A selective girls grammar school in Chatham, Kent, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 987 pupils on roll.
Fort Pitt Grammar School
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At a glance
Fort Pitt Grammar School is a selective grammar school on Fort Pitt Hill in Chatham, set within a historic Medway site but presenting itself as modern, ambitious and strongly pastoral. The school has traditionally been a girls' grammar for Years 7 to 11 with a co-educational sixth form; its own consultation update confirms that Year 7 becomes co-educational from September 2026. With about 987 pupils, it is large enough for a broad sixth-form and enrichment offer while still describing itself in close community terms.
The curriculum pages are unusually direct about intent. Fort Pitt says its curriculum is broad, deep and knowledge-rich, carefully sequenced from Key Stage 3 onward and built to stretch students while removing barriers to learning. In the first three years, pupils study the full National Curriculum plus PSHEE and careers education; at Key Stage 5, students usually study three or four A levels and may add the EPQ. The school links this academic structure to its Fort Pitt values: respect, success, aspiration, resilience and collaboration.
The wider offer is integrated with careers and character rather than treated as decoration. Fort Pitt's sixth-form and curriculum pages mention university visits, lectures, theatre groups, artist visits, internships, international visits, sport, music, drama and trips. The Fort Pitt Futures programme adds a practical careers spine through Unifrog, personal guidance, careers focus days and work-related learning, while the homepage stresses first-class pastoral care and a culture where students feel supported and known.
Year 7 admission has a published admission number of 150 and is through the Medway Test route. The Medway Test uses English, mathematics and reasoning papers; passing the test does not guarantee a place, because allocation then follows Fort Pitt's oversubscription criteria. The move to co-education changes who can apply from September 2026, but the school says the admissions criteria otherwise remain the same. Public benchmarks record Ofsted Outstanding in October 2022, +0.64 Progress 8, 95.9% grade 5+ in English and maths and 11.1% AAB or better at A level.
Latest 2024/25 KS4 measures compared with Medway and England.
Recent published Attainment 8 scores compared with Medway and England.
Latest 2024/25 Year 11 destination mix compared with Medway and England.
January 2025 school census
Whole-school roll of 987 pupils; 983 had a recorded ethnic group.
| Recorded group | Share | Category | Pupils |
|---|---|---|---|
| White British | 63.9% | White | 631 |
| African | 11.8% | Black | 116 |
| Any other White background | 7.7% | White | 76 |
| Indian | 3.5% | Asian | 35 |
| White and Asian | 2.5% | Mixed | 25 |
| Any other mixed background | 2.1% | Mixed | 21 |
| White and Black Caribbean | 1.4% | Mixed | 14 |
| Bangladeshi | 1.3% | Asian | 13 |
| Any other Asian background | 1.2% | Asian | 12 |
| White and Black African | 0.8% | Mixed | 8 |
| Pakistani | 0.7% | Asian | 7 |
| Chinese | 0.6% | Asian | 6 |
| Any other Black background | 0.5% | Black | 5 |
| Any other ethnic group | 0.5% | Other | 5 |
| Irish | 0.5% | White | 5 |
| Caribbean | 0.4% | Black | 4 |
| Unclassified | 0.4% | Unclassified | 4 |
Year 7 entry becomes co-educational from September 2026 onward.
After looked after children, siblings, and staff children, Fort Pitt prioritises children living within 2 miles of the school, then children in the named parishes, before all other selective applicants. Walking distance is used within those groups.
Children in public care and previously looked after children
Looked after and previously looked after children are prioritised first if they are deemed selective.
Siblings
Children with a sibling who will still be attending the school when they are admitted are ranked next.
Children of staff
Priority is given where a member of staff has worked at Fort Pitt for three years or more, or was recruited to a demonstrable skill-shortage post.
Children living within 2 miles of the school
This criterion uses the Medway Council Geographical Information System.
Children living in the named parishes
Children living in the listed Medway and peninsula parishes are ranked next by shortest safe walking distance.
All other eligible children
All other selective applicants are ranked by shortest safe walking distance, with random allocation only for an exact tie for the final place.
Year 7 places are offered through the Medway Test route and then ranked under Fort Pitt's published oversubscription criteria.
Shared exam route
Fort Pitt Grammar School uses the shared Medway Test route. Use these common practice resources for the route, then check the full consortium guide for the complete set and current test guidance.
View all Medway Test practice papersPaper 1
English
English paper
30-minute English paper covering comprehension, punctuation, and grammar.
Paper 2
Maths
Mathematics paper
50-minute mathematics paper.
Paper 3
Verbal reasoning, Non-verbal reasoning
Reasoning paper
45-minute reasoning paper with verbal reasoning plus spatial and non-verbal reasoning sections.
English, Maths, Verbal reasoning and Non-verbal reasoning are included in the published format.
Science is not listed in the current published format.
English
Maths
Verbal reasoning
45-minute reasoning paper with verbal reasoning plus spatial and non-verbal reasoning sections.
Non-verbal reasoning
45-minute reasoning paper with verbal reasoning plus spatial and non-verbal reasoning sections.
Science
Medway Test registration opens
18 May 2026, 9am
PastMedway Test registration closes
12 June 2026, 5pm
Special arrangements requests deadline
22 June 2026
Secondary applications open
1 September 2026
Medway primary/junior school test dates
Tuesday 15 and Wednesday 16 September 2026
Non-Medway school test date
Saturday 19 or Sunday 20 September 2026
Medway Test results
14 October 2026
Secondary application deadline
31 October 2026
Offer day
1 March 2027
Offer response and waiting-list request deadline
12 March 2027
On-time appeal request deadline
13 April 2027
Reallocation and late applications
19 April 2027
End of admissions process and waiting lists close
31 August 2027
Read the determined admissions policy
Start with the school's determined 2027 policy for the published admission number, oversubscription order, and waiting-list rules.
Open admissions pageRegister for the Medway Test
Children who want to be considered for Fort Pitt need to take the Medway Test. Medway Council says it will publish the 2026 registration dates when they are confirmed.
Open Medway test registrationSubmit the Medway secondary application
List Fort Pitt on the Medway Secondary Common Application Form in line with the coordinated admissions scheme.
Open Medway parent portalLatest official destinations data currently covers 2022/23 study leavers.
Recent trend
This follows the school's published overall GCSE score across the subjects pupils take. Higher is better.
| Year | This school | Grammar schools | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | 66.8 | 74.2 | 49.4 |
| 2022/23 | 63.3 | 71.8 | 47.0 |
| 2023/24 | 66.5 | 72.1 | 46.7 |
| 2024/25 | 65.9 | 72.3 | 46.8 |
Recent trend
This follows the published average A-level result for the school's sixth form. Higher is better.
| Year | This school | Grammar schools | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | B average (40 points) | 44.0 points | 37.5 points |
| 2022/23 | B- average (36.7 points) | 40.5 points | 33.7 points |
| 2023/24 | B- average (36.3 points) | 41.3 points | 34.5 points |
| 2024/25 | B- average (38.1 points) | 41.8 points | 35.0 points |
Recent trend
This follows the share of pupils moving into a sustained destination after Year 11, such as education, apprenticeships, or employment.
| Year | This school | Grammar schools | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | 97% | 99.1% | 94.1% |
| 2022/23 | 98% | 98.9% | 93.9% |
| 2023/24 | 96% | 99.0% | 93.3% |
| 2024/25 | 97% | 98.7% | 91.8% |
Latest year breakdown
| In education | 94% |
|---|---|
| In apprenticeships | 3% |
| In employment | 0% |
Latest inspection: 5 October 2022
Local rivals appear first, followed by nearby alternatives where the journey and admissions route are still comparable.
Same Medway area and similar girls' selective route
Same Medway area and similar girls' selective route
Nearby South East option with a similar admissions route
Nearby South East option with a similar admissions route
Closest comparable alternatives with a similar academic profile, so parents can weigh local fit and results together.
Nearby option with similar Attainment 8 and Progress 8
Nearby option with similar Attainment 8 and Progress 8
Nearby option with similar Attainment 8 and Progress 8
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Best Grammar Schools in Medway
Compare 6 Medway grammar schools for 2026: GCSE ranking table, Ofsted, Medway Test route, admissions rules, competition, and school profiles.
Best Girls' Grammar Schools in the UK
Explore the best girls grammar schools in the UK with a national ranking parents can filter by county and Ofsted before comparing schools by route and journey.
Best Grammar Schools in the UK
Explore the best grammar schools in the UK with a national ranking that can be filtered by county, school type, and Ofsted before moving into local admissions detail.
Best Grammar Schools by A-level Results
Explore the best grammar schools by A-level results in the UK, ranked by the published share of students achieving AAB or better at A level.
Related guides are still being added.
FAQ
Fort Pitt Grammar School currently uses GL Assessment.
1. Read the determined admissions policy: Start with the school's determined 2027 policy for the published admission number, oversubscription order, and waiting-list rules. 2. Register for the Medway Test: Children who want to be considered for Fort Pitt need to take the Medway Test. Medway Council says it will publish the 2026 registration dates when they are confirmed. 3. Submit the Medway secondary application: List Fort Pitt on the Medway Secondary Common Application Form in line with the coordinated admissions scheme.
Medway Test registration opens: 18 May 2026, 9am. Medway Test registration closes: 12 June 2026, 5pm. Special arrangements requests deadline: 22 June 2026. Secondary applications open: 1 September 2026. Medway primary/junior school test dates: Tuesday 15 and Wednesday 16 September 2026. Non-Medway school test date: Saturday 19 or Sunday 20 September 2026. Medway Test results: 14 October 2026. Secondary application deadline: 31 October 2026. Offer day: 1 March 2027. Offer response and waiting-list request deadline: 12 March 2027. On-time appeal request deadline: 13 April 2027. Reallocation and late applications: 19 April 2027. End of admissions process and waiting lists close: 31 August 2027
Fort Pitt Grammar School is currently rated Outstanding following the latest published inspection dated 5 October 2022.