A selective co-educational grammar school in Sandwich, Kent, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 1,016 pupils on roll.
Sir Roger Manwood's School
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At a glance
Sir Roger Manwood's School is a selective, co-educational grammar school in Sandwich with a history stretching back to 1563. Its own sixth-form page describes more than 460 years since its founding, and the school still leans into the idea of education that lasts a lifetime. The current roll is about 1,016 across Years 7 to 13.
The curriculum is broad and balanced by design. In the main school, pupils work through the core grammar curriculum and can take options such as art and design, business, computer studies, design and technology, drama, languages, geography, history, music, PE and religious studies. In the sixth form, the standard pattern is three subjects across both years, with students strongly encouraged to add at least an hour of volunteering each week and complete an EPQ.
Manwood's wider life has a traditional grammar-school feel without being narrow. Official pages and records point to CCF, Duke of Edinburgh, music, drama, sport, debating, student leadership and responsibilities including Captains of School, prefect roles, Year 7 and Year 8 buddies, Sixth Form Committee, Charity Committee, Manwoodian magazine, Young Enterprise and debating. The site record also names the library, science laboratories, sports hall, all-weather pitch and music rooms.
For Year 7 entry, the published admission number is 150 and admission is through the Kent Test. Once pupils are assessed suitable for grammar school, the oversubscription rules include looked-after status, siblings, a local pupil-premium/service-premium criterion covering named CT postcodes within 8.5 miles, children of staff and then nearness to the school. Recent official benchmarks show Ofsted Good, Progress 8 of +0.21, 96.2% grade 5+ in English and maths and 14.8% AAB or better at A level.
Creative writing is tested in this school's current 11+ assessment.
A weak creative writing piece can leave a child short of qualification. 11 Plus Writing Coach helps families build steadier practice and clearer feedback.
From our 11 Plus Writing Coach site
Latest 2024/25 KS4 measures compared with Kent and England.
Recent published Attainment 8 scores compared with Kent and England.
Latest 2024/25 Year 11 destination mix compared with Kent and England.
January 2025 school census
Whole-school roll of 1,016 pupils; 1,003 had a recorded ethnic group.
| Recorded group | Share | Category | Pupils |
|---|---|---|---|
| White British | 83.2% | White | 845 |
| Any other White background | 5.5% | White | 56 |
| White and Asian | 2.8% | Mixed | 28 |
| Any other mixed background | 1.7% | Mixed | 17 |
| Indian | 1.5% | Asian | 15 |
| Unclassified | 1.3% | Unclassified | 13 |
| Chinese | 0.8% | Asian | 8 |
| African | 0.6% | Black | 6 |
| White and Black African | 0.6% | Mixed | 6 |
| White and Black Caribbean | 0.6% | Mixed | 6 |
| Bangladeshi | 0.5% | Asian | 5 |
| Any other Asian background | 0.3% | Asian | 3 |
| Any other ethnic group | 0.3% | Other | 3 |
| Irish | 0.3% | White | 3 |
| Pakistani | 0.2% | Asian | 2 |
Entry is through the Kent Test, with statutory priority, sibling priority, a local pupil premium criterion, staff priority and distance used for oversubscription.
The 2027 criteria include a local pupil premium priority for CT3, CT11, CT12, CT13, CT14, CT15 or CT16 applicants within 8.5 miles. Other eligible applicants can still be ranked by distance.
Looked after and previously looked after children
Eligible children meeting the statutory looked-after or previously looked-after definition.
Siblings
Siblings on roll at the time of entry.
Pupil premium within local postcode/radius area
Pupil premium or service premium applicants in CT3, CT11, CT12, CT13, CT14, CT15 or CT16 and within 8.5 miles.
Children of staff
Children of qualifying staff employed for at least two years or recruited to a shortage post.
Nearness to school
Remaining eligible applicants are ranked by straight-line distance to the school.
Random allocation tie-break
Random allocation applies where equal distance/eligibility cannot otherwise separate the last place.
The Kent Test has English and mathematics, reasoning, and writing sections. The writing task is not part of the standardised score, but it can be used in headteacher assessment.
Shared exam route
Sir Roger Manwood's School uses the shared Kent 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 Kent Test practice papersPaper 1
English, Maths
Kent Test Paper 1
Multiple-choice English and maths paper.
Paper 2
Verbal reasoning, Non-verbal reasoning
Kent Test Paper 2
Multiple-choice reasoning paper covering verbal and non-verbal reasoning.
Paper 3
Writing task
Writing exercise
Writing task is not marked for the Kent Test score but may be used in headteacher assessment.
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
Multiple-choice reasoning paper covering verbal and non-verbal reasoning.
Non-verbal reasoning
Multiple-choice reasoning paper covering verbal and non-verbal reasoning.
Science
Kent Test registration opens
1 June 2026
PastKent Test registration closes
1 July 2026
Kent Test for pupils in Kent primary schools
10 September 2026
Kent Test for pupils not in Kent primary schools
Weekend of 12/13 September 2026
Kent assessment decision sent to parents
15 October 2026
Kent secondary application deadline
2 November 2026
National Offer Day
1 March 2027
Check the school's 2027 admissions criteria
Use the school criteria for the PAN, local priority area, supplementary information, and tie-break rules.
Read criteriaRegister for the Kent Test
Kent Test registration opens on 1 June 2026 and closes on 1 July 2026.
View Kent schemeSit the Kent Test
Kent primary-school pupils test on 10 September 2026; non-Kent primary-school pupils test over the weekend of 12 and 13 September 2026.
View Kent datesSubmit the secondary application
Kent residents submit the SCAF by 2 November 2026; non-Kent families use their home authority form.
View application schemeLatest 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 | 74.2 | 49.4 |
| 2022/23 | 60 | 71.8 | 47.0 |
| 2023/24 | 63.2 | 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 (39.1 points) | 44.0 points | 37.5 points |
| 2022/23 | B- average (36.0 points) | 40.5 points | 33.7 points |
| 2023/24 | B- average (35.6 points) | 41.3 points | 34.5 points |
| 2024/25 | B- average (36.0 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 | 98% | 98.9% | 93.9% |
| 2023/24 | 99% | 99.0% | 93.3% |
| 2024/25 | 97% | 98.7% | 91.8% |
Latest year breakdown
| In education | 96% |
|---|---|
| In apprenticeships | 1% |
| In employment | 1% |
Latest inspection: 28 September 2022
Local rivals appear first, followed by nearby alternatives where the journey and admissions route are still comparable.
Same Kent area and similar co-ed selective route
Same Kent area and similar co-ed selective route
Same Kent area and similar co-ed selective route
Same Kent area and similar co-ed selective route
Closest comparable alternatives with a similar academic profile, so parents can weigh local fit and results together.
Nearby option with a similar GCSE profile
Nearby option with similar Attainment 8 and Progress 8
Similar Attainment 8 and Progress 8
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Best Grammar Schools in Kent
Compare 32 Kent grammar schools for 2026: GCSE ranking table, Ofsted, Kent Test route, admissions rules, competition, and school profiles.
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 Roger Manwood's School currently uses GL Assessment.
1. Check the school's 2027 admissions criteria: Use the school criteria for the PAN, local priority area, supplementary information, and tie-break rules. 2. Register for the Kent Test: Kent Test registration opens on 1 June 2026 and closes on 1 July 2026. 3. Sit the Kent Test: Kent primary-school pupils test on 10 September 2026; non-Kent primary-school pupils test over the weekend of 12 and 13 September 2026. 4. Submit the secondary application: Kent residents submit the SCAF by 2 November 2026; non-Kent families use their home authority form.
Kent Test registration opens: 1 June 2026. Kent Test registration closes: 1 July 2026. Kent Test for pupils in Kent primary schools: 10 September 2026. Kent Test for pupils not in Kent primary schools: Weekend of 12/13 September 2026. Kent assessment decision sent to parents: 15 October 2026. Kent secondary application deadline: 2 November 2026. National Offer Day: 1 March 2027
Sir Roger Manwood's School is currently rated Good following the latest published inspection dated 28 September 2022.