Head: Lee Preston
An accessible boys' grammar school in Medway with a Good Ofsted rating.
0
Year 7 Places
0.0:1
Applicants/Place
Pass Mark
0
Pupils
Max Score
700
Qualifying Score
488
70% of max
Cutoff Score
488
70% of max
Distance Cutoff
19.54 mi
Applications
733
Offers Made
179
Score, then Distance
Places by test score. Equal scores broken by distance.
Sibling Priority
Pupil Premium
Out-of-Area
Appeals Deadline
2026-03-27
Process
For applications made in the normal admission round, appeals must be heard within 40 school days of the deadline for lodging appeals. For late applications, appeals should be heard within 40 school days where possible, or within 30 school days of the appeals being lodged.
1. Register
Check website
2. Take Test
Medway Test
3. Results
Check website
4. Offer Day
1 Mar 2027
A shared 11+ entrance exam used by 6 grammar schools, administered by GL Assessment, testing English, Mathematics, Verbal Reasoning. GL Assessment papers with weighted scoring. English ×2 + Maths ×2 + Verbal Reasoning, each section max 140. Total max score: 700.
Max
700
Qualifying Score
488
70% of max
CAF Deadline
National Common Application Form deadline (set by each local authority — usually 31 October).
31 Oct 2026
National Offer Day
National Offer Day. All secondary school offers are released today.
1 Mar 2027
62.3
Attainment 8
84.7%
Grade 5+ Eng & Maths
The school's 2025 results at a glance — GCSE (Key Stage 4) and A-Level (sixth form) shown separately. Each tile shows the latest figure and how it moved on the year before.
62.3
Attainment 8
Average achievement across 8 qualifications
85%
English + Maths 5+
Grade 5 or above in both
97%
English + Maths 4+
Grade 4 or above in both
97%
EBacc Entry
Entered the English Baccalaureate suite
5.97
EBacc APS
Average points across EBacc subjects
C+
Avg A-Level Grade
Average grade achieved across all A-Level entries
33.4
A-Level avg points
Average point score per entry (A* = 60, A = 50, B = 40)
9.6%
AAB+ at A-Level
Achieved AAB or better in their best three A-Levels — a key benchmark for Russell Group entry
The same numbers in context — against the England state-funded average, the typical grammar school, and grammars with a similar intake.
Bar shows this school. Ticks mark the England state-funded average (grey) and the typical grammar-school average (indigo).
Grammar median computed from up to 163 grammars.
Strong averages can hide gaps. These tiles split the same cohort by disadvantage and by sex — a small gap means the school delivers for everyone, not just the strongest intake.
| Metric | Disadv. | Non-dis. | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 | 60.0 | 62.6 | +2.6 |
| E+M grade 5+ | 69% | 87% | +18pp |
| EBacc entry | 100% | 96% | -4pp |
Disadvantaged = pupils eligible for free school meals in the last 6 years, looked-after, or adopted from care. A small or zero gap is the goal — it means the school helps every pupil reach the same outcomes.
Whether pupils choose to stay on after GCSEs, and which way the headline results have been moving over recent years.
98%
continued to sixth form
% of pupils who stayed on after GCSEs
High retention is a positive sign — pupils choose to stay and the sixth form supports them through. Low retention can indicate weaker post-16 provision or curriculum mismatch.
The end of the journey — what leavers do after sixth form, and how this school's university record compares.
0%
Continued in education
HE + FE + other
0%
Higher Education
−68pp vs grammar avg
Cohort destination breakdown
Destinations trend
Zooming in from whole-school figures to individual subjects — where entries concentrate, and which departments stand out in either direction.
Bar = entries · chip = grade 4+ pass rate
Bar = entries · chip = A*–E pass rate
Strongest at
Business
43 entries
100%
+8.0pp vs school
Art and Design
22 entries
100%
+8.0pp vs school
Physical Education
19 entries
100%
+8.0pp vs school
Watch list
Spanish
129 entries
64%
-27.7pp vs school
French
20 entries
70%
-22.0pp vs school
Strongest at
Maths
43 entries
100%
+1.7pp vs school
Business Studies
35 entries
100%
+1.7pp vs school
Psychology
34 entries
100%
+1.7pp vs school
Watch list
History
17 entries
88%
-10.0pp vs school
Government and Politics
9 entries
89%
-9.4pp vs school
Entry Requirements
A grade 6 or higher will be needed if that subject is to be studied in the 6th Form (7 for maths)
Subjects Offered
Largest group: White British (41.4%)
Pupils of White British heritage
Black Caribbean, Black African and other Black heritage
Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Chinese and other Asian heritage
More than one heritage — e.g. White & Asian, White & Black Caribbean
A single heritage outside the groups above — e.g. Arab, White non-British
England avg ≈ 24%
≈ 12 pts below the England average — proportion of pupils whose family qualifies for free school meals (a measure of catchment affluence).
England avg ≈ 18%
≈ 8 pts below the England average — proportion of pupils whose first language is not English.
Per-pupil funding
2025/26≈ £335 (-5%) below the English average
Share of total spend going on staff
Typical English secondary: 75–80% on staff.
Spend per pupil per year
Most English state secondaries spend 75–80% of their budget on staff. Higher figures usually mean smaller class sizes; lower figures mean more spent on premises, supplies, or capital projects.
£4,080
Teaching Staff / pupil
£355
Educational Supplies / pupil
£32
Premises / pupil
Revenue reserve / pupil
£17
The school holds a surplus per pupil — money set aside that can absorb unexpected costs or fund future projects without affecting day-to-day teaching.
Total grant: £4,994,313 · 739 pupils funded
How the 2025/26 allocation broke down. Each stream is a signal about the school's intake — bigger deprivation / EAL / SEN top-ups indicate a school serving a more challenging cohort.
Basic entitlement
£4,129,245
The school's core allocation — pupil numbers × the basic per-pupil rate — before any top-ups.
Pupil Premium
£107,500
Targeted funding for 100 disadvantaged pupils.
Deprivation top-up
£385,560
Aggregates FSM, FSM6 and IDACI deprivation bands.
EAL top-up
£9,570
English-as-additional-language premium — paid for pupils whose first language isn't English.
Prior attainment top-up
£33,260
Funding for pupils arriving below age-related expectations.
Notional SEN
£226,040
Earmarked SEN budget inside the schools block.
Lump sum
£137,000
Fixed per-school grant — size-independent.
Schools budget support grant
£47,738
Government pay-and-pension support grant.
National Insurance grant
£61,440
Compensation for the increase in employer NI contributions.
1,036 / 1,000(104%)
Subjects Offered
Entry Requirements
A grade 6 or higher will be needed if that subject is to be studied in the 6th Form (7 for maths)
1:19.1
Staff:Pupil Ratio
91.54%
Qualified Teachers
4.57%
Absence Rate
9.44%
Persistent Absence
Excellent facilities including a 3G pitch, sports hall and state of the art gym. Two Sixth Form study centres (the Hub and the Hive) built around university library model with café, quiet work areas and computer facilities.
Sports
3G pitch, sports hall and state of the art gym
STEM
Science labs, IT suites, technology workshops
Arts
Drama theatre, music rooms, art studios
Library
Student library team runs the dedicated fiction library
Capital Projects
Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme with significant numbers completing awards at all levels, wide range of sports including football, hockey, rugby, athletics and cricket, House system for internal competition with teams competing at local, county, national and international level, Music and Drama departments offering performance opportunities
Sports
football, hockey, rugby, athletics, cricket
Music & Performing Arts
Music department offers opportunities for students to participate for fun or to gain qualifications and to perform at a high level. Drama department allows students to explore and express their creative talents with whole school productions.
Clubs & Societies
Debating Society, Robotics Club, Chess Club
Duke of Edinburgh
Offered
Trips & Exchanges
Students have opportunities to broaden their horizons and build their cultural capital through international partnerships, trips and visits, including residentials. In summer 2026 the school will hold its first 'Culture Week' where hundreds of students will join a one-week residential trip to a culturally important European destination.
Community Service
Sixth Form students support primary school children at New Horizons Children's Academy and other local primary schools, plus various charity fundraising activities.
Uniform
Full uniform must be worn for examinations. Blazer must be worn to enter the hall and kept on the back of chair if taken off.
School Meals
Hot meals available in the school dining hall. Catering provided by [Company Name].
Homework Policy
Homework is set regularly and allows students to deepen and extend their learning beyond the classroom
Behaviour Policy
Students are rewarded for doing the right thing through a comprehensive reward system. Every student has a Reward Card and online reward system (Arbor). Students gain prizes every term for outstanding performance, progress or effort.
Mobile Phone Policy
No mobile phones allowed in examinations
SEND Provision
The school has a dedicated SEND team providing support for students with special educational needs and disabilities. Support includes learning support assistants, individual education plans, and liaison with external agencies.
Priority area: within 3 miles of Holcombe, straight-line. Always confirm exact boundaries with the school — distance is measured by each admissions authority's own method.
Enter your postcode to see directions to Holcombe
Route 96 from Gravesend, Route 428 from Bexleyheath
Nearest Station: St Mary Cray
Transport Info
The school is located at Letchworth Avenue, Chatham, Kent ME4 6JB with access to local public transport networks.
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