach his full potential: “The classes are much smaller, so teachers focus on your personal needs. They help you fix your tiny little mistakes, which pushes your grade up bit by bit.”

His advice for future GCSE candidates is centred on balance and focus: “Stay on top of everything and don’t let it pile up. Take breaks – staying up until 1 a.m. studying might seem a good idea, but you’ll forget it all by the morning!”

Parent Perspective

Lian Chia, father of GCSE student Nathan, was left delighted following his son’s results, praising the dedicated staff at King’s for nurturing his academic growth. Headlining his achievement was an unexpected sweep of top marks across the sciences – including Physics, where he jumped from predicted 6s and 7s up to a grade 9: “He managed to score all nines in three of the higher sciences, and really a big surprise to us, I have to say, especially Physics. Unexpectedly he got a nine!”

Beyond his science triumph, Lian highlighted Nathan’s grade 9 in History as an extraordinary milestone: “When he first told us many years ago that he was going to do History, I asked, ‘Are you sure about that?’ You need a lot of articulation and writing. But he said he liked it, and he did it.” He expressed special gratitude to Nathan’s teacher: “I really like to thank Dr Thompson for making the class so interesting and lively. Bringing a subject to life and teaching them how to express themselves is something my son will always bring with him.”

For Lian, the small class sizes and approachable nature of the teaching staff proved to be the ultimate recipe for success: “Nathan never had problems approaching the teachers if there was anything he was worried about. That bonding and rapport they build is absolutely priceless. For them to have that comfort of talking to a teacher and asking questions – it is a beautiful part of the learning process.”

Flying High: Matthew’s A Level Aviation Ambitions

GCSE Results: 2 x 8, 3 x 7, 5 x grades 5-6.

Next Steps: King’s Sixth Form (considering Religious Studies, Sociology and Business BTEC)

Matthew was delighted to see his hard work pay off as he collected an impressive set of GCSE results.

He was particularly proud of his grade 8 in Geography, sharing, “I’ve always really liked the subject, so it’s a really nice way to finish it.”

Looking ahead to Sixth Form at King’s, Matthew will be tailoring his studies towards Religious Studies, Sociology and Business BTEC as he sets his sights on a future degree apprenticeship in business management within the aviation sector.

“I think I’m most excited for the independence, the nice Sixth Form centre and being able to focus on three subjects rather than ten.”

Annie’s Amazing Accomplishments

GCSE Results: 4 x 9, 5 x 8, 1 x 7.
Next Steps: King’s Sixth Form (considering Economics, French, Maths and History)

Annie was all smiles on results day after securing grade 9s in English, History and Biology.

Having been at King’s since Year 3, Annie felt her transition into Sixth Form was a natural progression, inspired in part by her brother’s positive experience and the School’s Sixth Form induction days.

Beyond the classroom, Annie has thrown herself into school life, citing extracurricular activities as her fondest memories: “I loved being part of Les Misérables backstage last year, as well as all the sports fixtures.”

As she decides on her final A-level combination – with a strong interest in French and Economics – Annie is excited for the next chapter: “I’m really looking forward to a bit more freedom in Sixth Form and enjoying the space in the Sixth Form Centre.”

Formula for Success: Chemistry Clinic Commitment Pays Off for Ava!

Starting at King’s in nursery Daya is proud to call herself a true member of the King’s family and is looking forward to joining the Sixth Form.

GCSE Results: 3 x 9, 5 x 8, 1 x 7, 1 x 6
Next Steps: King’s Sixth Form to study Chemistry, Biology, DT and Psychology

Ava was delighted with her set of GCSE results, headlined by top marks across the sciences.

She was particularly proud of her performance in Chemistry, attributing her grade to proactive studying: “I just worked really hard for that one. I went to a lot of the weekly lunchtime clinics, got more revision and tried to do extra.”

Having joined King’s at the start of Year 7, Ava has made the most of both academic support and extracurricular life, citing her love for the music department and fond memories of the Year 8 Dartmoor trip as highlights of her time at school so far.

Ava is now looking forward to continuing her journey at King’s Sixth Form, taking on a strong mix of sciences and Design Technology as she explores her options for the future.

Making Waves: Swimmer Strikes Gold with Maths Mock Comeback!

GCSE Results: 2 x 9, 7 x grades 6-8
Next Steps: King’s Sixth Form to study Chemistry, Economics and Maths

Lanre was celebrating his GCSE results and two Grade 9s.

After managing a rigorous training schedule alongside his academic studies, Lanre proved that hard work pays off by securing a brilliant set of GCSE results. He was especially thrilled with his grade 8 in Maths, which marked a major jump from his mock exams: “I was on a seven before in the mocks, so I just did some more past papers and went up to an eight – it’s crazy!”

Balancing up to two hours of swimming training almost every day alongside his schoolwork taught him valuable time-management skills: “You don’t get as much time, but you just have to manage it.” Outside the pool, he noted that competing in sports fixtures and travelling on the team buses with friends were among his favourite memories at King’s.

Looking ahead he plans to take Chemistry, Economics and Maths at King’s Sixth Form.

Drama and English Star Amelie Heads to King’s Sixth Form

GCSE Results: 3 x 9, 6 x grade 5-8
Next Steps: King’s Sixth Form to study Drama, Psychology, and English Literature

Lifer Amelie was overjoyed on results day after securing fantastic GCSE grades, capped off by an impressive trio of grade 9s across Drama, English Literature and English Language.

While her top marks in the humanities shone brightly, it was her grade 6 in Maths that gave her the biggest sense of achievement: “I worked really hard for that, especially as at the start of last year I wasn’t doing as well. I was really hoping to get there, so I’m very happy with that!”

Having spent her entire school career at King’s since Nursery, Amelie has thrown herself into all aspects of school life, counting netball matches, school trips, and performing in Les Misérables among her favorite highlights. She credited the school’s welcoming atmosphere for giving her the confidence to succeed: “King’s has just such a great support system. I always feel so comfortable reaching out to any of my teachers, and they’re always there to offer help.”

Amelie is now eagerly anticipating stepping up to King’s Sixth Form to pursue Drama, Psychology, and English Literature. Looking ahead to the next stage, she shared: “Everyone says Sixth Form is their favourite part of King’s, so I’m really excited to be a part of all the new shows and start my A-levels!” Her advice for future candidates is simple and encouraging: “Just work hard, do everything that you can, and in the end, it will all pay off.”

Romy Scores Wunderbar Grade 9 Result a Year Early!

GCSE Results: Grade 9 in German (taken a year early)
Next Steps: Entering Year 11, with plans to join King’s Sixth Form

Year 10 pupil Romy was left feeling proud and relieved after getting a head start on exam season, securing an impressive result in German a whole year early.

Reflecting on taking the exam ahead of schedule, Romy shared: “I got one result a year early, and I’m really impressed with my result. I’m really quite proud of it and relieved as well!”

Having been at King’s since Year 4, Romy praised the school for seamlessly tailoring support around a busy timetable filled with academics, music, and drama: “The highlight of being at King’s is just being involved in everything, and how well the school accommodates all the different arrangements for me doing an exam early. I’ve had so much support from Mr Rector, Mr Fisher, and everybody at King’s, alongside being in the play and being a music scholar.”

With one GCSE already under the belt, Romy feels energised and well-prepared for the upcoming academic year, intending to remain at King’s right through to Sixth Form. Offering advice to pupils considering taking an exam early, Romy noted: “Definitely do it – there’s nothing to lose. It’s a massive weight off the shoulders, it gives you a lot of momentum for next year, and I already feel so ready to take on Year 11.”

SENIOR SCHOOL

GCSE Results 2026