Holcombe Grammar School
Secondary · Academy converter · Ages 11–18 · Chatham, Medway
11+ scores · 2026 entry
| Medway Test pass mark | 481 |
From Medway Council · a pass mark doesn't guarantee a place
Last distance offered · Year 7 2026
22.96 miles
Published by Medway Council · offers on 2 March 2026
Nearby schools' earlier years 🔒
Holcombe Grammar School is a secondary school in Chatham, Medway for ages 11–18 (academy converter). Its latest Ofsted outcome is School remains Good, from the inspection on 13 March 2024. Medway has published a last distance offered for this school for Year 7 2026 entry.
Holcombe Grammar School catchment area: last distance offered
Parents often call this the catchment area: it's how far from the school the last child offered a place lived. It changes every year.
| Entry | Last distance offered |
|---|---|
| Year 7 2026 | 22.96 mi |
What the pass includes · How to read it: one past year, not a catchment
What the figures show
- The Year 7 2026 last distance offered was 22.96 miles, the longest of the 13 Medway secondary schools with a published last distance; the middle figure was 3.11 miles.
- Year 7 2026 drew 137 first-choice applications for 179 offers; 87 offers went to first-choice families, and 50 first-choice families (36%) were not offered a place.
- For Year 7 2026 entry the 11+ Medway Test pass mark was 481; 191 of the 968 applications (20%) came from families outside Medway, and 94 offers went to them.
- In 2024/25, 85% got grade 5 or above in GCSE English and maths (England 45%); A level grades averaged C+ (England B-), with average progress from GCSE to A level.
Worked out by Catchmently from the published figures on this page and those for other Medway schools. Distances are as published; how they were measured differs between admission authorities.
Key facts
- Address
- Holcombe, Maidstone Road, Chatham, ME4 6JB
- Type
- Academy converter
- Phase
- Secondary
- Ages
- 11–18
- Admissions policy
- Selective
- Council
- Medway
- Pupils on roll
- 1,060 January 2026 school census
- Free school meals
- 12.1% of pupils eligible
- Pupils per teacher
- 18.3
Official record: Get Information about Schools · as at 15 September 2026
Ofsted
School remains Good Inspected 13 March 2024
Strengths
- “Pupils at Holcombe Grammar School are proud to attend their ‘rights respecting’ school.”
- “Their attendance is very high.”
- “They experience an inclusive, welcoming and supportive environment in school.”
To improve
- “Sometimes, teaching does not check or deepen pupils’ understanding before moving on to new content, and the resources used do not fully engage the pupils in their learning.”
- “This means that, on occasion, pupils are not learning the curriculum fully.”
Safeguarding: Effective
Quoted from the Ofsted report published 1 May 2024 (read the report). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.
Exam results
| Measure | School | England |
|---|---|---|
| GCSE English and maths, grade 5 or above (2024/25) | 85% | 45% |
| Attainment 8 score (2024/25) | 62.4 | 46 |
| A level average grade (2024/25) | C+ | B- |
Department for Education school performance data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Applications and offers
- 2026 Year 7 entry: 137 first-preference applications, 179 offers in total, 87 offers to first-preference applicants.
Department for Education, school-level applications and offers, figures on national offer day. Earlier years are in the pass.
Nearby secondary schools
Straight-line distance, in Medway.
- The Victory Academy 0.6 mi Good Last distance published
- The Thomas Aveling School 0.7 mi School remains Good Last distance published
- St John Fisher Catholic Comprehensive School 0.8 mi Not judged Last distance published
- The Rochester Grammar School 0.9 mi Good Last distance published
- Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School 0.9 mi Outstanding Last distance published
- Fort Pitt Grammar School 1.0 mi Outstanding Last distance published
- Walderslade School 1.1 mi No Ofsted grade Last distance published
- Greenacre School 1.1 mi No Ofsted grade Last distance published