Medway / Medway 11+
Maidstone Road, Rochester, ME1 3EL
Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School
1
A selective boys grammar school in Rochester, Kent, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 1,528 pupils on roll.
At a glance
At a glance
A selective boys grammar school in Rochester, Kent, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 1,528 pupils on roll. Families looking at Rochester, Kent will usually see Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School as a selective option for boys aged 11-18, with sixth form continuing the academic journey on the same site. Current published roll and admissions data point to around 1,528 pupils on roll and 217 Year 7 places.
For parents thinking about the 11+, the admissions picture is one of the clearest differentiators here. The current route includes GL Assessment, with 217 places available in Year 7 and demand that currently looks high 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.
On current official measures, the school offers a clear academic profile for parents to weigh up. The latest published Ofsted judgement is Outstanding. Recent official performance measures show Progress 8 at 0.90 and Attainment 8 at 70.3. 97.5% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in English and maths in the latest stored GCSE figures. In the sixth form, 27.6% of entries were awarded AAB or better at A level. Destinations data also suggest strong progression after sixth form, with 66% moving into higher education.
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. Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School is likely to appeal most to families who want strong academic expectations but also need the practical details, culture, and selective route to line up sensibly.
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.
A Medway Test pass is required first. Once boys are assessed as selective, places are usually decided by the published oversubscription rules, with distance most often becoming the decisive factor.
There is no fixed catchment boundary. After a selective Medway Test pass, most places are allocated by distance from home under the oversubscription rules, and the school publishes the historic furthest-distance figure for each year.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 guidePaper 1
English
English paper
Standardised English paper weighted double in the total Medway score.
Paper 2
Maths
Mathematics paper
Standardised mathematics paper weighted double in the total Medway score.
Paper 3
Reasoning paper
Standardised reasoning paper weighted once in the total Medway score.
English and Maths are included in the published format.
Verbal reasoning, Non-verbal reasoning, Science and Creative writing are not listed in the current published format.
English
Maths
Verbal reasoning
Non-verbal reasoning
Science
Creative writing
Medway Test registration opens
19 May 2025
Medway Test registration closes
13 June 2025
Medway Test day 1
16 September 2025
Medway Test day 2
17 September 2025
Medway Test results
15 October 2025
Secondary application deadline
31 October 2025
National Offer Day
2 March 2026
Register for the Medway Test
Complete Medway Test registration during the published window so your child can be entered for the September tests.
Open Medway datesSit the Medway Test
Children at Medway primary and junior schools sit the Medway Test on the published September dates; non-Medway pupils are allocated one of the later September sessions.
Check test datesSubmit your local authority application
Rank SJWMS through your home local authority after the Medway Test and before the published secondary application deadline.
Read admissions arrangementsCheck offer day and complete enrolment steps
Offers are issued on National Offer Day and successful families then complete the school's enrolment portal and address-evidence checks.
Open school 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 | 70.6 | 74.2 | 49.4 |
| 2022/23 | 70.4 | 71.8 | 47.0 |
| 2023/24 | 70.3 | 72.1 | 46.7 |
| 2024/25 | 69.5 | 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 | A- average (45.5 points) | 44.0 points | 37.5 points |
| 2022/23 | B average (40.9 points) | 40.5 points | 33.7 points |
| 2023/24 | B+ average (42.5 points) | 41.3 points | 34.5 points |
| 2024/25 | B+ average (42.3 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 | 99% | 99.1% | 94.1% |
| 2022/23 | 97% | 98.9% | 93.9% |
| 2023/24 | 99% | 99.0% | 93.3% |
| 2024/25 | 96% | 97.8% | 91.4% |
Latest year breakdown
| In education | 95% |
|---|---|
| In apprenticeships | 0% |
Latest inspection: 22 March 2023
Local rivals first, then nearby alternatives that still fit the same shortlist-building context.
Same Medway area and similar boys' selective route
Nearby South East option with a similar admissions 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
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 Boys' Grammar Schools in the UK
Explore the best boys grammar schools in the UK with a national ranking parents can filter by county and Ofsted before comparing realistic shortlist options.
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.
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 Boys' Grammar Schools in the UK
Explore the best boys grammar schools in the UK with a national ranking parents can filter by county and Ofsted before comparing realistic shortlist options.
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
Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School currently uses GL Assessment.
1. Register for the Medway Test: Complete Medway Test registration during the published window so your child can be entered for the September tests. 2. Sit the Medway Test: Children at Medway primary and junior schools sit the Medway Test on the published September dates; non-Medway pupils are allocated one of the later September sessions. 3. Submit your local authority application: Rank SJWMS through your home local authority after the Medway Test and before the published secondary application deadline. 4. Check offer day and complete enrolment steps: Offers are issued on National Offer Day and successful families then complete the school's enrolment portal and address-evidence checks.
Medway Test registration opens: 19 May 2025. Medway Test registration closes: 13 June 2025. Medway Test day 1: 16 September 2025. Medway Test day 2: 17 September 2025. Medway Test results: 15 October 2025. Secondary application deadline: 31 October 2025. National Offer Day: 2 March 2026
Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School is currently rated Outstanding following the latest published inspection dated 22 March 2023.