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Rochester Grammar School

School typeGrammar

AddressMaidstone Road, Rochester, Kent, England, ME1 3BY

Rochester Grammar School is a selective grammar school for girls. It uses the GL 11+ exam for Year 7 entry and does not include an interview stage in its admissions process. The school is state-funded with no fees; its pass mark and selectivity ratio are unknown.

If you have a bright, hard-working daughter who responds well to high expectations held with genuine warmth, The Rochester Grammar School is worth a close look. It is a selective grammar for girls in Medway, taking girls into Years 7 to 11 through the Medway 11+ and then opening its sixth form to boys as well. It is state-funded with no fees, part of the Thinking Schools Academy Trust, and it carries an unusual history: it was set up in 1888, when grammar education for girls was still a rare thing, and that founding sense of purpose still sits quietly behind the place.

The school sums up its approach as "excellence for all", and the Good Schools Guide reflects that grounded, practical character rather than the hothouse some parents fear. It is a busy, ambitious place where pupils are taught how to think, not just what to learn, through its Advanced Thinking School work. The Guide also notes the staying power of the principal, who earned her history degree over six years while working as senior cabin crew, a detail that says a good deal about the steady, get-on-with-it tone of the school. The broad sixth form keeps the older years full of choice and gives students a wider setting for their final two years before university.

Leadership has been in the hands of principal Clare Brinklow since 2017. What comes through most is a school that pushes its girls hard but holds that push alongside real support, so a daughter here is likely to feel both stretched and looked after.

Key facts

Gender

Girls

Year 7 places

205

Annual fees

None

Website

Visit school website

Admissions

Open day

Oct

Registration opens

May

Registration closes

June

CAF deadline

Oct

Admissions contact

office@rochestergrammar.org.uk

Admissions phone

+44 333 360 2120

Registration form

View registration details

Sibling policy

Yes

What this school tests

Medway Test

English15 question types

PunctuationReading Comprehension - ComparisonReading Comprehension - EvaluationReading Comprehension - Grammar and punctuationReading Comprehension - Inference and DeductionReading Comprehension - Information RetrievalReading Comprehension - Language Techniques and ImageryReading Comprehension - Sentence-level ComprehensionReading Comprehension - SequencingReading Comprehension - Structure, Form, Voice and ToneReading Comprehension - SummarisingReading Comprehension - Text Classification and PurposeReading Comprehension - Types of Words and PhrasesReading Comprehension - Word Meaning / ChoiceSentence Completion

Maths23 question types

AlgebraAngles and DegreesBIDMASCoordinate GridsEstimation and RoundingFactors and MultiplesFractions, Decimals and PercentagesMagic squaresMeasurementMoneyNumber and Place ValueNumber WallsOperationsPerimeter, Area and VolumePosition and DirectionProperties of ShapesRatio and ProportionReflection, Rotation and SymmetrySequencesSpecial NumbersSpeed, Distance and TimeStatisticsTime

Non-verbal Reasoning14 question types

Extended Figure SeriesFigure AnalogiesFigure MatricesFigure OperationsFigure SeriesGrid MatricesHorizontal CodesMost Like Three FiguresMost Like Two FiguresOdd Figure OutStar MatricesTriangle MatricesTriangle SeriesVertical Codes

Spatial Reasoning8 question types

2D RotationsBlock CountingCombining ShapesFold and PunchFolding CubesHidden ShapesMissing Face of CubeShape Completion

Verbal Reasoning26 question types

AnagramsCompound WordsEmbedded WordsForm a WordInsert a LetterLetter AnalogiesLetter CalculationsLetter CodesLetter GridsLetter SequencesMove 1 / 2 LettersNumber AnalogiesNumber CalculationsNumber SequencesRelated WordsRhyming SynonymsShuffled SentencesSynonymsWord / Logic PuzzlesWord AnalogiesWord CompletionWord MatchWord OppositesWord PairsWord RelationshipsWords and Codes

Catchment area

The Rochester Grammar School doesn’t have a formally defined catchment area. However, as part of its oversubscription criteria, it will prioritise children who live closer to the school.

Previous exam results

GCSE results

In 2025 students achieved an average Attainment 8 score of 68.4 across their GCSEs. 92.4% gained a grade 5 or better in both English and Maths. 63.1% achieved the English Baccalaureate at grade 5 or above. Reference: https://www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/

A-level results

Rochester Grammar offers the International Baccalaureate rather than A-Levels at sixth form. In 2025 its post-16 students achieved a B average grade across their academic qualifications (38.99 points per entry).

Frequently asked questions

What exam board does Rochester Grammar School use for the 11+?

Rochester Grammar School uses the GL 11+ exam for Year 7 entry.

Does Rochester Grammar School interview as part of the 11+ process?

No, Rochester Grammar School does not include an interview stage in its 11+ admissions process.

Is Rochester Grammar School a single-sex or co-educational school?

Rochester Grammar School is a selective grammar school for girls from Year 7 to 11. Its sixth form is open to both boys and girls.

What is Rochester Grammar School's official website?

The official website for Rochester Grammar School is https://www.rochestergrammar.org.uk/.

Does Rochester Grammar School have a catchment area for 11+ entry?

Rochester Grammar School does not have a formally defined catchment area. However, it prioritises children who live closer to the school in its oversubscription criteria.

What type of school is Rochester Grammar School?

Rochester Grammar School is a state-funded, selective grammar school for girls.

How do you get a place at The Rochester Grammar School?

Your daughter first needs to be assessed as grammar ability through the Medway Test, as only selective applicants are considered. Places are then offered in priority order: looked-after and previously looked-after children first, then girls eligible for Pupil Premium (current Free School Meals first, then FSM in the last six years, then armed forces families), then siblings at the school, then girls at the trust's named Medway primary schools, then children of staff, then health reasons, and finally by distance. A girl with an EHC plan naming the school is admitted. There's no fixed pass mark; it depends on demand each year.

What happens if my child is ill on 11+ test day at The Rochester Grammar School?

The Medway Test is run by Medway Council on the school's behalf rather than by the school itself, so arrangements for a missed test and any reasonable adjustments are handled through the council's testing process. The school's own admission policy doesn't set out a separate reserve-test procedure for a child who falls ill on test day. If that happens, contact Medway's admissions team and the school as early as you can to ask what options are open to your daughter.

Location

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