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School profile Verified 11 September 2026

Medway Medway 11+

Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School

Maidstone Road, Rochester, ME1 3EL

A selective boys grammar school in Rochester, Kent, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 1,528 pupils on roll.

Grammar school Boys Academy converter Ages 11-18 Sixth form GL Assessment
UK rank
UK Rank #108
Year 7 places
203
Competition ?
Moderate
Ofsted ?
Outstanding
11+ route
GL Assessment
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On this page

At a glance

Key facts

GCSE rank
UK Rank #108
Sector
Grammar school
Admissions
Boys only
Assessment
GL Assessment
Places in Year 7
203
Competition ?
Moderate
Catchment
You can apply from any area. There is no defined catchment or local-priority area, although distance may still affect allocation or a tie-break.
Ofsted ?
Outstanding

Overview

Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School is a selective boys' grammar school in Rochester, with about 1,528 pupils and a history that reaches back to 1701. It was founded through Sir Joseph Williamson's bequest for a free school connected to mathematics, sea service and related callings; the school now also openly contextualises Williamson's involvement in the Royal African Company within pupils' historical education.

The school moved from Rochester High Street to its present 30-acre Maidstone Road site in the 1960s, giving it unusually generous sports space. Its curriculum statement is direct about academic ambition: pupils study a broad core including two languages from Year 7, alongside history, geography, computing, drama, art, design technology, music, life skills and PE, before a sixth form with 21 A-level options.

Tradition remains visible without making the school feel static. The annual Founder Day combines a cathedral service in Rochester with sports day, and the house system expanded with Tower House in 2019. Music, drama, Duke of Edinburgh, sport, student leadership and sixth-form study sit alongside facilities such as all-weather sport, performance space, art and design areas and a sixth-form centre.

Year 7 entry has 203 places and depends first on a Medway Test selective assessment. Once a boy is assessed as selective, the published oversubscription rules give priority to looked-after children, siblings, children of staff and then distance measured through Medway's route system. Published outcomes show Outstanding Ofsted, +0.90 Progress 8 and 96.3% grade 5+ in English and maths.

Key points
Assessment route
GL Assessment across a 3-stage process, covering English and Maths.
Places and demand
203 places in Year 7 and Moderate
Catchment
You can apply from any area. There is no defined catchment or local-priority area, although distance may still affect allocation or a tie-break. Last distance offered: 3.34 miles.
Results
96.3% grade 5+ in English and maths and 69.5 Attainment 8
Sixth form
Sixth form available with 27.6% AAB or better and 66% in higher education.

GCSE benchmark

Latest 2024/25 KS4 measures compared with Medway and England.

School Local authority England
GCSE benchmark comparison Latest GCSE benchmark measures for Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School, Medway, and England. 0 50 100 Att. 8 5+ E&M EBacc APS EBacc %
Attainment 8
69.5
Grade 5+ English and maths
96.3%
EBacc APS
6.82
EBacc entry
98.6%

Attainment 8 trend

Recent published Attainment 8 scores compared with Medway and England.

School Local authority England
Attainment 8 trend line Attainment 8 over time for Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School, Medway, and England. 80 66.7 53.3 40 21/22 22/23 23/24 24/25

Destinations

Latest 2024/25 Year 11 destination mix compared with Medway and England.

Education Apprenticeships Employment Other / unknown
Destinations stacked bar comparison Year 11 destinations for Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School, Medway, and England across education, apprenticeships, employment, and other or unknown destinations. 0 50 100 School Local auth. England

School details
Sector
Grammar school
School type
Academy converter
Application
Local authority CAF
Gender
Boys only
Age range
11-18
Headteacher
Mr Eliot Hodges
Pupil roll
1,528 pupils
Sixth form
Yes
Trust
Leigh Academies Trust
FSM ?
10.3%
EAL ?
14.1%
EHCP ?
0.7%

Ethnicity

Pupil ethnicity

Whole-school roll of 1,528 pupils; 1,507 had a recorded ethnic group.

White 46.2% Asian 19.1% Mixed 9.5% Black 22% Other 1.9% Unclassified 1.4%

Location and contact

Address

Address
Maidstone Road, Rochester, Kent
Postcode
ME1 3EL
Area
Medway
Exam area
Medway 11+

School leadership

Headteacher
Mr Eliot Hodges

School contact

School email
office@sjwms.latrust.org.uk
School phone
01634844008

Admissions contact

Admissions team
School office
Admissions email
office@sjwms.latrust.org.uk
Admissions phone
01634844008
Open in Map Open school website

Admissions
Year 7 places
203 places (2026 entry)
Applications listed
786 applications (2025 entry)
First preferences
397 first preferences (2025 entry)
Competition ?
Moderate
Who can apply
You can apply from any area. There is no defined catchment or local-priority area, although distance may still affect allocation or a tie-break.
Last distance offered
3.34 miles (2026 entry)
Published score threshold
481 (2026 entry)
Pass mark note
For the latest published Medway cycle in this record, the qualifying score was 481 for 2026 entry. Medway's published qualifying thresholds were 492 for 2024 entry, 482 for 2025 entry, and 481 for 2026 entry. After a boy is assessed as selective, SJWMS usually allocates on oversubscription rules and distance rather than on a higher offer-score cutoff.

Admissions note from the cleanup test.

There is no fixed catchment boundary. After a selective Medway Test pass, most places are allocated by distance from home under the oversubscription rules; historic furthest-distance figures are published by year.

Oversubscription and eligibility

  1. 1

    Looked-after and previously looked-after children

    Includes children currently in care, previously looked-after children, and children previously in state care outside England who ceased to be in care through adoption or equivalent orders.

  2. 2

    Siblings

    Children who will have a brother or sister on roll at the school at the time of admission, including adopted, step, and foster siblings living in the same family unit.

  3. 3

    Children of staff

    Children of school staff employed for three years or more at the time of application or recruited to fill a demonstrable skill-shortage post.

  4. 4

    Distance from home to school

    Places are then ranked by the shortest available route from the child's home using Medway Council GIS road and footpath data.

Admissions policy

Admissions arrangements 2026-27

2026 entry

Information booklet

School admissions page

2026 entry

Exam and test format

The GL Assessment 11+ entrance test format

SJWMS uses the Medway Test. Medway Council publishes English, mathematics and reasoning weighted papers, with scores adjusted for age before the total weighted score is calculated.

Assessment route
GL Assessment
Papers and stages
3 papers
Format
Mixed format
Weighting
English 40% / Maths 40% / Reasoning 20%
Age standardisation
Published as age-standardised

Official exam resources

Past papers and practice materials

No released past entrance-test papers are currently verified here. The resources below are labelled by type.

Medway Test test guide

Papers and rounds

  1. Paper 1

    English

    English paper

    Standardised English paper weighted double in the total Medway score.

  2. Paper 2

    Maths

    Mathematics paper

    Standardised mathematics paper weighted double in the total Medway score.

  3. Paper 3

    Reasoning paper

    Standardised reasoning paper weighted once in the total Medway score.

What the test includes

English and Maths are included in the published format.

Verbal reasoning, Non-verbal reasoning and Science are not listed in the current published format.

Included

  • English

  • Maths

Not listed

  • Verbal reasoning

  • Non-verbal reasoning

  • Science

Application

Key dates

Get date reminders
Find open days and plan a visit

  1. Medway Test registration opens

    18 May 2026, 9am

    Past

  2. Medway Test registration closes

    12 June 2026, 5pm

    Past

  3. Special arrangements request deadline

    22 June 2026

    Past

    Schools submit Medway Test special-arrangements requests by this date.

  4. Medway Test for Medway primary pupils

    15 and 16 September 2026

  5. Medway Test for non-Medway pupils

    19 or 20 September 2026

    One day is allocated to each child.

  6. Medway Test results

    14 October 2026, after 10am

  7. Secondary application deadline

    31 October 2026

  8. National Offer Day

    1 March 2027

  9. Open evening

    15 October 2026

    Starts at 6pm; principal talks at 6pm and 7pm. No booking required.

How to apply

  1. 1

    Register for the Medway Test

    Register for the Medway Test between 9am on 18 May 2026 and 5pm on 12 June 2026.

    Open Medway dates
  2. 2

    Sit the Medway Test

    Medway primary pupils test on 15 and 16 September 2026; non-Medway pupils are allocated 19 or 20 September 2026.

    Check test dates
  3. 3

    Submit the secondary application

    Name the school on the local authority application by 31 October 2026 after Medway Test results are released.

    View timetable
  4. 4

    Check offer day and enrolment steps

    Offers are sent on 1 March 2027; successful families then complete the school enrolment steps requested after allocation.

    Open school admissions page

Official admissions documents

Admissions policy

Admissions arrangements 2026-27

2026 entry

Information booklet

School admissions page

2026 entry

Key dates

Medway Test key dates

2027 entry

Results

Inspection
View report
Outstanding

Latest inspection: 22 March 2023

Quality of education
Outstanding
Behaviour and attitudes
Outstanding
Personal development
Outstanding
Leadership and management
Outstanding
Sixth form provision
Outstanding

Quick summary

  • Overall effectiveness: Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School was rated Outstanding in all areas. The report describes an academically ambitious, respectful school where pupils feel safe, behave exceptionally, benefit from rich enrichment and receive strong support for achievement and wellbeing.
  • Quality of education: The curriculum was coherently planned, carefully sequenced and ambitious beyond the national curriculum. Pupils with SEND access the full curriculum through scaffolding, disadvantaged pupils receive dedicated academic support, and reading and subject vocabulary are promoted strongly.
  • Behaviour and attitudes: Pupils and students were thoughtful, polite and respectful, with exceptional behaviour and very high ambitions. Bullying was extremely rare and addressed quickly, and pupils felt safe and happy in the school's culture.
  • Personal development: The academic curriculum was enriched by personal development covering British values, citizenship, mental health, wellbeing, healthy relationships and responsible citizenship. The report also highlights a wealth of enrichment and extra-curricular opportunities for pupils.
  • Leadership and management: Leaders were passionate and ambitious, with shared values and policies promoting courtesy, acceptance and respect. Safeguarding training was regular and detailed, and leaders had effective systems to protect pupils both online and offline.
  • Sixth form provision: The sixth form was Outstanding, with a positive, inclusive and aspirational culture. Students were mature, articulate and committed to their studies, acted as role models for younger pupils and produced work of consistently high quality.

Similar schools and comparisons

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Shortlist comparisons

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Related pages and guides

Guides and related reading

Related guides are still being added.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What assessment types does Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School use?

Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School currently uses GL Assessment.

How do I apply to Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School?

1. Register for the Medway Test: Register for the Medway Test between 9am on 18 May 2026 and 5pm on 12 June 2026. 2. Sit the Medway Test: Medway primary pupils test on 15 and 16 September 2026; non-Medway pupils are allocated 19 or 20 September 2026. 3. Submit the secondary application: Name the school on the local authority application by 31 October 2026 after Medway Test results are released. 4. Check offer day and enrolment steps: Offers are sent on 1 March 2027; successful families then complete the school enrolment steps requested after allocation.

When are the key dates for Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School?

Medway Test registration opens: 18 May 2026, 9am. Medway Test registration closes: 12 June 2026, 5pm. Special arrangements request deadline: 22 June 2026. Medway Test for Medway primary pupils: 15 and 16 September 2026. Medway Test for non-Medway pupils: 19 or 20 September 2026. Medway Test results: 14 October 2026, after 10am. Secondary application deadline: 31 October 2026. National Offer Day: 1 March 2027. Open evening: 15 October 2026

What does the latest inspection picture look like for Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School?

Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School is currently rated Outstanding following the latest published inspection dated 22 March 2023.