Fully selective state school · Medway
Holcombe Grammar School 11+ admissions
September 2027 entryEvidence reviewed 26 August 2026Current entrance requirements, dates and school facts with links to the official evidence used. Unknown information is labelled rather than estimated.
At a glance
- Address
- Holcombe, Chatham, South East, ME4 6JB
- Year 7 admission
- Boys for Year 7 admission
- School type
- Fully selective state school
- Funding
- State-funded
- Day or boarding
- Day school
- Religion or denomination
- GIAS records no applicable religious character.
- Published admission number
- 180September 2027 entry
- Academically selected places
- 180September 2027 entry
- Preferences per offer
- The current DfE applications and offers release has not yet been joined to this record.
- Assessment provider
- GL AssessmentGL Assessment is verified for the linked assessment route. GIAS does not publish the current assessment provider.
Selection route
- Medway Test
Local authority selection test · GL Assessment · Three multiple-choice papers taken at a Medway Council test venue, with a minimum 20-minute break between papers
Raw scores are age-standardised and weighted as English x2, mathematics x2 and reasoning x1. The grammar standard is set each year so that the highest-scoring children equivalent to 26% of the Medway maintained-school cohort are assessed as grammar; qualification does not guarantee a school place.
Official registration page
- Eligibility
- Co-educational applicants must achieve the pre-set standard in the Medway testing arrangements and be deemed of selective ability.
- Score policy
- The Medway testing arrangements determine selective ability; no separate numeric school qualifying score is published in the 2027 policy.
- Oversubscription
- Selective applicants are prioritised in order of looked-after and previously looked-after children, siblings, named Thinking Schools Academy Trust Medway primary pupils, staff children, health reasons, then shortest distance, with equal-distance applicants admitted above PAN.
- Registration
- GIAS does not publish the current test registration URL.
What the assessment covers
These subjects are verified for the linked shared assessment route. GIAS does not publish the current assessed subjects.
- English
- Mathematics
- Spatial reasoning
- Non-verbal reasoning
- Verbal reasoning
These stages are verified for the linked shared assessment route. GIAS does not publish the current assessment stages.
1. Medway Test
Registered pupils sit the three papers and receive a grammar or non-grammar assessment before the secondary-school application deadline.
Key dates
- Registration opens
- GIAS does not publish the current registration opening date.
- Registration deadline
- GIAS does not publish the current registration deadline.
- Test date
- GIAS does not publish the current test dates.
- CAF deadline
- GIAS does not publish the current CAF deadline.
- National Offer Day
- GIAS does not publish the current offer date.
Shared assessment-route dates
| Date | Route | When |
|---|---|---|
| Registration opens | RouteMedway Test | When18 May 2026 |
| Registration closes | RouteMedway Test | When12 June 2026 |
| Medway-school testing begins | RouteMedway Test | When15 September 2026 |
| Medway-school testing ends | RouteMedway Test | When16 September 2026 |
| Outside-Medway test weekend begins | RouteMedway Test | When19 September 2026 |
| Outside-Medway test weekend ends | RouteMedway Test | When20 September 2026 |
| Results released | RouteMedway Test | When14 October 2026 |
Fees
- Fee per term
- This is a state-funded school.
- Fee per year
- This is a state-funded school.
- Published fee context
- This is a state-funded school.
Inspection context
Inspection outcomes are maintained separately and are not present in current GIAS downloads.
Sample papers
Official papers for this school's test, from the school itself or the body that runs the test, linked from the publisher's own site. Trace Learn does not host copies.
| Paper | Published by | Subjects | Answers | Opens on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medway Test familiarisation booklet | Published byMedway Test · Familiarisation booklet | SubjectsEnglish, Maths, Non-verbal reasoning, Verbal reasoning | Answersno answers published | Opens onopens on medway.gov.uk |
Relevant skills and exercises
- Build English comprehension skills
Draw one supported conclusion that is not directly stated.
- Try Comprehension X-Ray
Free interactive practice relevant to English comprehension.
- Build maths and numerical reasoning skills
Select and perform a short sequence of operations in context.
- Try Step Builder
Free interactive practice relevant to maths and numerical reasoning.
- Build verbal reasoning skills
Choose the option closest in meaning to a target word.
- Try Synonym Spectrum
Free interactive practice relevant to verbal reasoning.
- Build non-verbal and spatial reasoning skills
Combine row or column rules to select one missing figure.
- Try Matrix Machine
Free interactive practice relevant to non-verbal and spatial reasoning.
Questions families ask
Which 11+ test does Holcombe Grammar School use?
Holcombe Grammar School uses Medway Test for September 2027 entry.
How many Year 7 places does Holcombe Grammar School have?
Holcombe Grammar School's published admission number is 180 for September 2027 entry.
Who is eligible to apply to Holcombe Grammar School?
Co-educational applicants must achieve the pre-set standard in the Medway testing arrangements and be deemed of selective ability.
Are Holcombe Grammar School's 2027/28 oversubscription criteria published?
Selective applicants are prioritised in order of looked-after and previously looked-after children, siblings, named Thinking Schools Academy Trust Medway primary pupils, staff children, health reasons, then shortest distance, with equal-distance applicants admitted above PAN.
What subjects should a child prepare for Holcombe Grammar School?
The verified school or linked route evidence covers English, Mathematics, Spatial reasoning, Non-verbal reasoning, and Verbal reasoning.
How current is the information for Holcombe Grammar School?
Trace Learn reviewed 7 attached evidence sources by 2026-08-26. Unknown facts stay labelled and should be checked again before applying.
Sources and review record
- Open state-funded school fields CSV
Department for Education. Accessed 25 August 2026. GIAS register snapshot on 25 August 2026.
- Holcombe Grammar School Admissions Policy 2027-28
Holcombe Grammar School. Accessed 26 August 2026. September 2027 entry.
- School admission arrangements 2027
Medway Council. Accessed 26 August 2026. September 2027 entry.
- Key dates for applying for secondary school: September 2027 entry
Medway Council. Accessed 26 August 2026. September 2027 entry.
- About the Medway Test
Medway Council. Accessed 26 August 2026. September 2027 entry.
- How the Medway Test is marked
Medway Council. Accessed 26 August 2026. September 2027 entry.
- ONS Postcode Directory May 2026 school-postcode centroid extract
Office for National Statistics. Accessed 25 August 2026. ONS Postcode Directory, May 2026.
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