About the school
Holcombe Grammar School is a selective grammar school with academy status in Chatham, Kent, and is part of the Thinking Schools Academy Trust. Historically a boys’ grammar school, it admits a mixed Year 7 intake from September 2026 onwards, while other year groups apart from the Sixth Form remain boys only, and the Sixth Form is co-educational.
Holcombe Grammar School, previously known as Chatham Grammar School for Boys, has a long history in the town, with its formal origins dating back to 1913. It aims to develop confident, well-rounded young people equipped with the academic and life skills to thrive.
Holcombe Grammar School is part of the Medway 11+ Consortium and selects pupils through the Medway Test for Year 7 entry. The school has a published admission number of 180 places for Year 7.
School type
Grammar (Academy)
Exam date
Tue 15 & Wed 16 Sep 2026 (Medway pupils); Sat 19 & Sun 20 Sep 2026 (others)
Exam board
Medway Test (GL Assessment)
Address
Holcombe, Letchworth Avenue, Chatham, Kent, ME4 6JB
Age range
11–18 (Years 7–13)
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Admissions information
The Holcombe Grammar School entrance test is the Medway Test, administered by Medway Council. Here is everything you need to know about the Holcombe Grammar School admissions criteria and exam structure.
Holcombe Grammar School belongs to the Medway 11+ Consortium and selects pupils on academic ability through the Medway Test. The Medway Test is made up of three papers: an Extended Writing task, a Maths paper and a Verbal Reasoning paper. The exam papers are supplied by GL Assessment, and pupils sit all the papers in one day.
In the Medway Test, the Extended Writing task includes planning time, while the Maths and Verbal Reasoning papers are multiple-choice and use a separate answer sheet. The papers are based on Key Stage 2 content covering material up to the end of Year 5. The pass mark changes each year so that approximately the top 23 per cent of pupils qualify.
Parents register their child for the Medway Test online through Medway Council, with registration typically opening in mid-May and closing in mid-June. Children who attend a Medway maintained primary or junior school usually sit the test at their own school, while children who do not attend a Medway school sit it at a Medway test centre. Parents must also name Holcombe Grammar School on the Secondary Common Application Form (SCAF).
Medway Test results are typically issued to parents in mid-October, after which families submit their secondary school application to the Local Authority, ranking their preferred schools, by the 31st October deadline. School place offers are confirmed on National Offer Day in early March. Meeting the qualifying standard does not guarantee a place, as the school is regularly oversubscribed.
Key admissions details
Holcombe Grammar School admits up to 180 pupils into Year 7 each year.
Holcombe Grammar School prioritises pupils on academic ability through the Medway Test. Where the school is oversubscribed, priority is given after looked-after children and siblings to pupils attending named Thinking Schools Academy Trust primary schools, then to children of staff, and finally to children who live closest to the school, measured in a straight line.
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Holcombe Grammar School is located on Letchworth Avenue in Chatham, Kent, ME4 6JB. It is a selective grammar school with academy status, part of the Thinking Schools Academy Trust, serving pupils aged 11 to 18.
Holcombe Grammar School admits up to 180 pupils into Year 7 each year. Demand for places is high and the school is regularly oversubscribed, making thorough 11 plus preparation essential.
Holcombe Grammar School uses the Medway Test for Year 7 entry. The test consists of three papers: an Extended Writing task, a Maths paper and a Verbal Reasoning paper, all sat in one day and supplied by GL Assessment.
Holcombe Grammar School allocates places first on performance in the Medway Test. Where the school is oversubscribed, priority is given to named feeder primary schools and then to children who live closest to the school, measured in a straight line.
Registration for the Medway Test is completed online through Medway Council and typically opens in mid-May and closes in mid-June. Parents must also name Holcombe Grammar School on the Secondary Common Application Form, which is due by the 31st October.
Holcombe Grammar School has historically been a boys’ grammar school. From September 2026, Year 7 intakes are mixed, while other year groups apart from the Sixth Form remain boys only, and the Sixth Form is co-educational.
Yes, all our tuition is available both in-person at our Edgbaston, Birmingham centre and online via live video sessions. Online tuition gives families across Medway and the wider region access to our expert tutors without the need to travel. The quality and personalisation of sessions is identical in both formats.
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