Medway / Medway 11+
Pump Lane, Rainham, ME8 7AJ
Rainham Mark Grammar School
1
A selective co-educational grammar school in Gillingham, Kent, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 1,551 pupils on roll.
At a glance
At a glance
A selective co-educational grammar school in Gillingham, Kent, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 1,551 pupils on roll. Rainham Mark Grammar School serves boys and girls aged 11-18 and keeps a full sixth form on site. Current published roll and admissions data point to around 1,551 pupils on roll and 235 Year 7 places.
From a family point of view, admissions are likely to be one of the most important parts of the picture. The current route includes GL Assessment, with 235 places available in Year 7 and demand that currently looks moderate by grammar-school standards. Catchment or distance rules still matter at allocation stage, so this is the kind of school where families need to read the admissions policy carefully rather than rely on headline scores alone.
The academic side of the school is backed by enough published data to give families a useful starting point. The latest published Ofsted judgement is Good. Recent official performance measures show Progress 8 at 0.28 and Attainment 8 at 63.4. 91.9% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in English and maths in the latest stored GCSE figures. In the sixth form, 15.4% of entries were awarded AAB or better at A level. Destinations data also suggest strong progression after sixth form, with 63% moving into higher education.
Published school information highlights facilities such as Library. The wider offer currently includes Drama. For many parents, the presence of a sixth form is part of the attraction, because it gives able pupils the option to stay in a familiar academic setting through to A level. Taken together, those features make Rainham Mark Grammar School the kind of school that rewards careful research into travel, admissions detail, and day-to-day fit, not just headline outcomes.
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.
There are 235 Year 7 places. Entry is through the Medway selective admissions process and the oversubscription criteria in the admission arrangements.
Oversubscription detail is still being reviewed, so use the official admissions policy before relying on a summary.
Entry is through the Medway Test; the provider is stored as unknown until a supported provider category is confirmed.
This school uses the shared Medway Test consortium route. The consortium page brings together the common test format, key dates and official papers used across that route.
Open Medway Test guideRead the admission arrangements
Check the admission arrangements before applying so the Medway selective process and oversubscription rules are clear.
Open policyRegister for the Medway Test
Register for the Medway Test through Medway Council by the deadline for the relevant entry year.
Open Medway TestSit the Medway Test
Selection for Year 7 grammar places is based on the Medway Test result.
Open Medway TestSubmit the secondary application
List the school on the secondary school application by the Medway deadline.
Open admissions pageLatest 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 | 67.4 | 74.2 | 49.4 |
| 2022/23 | 62.6 | 71.8 | 47.0 |
| 2023/24 | 63.4 | 72.1 | 46.7 |
| 2024/25 | 62.7 | 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 (41.3 points) | 44.0 points | 37.5 points |
| 2022/23 | B average (38.5 points) | 40.5 points | 33.7 points |
| 2023/24 | B average (39.1 points) | 41.3 points | 34.5 points |
| 2024/25 | B- average (36.6 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 | 97% | 98.9% | 93.9% |
| 2023/24 | 98% | 99.0% | 93.3% |
| 2024/25 | 98% | 97.8% | 91.4% |
Latest year breakdown
| In education | 93% |
|---|---|
| In apprenticeships | 2% |
| In employment | 2% |
Latest inspection: 25 May 2022
Local rivals first, then nearby alternatives that still fit the same shortlist-building context.
Nearby South East option with a similar admissions route
Same wider selective region and a similar admissions route
Same wider selective region and a similar admissions route
Same wider selective region and 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
Similar Attainment 8 and Progress 8
Best Grammar Schools in Medway
Compare the best grammar schools in Medway for the 2026 admissions cycle using published GCSE results, Ofsted, admissions routes, and practical local context. Much of Medway sits within the Medway Test route, so shared testing still matters alongside each school's own admissions rules.
Best Grammar Schools in the UK
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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.
Best Grammar Schools in Medway
Compare the best grammar schools in Medway for the 2026 admissions cycle using published GCSE results, Ofsted, admissions routes, and practical local context. Much of Medway sits within the Medway Test route, so shared testing still matters alongside each school's own admissions rules.
Best Grammar Schools in the UK
Explore the best grammar schools in the UK with a national ranking parents can filter by county, school type, and Ofsted. Useful for broad searches like top UK grammar schools, grammar school rankings, and 11+ school shortlists.
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
Rainham Mark Grammar School currently uses GL Assessment.
1. Read the admission arrangements: Check the admission arrangements before applying so the Medway selective process and oversubscription rules are clear. 2. Register for the Medway Test: Register for the Medway Test through Medway Council by the deadline for the relevant entry year. 3. Sit the Medway Test: Selection for Year 7 grammar places is based on the Medway Test result. 4. Submit the secondary application: List the school on the secondary school application by the Medway deadline.
Key dates are still being verified for Rainham Mark Grammar School.
Rainham Mark Grammar School is currently rated Good following the latest published inspection dated 25 May 2022.