A selective boys grammar school in Rochester, Kent, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 1,528 pupils on roll.
Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School
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At a glance
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.
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 1,528 pupils; 1,507 had a recorded ethnic group.
| Recorded group | Share | Category | Pupils |
|---|---|---|---|
| White British | 41.1% | White | 628 |
| African | 20.4% | Black | 312 |
| Indian | 9.7% | Asian | 148 |
| Any other White background | 4.7% | White | 72 |
| Any other mixed background | 4.1% | Mixed | 62 |
| Bangladeshi | 3.2% | Asian | 49 |
| Pakistani | 3% | Asian | 46 |
| White and Asian | 2.5% | Mixed | 38 |
| Any other Asian background | 2.1% | Asian | 32 |
| White and Black African | 2% | Mixed | 30 |
| Any other ethnic group | 1.9% | Other | 29 |
| Unclassified | 1.4% | Unclassified | 21 |
| Caribbean | 1.1% | Black | 17 |
| Chinese | 1.1% | Asian | 17 |
| White and Black Caribbean | 0.9% | Mixed | 13 |
| Any other Black background | 0.5% | Black | 8 |
| Irish | 0.4% | White | 6 |
Entry is through the Medway Test. Once a boy is assessed as selective, SJWMS allocates places by statutory priority, sibling priority, staff priority and then distance from home to school.
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.
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.
Shared exam route
Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical 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
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 and Science are not listed in the current published format.
English
Maths
Verbal reasoning
Non-verbal reasoning
Science
Medway Test registration opens
18 May 2026, 9am
PastMedway Test registration closes
12 June 2026, 5pm
Special arrangements request deadline
22 June 2026
Schools submit Medway Test special-arrangements requests by this date.
Medway Test for Medway primary pupils
15 and 16 September 2026
Medway Test for non-Medway pupils
19 or 20 September 2026
One day is allocated to each child.
Medway Test results
14 October 2026, after 10am
Secondary application deadline
31 October 2026
National Offer Day
1 March 2027
Register for the Medway Test
Register for the Medway Test between 9am on 18 May 2026 and 5pm on 12 June 2026.
Open Medway datesSit 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 datesSubmit the secondary application
Name the school on the local authority application by 31 October 2026 after Medway Test results are released.
View timetableCheck 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 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 | 97% | 98.7% | 91.8% |
Latest year breakdown
| In education | 97% |
|---|---|
| In apprenticeships | 0% |
Latest inspection: 22 March 2023
Local rivals appear first, followed by nearby alternatives where the journey and admissions route are still comparable.
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
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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
Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School currently uses GL Assessment.
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.
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
Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School is currently rated Outstanding following the latest published inspection dated 22 March 2023.