St John Fisher Catholic Comprehensive School is a mainstream secondary school in Rochester, Medway, for children and young people aged 11 to 18. In January 2026, 173 of its 1,084 pupils (16%) were getting SEN support and 27 (2.5%) had an EHC plan.
- Ages 11–18
- 1,084 pupils
Special educational needs here
From the school census, January 2026. Compared with state secondary schools across England and in Medway.
16% get SEN support
173 of 1,084 pupils. Help in school without an EHC plan.
About the same as the England average.
2.5% have an EHC plan
27 of 1,084 pupils. A legal plan from the council, for children who need more help.
Lower than the England average.
Most common needs
- Speech, language and communication59
- Social, emotional and mental health52
- Multi-sensory impairment13
- Specific learning difficulty, such as dyslexia11
- Moderate learning difficulty7
- Autism5
Pupils by their main need, on SEN support or with an EHC plan. Needs with fewer than 5 pupils aren’t shown.
Figures show how many children the school supports, not how well. To see how it would support your child, talk to the SENCO and read its SEN information report on the school’s website.
School details
- Type
- Mainstream secondary school
- Run as
- Voluntary aided school
- Ages
- 11 to 18
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 1,084 (places for 1,185)
- Headteacher
- Mrs Dympna Lennon
- Faith
- Roman Catholic
- Free school meals
- 36.4% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Medway
- School reference (URN)
- 118908
How SEN support works
4 steps, from a first chat to an EHC plan
- Talk to the class teacher and the SENCO
If you’re worried about your child, ask for a meeting. Every school has a SENCO (special educational needs co-ordinator). Your child doesn’t need a diagnosis to get help.
- SEN support
The school should work out what your child needs, agree a plan with you, put it in place and review it together, usually each term. This is called SEN support.
- An EHC needs assessment
If your child needs more help than the school can usually give, you or the school can ask Medway council for an EHC needs assessment. It can lead to an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan, which the council must make sure is delivered.
- Free, independent advice
Your local SENDIASS can help at any stage, and can come to meetings with the school with you.
Questions to ask the SENCO
10 questions to tick off as you go
Ticks stay on this device, so you can use them at the meeting.
Ofsted
Graded by area, October 2024
Inspected in October 2024. Inspections from September 2024 to November 2025 graded each area but gave no overall grade.
- Quality of educationRequires improvement
- Behaviour and attitudesRequires improvement
- Personal developmentGood
- Leadership and managementRequires improvement
- Sixth formGood
- SafeguardingEffective
Contact and getting there
City Way, Rochester, ME1 2FA
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Directions: Walk Public transport Drive
Email me these details
The school’s details, its SEN figures and the questions to ask the SENCO, in your inbox.
Nearby
Specialist schools and SEN units
- Ripplevale School Rochester Independent · Ages 6–25 0.3 miles
- Blue Skies School Independent · Ages 11–25 · Ofsted: Good 0.5 miles
- Delce Academy Mainstream + base · Ages 5–11 · Ofsted: Good 0.6 miles
- The Thomas Aveling School Mainstream + base · Ages 11–18 · Ofsted: Good 1.1 miles
Other mainstream schools
Questions about St John Fisher Catholic Comprehensive School
How many pupils at St John Fisher Catholic Comprehensive School have special educational needs?
In the January 2026 school census, 173 of the 1,084 pupils (16%) were getting SEN support and 27 (2.5%) had an EHC plan. Across England’s state secondary schools it is 14.1% and 3.5%.
What are the most common needs at St John Fisher Catholic Comprehensive School?
Counting pupils on SEN support and with an EHC plan, the most common main needs are speech, language and communication needs (59 pupils), social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs (52 pupils) and multi-sensory impairment (13 pupils).
Who do I talk to about my child’s needs at St John Fisher Catholic Comprehensive School?
The SENCO (special educational needs co-ordinator). Every school has one, and every school must publish an SEN information report on its website explaining how it supports pupils with SEND.
How do I apply for a place at St John Fisher Catholic Comprehensive School?
Through Medway council’s school admissions, in the normal application round or during the year. If your child has an EHC plan, you don’t apply this way: you ask for the school to be named in the plan instead.
Can my child with an EHC plan go to St John Fisher Catholic Comprehensive School?
You can ask for St John Fisher Catholic Comprehensive School to be named in your child’s EHC plan. The council must consult the school and name it, unless it would be unsuitable for your child’s age, ability or needs, or would affect other children’s education or the efficient use of resources.
Does St John Fisher Catholic Comprehensive School have an SEN unit or resourced provision?
Not according to the Department for Education’s register of schools. The nearest mainstream school with one is Delce Academy, about 0.6 miles away.
Where is St John Fisher Catholic Comprehensive School?
City Way, Rochester, ME1 2FA, in Medway.
School data: DfE Get Information About Schools, SEN figures from DfE Special educational needs in England (the January school census), under the Open Government Licence. Postcode lookups by postcodes.io: contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right, Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right, and National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right. Distances are as the crow flies. Always check details and admissions with the school and your council.