Medway has six grammar schools, and one bilateral school (The Howard School).

Admissions criteria for the various schools differ, with some using distance from the school as a primary criterion. In contrast, others use the score achieved in the 11+ tests as the over-subscription criterion. Therefore, parents must check the admissions policies for each school extremely carefully before deciding on the rank order of schools for the Common Application Form.

The Appeals process in Medway is both complex and controversial.

Children will take the test at their own primary school in Medway. Children from outside the area and those attending Medway primary schools that opted not to run the test, will take the 11+ at an independent centre. See below for more details.

The Medway test is to be used for Medway Grammar Schools only and the Kent test is to be used only for Kent Grammar Schools. The results will not be transferable as in previous years.

The Chatham Grammar Schools are an exception and will continue to accept children who pass either the Medway or Kent tests.

Forum discussions about this region can be found here.

Recommended Practice Materials for Medway

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Medway Schools

Find out more about the schools in Medway

For entry in 2022

The Schools Admissions Code, that came into effect in 2012, stated that by law, schools must take all reasonable steps to inform parents of the outcome of tests before the closing deadline for the Common Application form (CAF) on October 31st.

Medway has six grammar schools, and one bilateral school (The Howard School).

Admissions criteria for the various schools differ, with some using distance from the school as a primary criterion, while others use the score achieved in the 11+ tests as the over-subscription criterion. It is therefore essential that parents check the admissions policies for each school extremely carefully before deciding on the rank order of schools for the Common Application Form.

The Appeals process in Medway is both complex and controversial.

Children will take the test at their own primary school in Medway. Children from outside the area and those attending Medway primary schools that opted not to run the test, will take the 11+ at an independent centre. See below for more details.

The Medway test is to be used for Medway Grammar Schools only and the Kent test is to be used only for Kent Grammar Schools. The results will not be transferable as in previous years.

The Chatham Grammar Schools are an exception and will continue to accept children who pass either the Medway or Kent tests.

NEW CEM Practice Materials now available on our online shop

Admissions Information for September 2022 entry

OPENING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS1st June 2021
CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS29 June 2021
31st October 2021 for the Common Application Form
11+ TEST DATESTues 14th September 2021
Wed 15th September 2021
 
These dates are for children attending Medway primary schools which have opted to undertake the test
Saturday 18th September 2021
 
In test centres for children attending primary schools which have opted not to undertake the test and out of area applicants
TEST TYPESVerbal Reasoning
Mathematics
English (Extended Writing) – usually an essay 40 mins plus 10 mins planning
TEST FORMATMultiple choice & writing task
EXAMINERSCEM
PREVIOUS YEAR’S PASS MARKThere is no pass mark, but is set at the 23rd percentile of the Medway cohort. The qualifying mark in 2021 was 483, 2020 was 490, 2019 was 492, 2018 was 495,and 2017. (*See below for how the pass mark is calculated)
STANDARDISED SCORE?Yes
11+ TEST RESULTSPosted by letter on Mon 4th October 2021 and emails after 4pm (for those who registered online)
11+ TEST REVIEWWhere a child does not achieve the minimum score required, parents can ask for the assessment decision to be reconsidered at an academic review. Samples of work from the last two terms of year 5 and the first term of year 6 will be requested in Maths (problem solving), English (creative writing), Science (investigation).
 
Requests to review your child’s 11+ result must be made by Mon 11th October 2021
Reviews will take place between Thurs 14th and Fri 25th October 2021
11+ TEST REVIEW RESULTSResults of review decisions will be posted by letter by Fri 22nd October 2021
ALLOCATIONS DAY2nd March 2022
ADMISSIONSMedway Council
Tel: 01634 331110
Email: admissions@medway.gov.uk
Find more information in the Medway Council Website
RECOMMENDED PRACTICE MATERIALSCEM Practice Materials

The pass mark in Medway is calculated as follows. Firstly the scores are standardised, giving a minimum score of 70 and a maximum score of 140. Then the individual test scores are weighted as follows:

  1. The Verbal Reasoning test score is given a weighting of 1
  2. The Maths and Extended Writing task are given a weighting of 2 each

Thus the test effectively consists of 20 percent Verbal Reasoning, 40 percent Mathematics and 40 percent English.

The standardised scores of the Maths and English are doubled and then added to the Verbal Reasoning. 350 is the minimum weighted score and 700 is the maximum.
The pass mark varies every year and is set at the 23rd percentile of the cohort.

SUBJECTSTANDARDISED SCOREWEIGHTED SCORE
Verbal Reasoning122122
Mathematics117234
Extended Writing119238
TOTAL WEIGHTED SCORE594

School Information

SCHOOLADMISSIONSGENDERPLACESOPEN DAY
Holcombe Grammar School for Boys
(previously Chatham Grammar for Boys)
Admissions Policy 2022Boys150 places in Year 7Virtual
Chatham Grammar School for GirlsAdmissions Policy 2022Girls150 places in Year 7TBC
Fort Pitt Grammar School (Chatham)Admissions Policy 2022Girls150 places in Year 7Thurs 7th October 2021 5.30pm – 8.00pm, Mon 11th October , Tues 12th October, Wed 13th October 2021 8.50am – 11.00am
Rainham Mark Grammar School (Gillingham)Admissions Policy 2022Mixed235 places in Year 7TBC
Sir Joseph Williamson’s Mathematical SchoolAdmissions Policy 2022Boys203 places in Year 7TBC
The Howard School (Rainham)Admissions Policy 2022BoysBilateral School, 250 places in Year 7 of which 25% are selectiveTBC
The Rochester Grammar SchoolAdmissions Policy 2022Girls205 places in Year 7TBC

The Medway Review and Appeals Process

If your child is not successful in the Medway test and you wish to appeal against their result, you have two choices. You can apply for a Review of your child’s case or you can Appeal. If you have applied for a Review and it is not successful an Appeal can only be heard if there was a technical fault in the way that the Review was conducted.

The following extract from the Medway admissions brochure details the process of Reviews and Appeals in the County.

Review

Where a child does not achieve the minimum score required, parents/carers can ask for the assessment decision to be reconsidered at an academic review.

For each review case, samples of work from the last two terms of Year 5 and the first term of Year 6 will be requested from the child’s current school in the following areas: English, Maths and Science.

A series of panels will consider all review requests. The review panels are made up of senior representatives from Medway grammar schools and Medway primary/junior schools. The review process will identify a number of children (usually equivalent to up to 2% of the Medway cohort) who will then be assessed as suitable for admission to a Medway grammar school.
For 2015 entry, out of 146 applicants, 30 were successful. In 2014, 36 were successful out of 239 applicants.

If they wish to request a review, parents/carers must submit the request (using the form provided with the assessment decision letter) by the deadline date. Primary/junior schools will be requested to submit review work by 10am on the published date.

Review decisions will be sent to parents/carers by letter on the published date (as shown above). No review decisions are sent via e-mail.

Appeals

Parents/carers must submit any appeal request by [30th March 2015]. At this stage parents/carers can only appeal for the schools that they originally named on their application form.

To ensure that the process is made easier for parents/carers, a standard appeal form for any school they named will be included with the offer letter (for those schools/academies that have agreed to use such a form). Appeal requests for Academies, Foundation and VA schools must be lodged with the Clerk of the Governors at the relevant school/academy.

Medway Appeals Outcomes

201620152014
APPEALS HELDNUMBER% UPHELDNUMBER% UPHELDNUMBER% UPHELD
Medway non-selective7960%17834%12224%
Medway Grammar30031%24540%22647%

Information on this page was believed to be correct at the time of writing, but we would not necessarily be aware of subsequent changes unless someone brings them to our attention.
Before acting on any information given here, please verify that it is up to date.

Medway Schools

Review detailed information about schools in Medway.


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