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Has a catchment areaCo-educationalMedway

Holcombe Grammar School catchment area

Chatham · co-educational grammar school · ages 11 to 18
Admissions
Catchment area
(distance priority)
Intake
Co-educational · ages 11 to 18
11+ test
Medway Test
Year 7 places
180
Location
Chatham, Medway
Catchment, explained

How catchment works at Holcombe Grammar School

Holcombe Grammar School draws its intake using a designated catchment or distance priority around Chatham. To be considered your child first needs to pass Medway Test, which makes them eligible but does not guarantee a place.

180 places (co-ed from 2026): after EHCP, sibling, looked-after, Pupil Premium and staff priority, remaining places by distance. The qualifying distance shifts every year with demand, so a postcode that was inside the catchment one year can fall outside it the next.

Bottom line: for Holcombe Grammar School, both things matter, your child must pass the 11+, and you generally need to live close enough to clear that year's distance cut-off.
Grammar schools near Chatham
Medway
Nearby options

Other grammar schools near Chatham

Chatham Grammar School
Chatham · Catchment area
0.6 miles away
Fort Pitt Grammar School
Chatham · Catchment area
0.7 miles away
Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School
Rochester · Catchment area
1.3 miles away
The Rochester Grammar School
Rochester · Catchment area
1.5 miles away
Rainham Mark Grammar School
Gillingham · Catchment area
2.1 miles away
Maidstone Grammar School for Girls
Maidstone · Catchment area
7.3 miles away
Applying

Sitting the 11+ for Holcombe Grammar School

1

Register

Sign up for Medway Test with the school or local authority, usually by early summer before Year 6 begins.

2

Sit the test

Your child takes the test in September of Year 6. Results follow in October, before the 31 October secondary application deadline.

3

Get your place

Pass, then your home distance decides. List Chatham schools by preference on the application.

FAQs

Holcombe Grammar School catchment, your questions answered

Does Holcombe Grammar School have a catchment area?+
No catchment area, but the school prioritises children who live closer when oversubscribed.
Is Holcombe Grammar School super-selective?+
No. Holcombe Grammar School is a selective grammar with a catchment or distance priority, so both a qualifying mark and your home address affect whether you get a place.
How is the catchment for Holcombe Grammar School measured?+
180 places (co-ed from 2026): after EHCP, sibling, looked-after, Pupil Premium and staff priority, remaining places by distance. Distances are normally measured in a straight line from your home to the school, and the cut-off moves each year with demand.
What test does my child sit for Holcombe Grammar School?+
Children applying to Holcombe Grammar School sit Medway Test, usually at the start of Year 6. Register with the school or local authority before the summer deadline in Year 5.
How many places does Holcombe Grammar School offer?+
Holcombe Grammar School admits 180 pupils into Year 7 each year. With far more qualifiers than places, the score needed in practice is well above the basic pass mark.
Can we apply to Holcombe Grammar School from outside the area?+
Yes, you can always apply. In quieter years out-of-area children are offered places, but in-catchment families take priority, so it is less predictable.
Does passing the 11+ guarantee a place at Holcombe Grammar School?+
No. Passing qualifies your child, the place then depends on the admissions priorities, most often home-to-school distance.
When do we register for the Medway Test?+
Registration usually opens in the spring or early summer of Year 5 and closes before the test, which is sat in September of Year 6. Results come back in October, the secondary application deadline is 31 October, and offers are sent on national offer day, 1 March. Always confirm the exact dates with Holcombe Grammar School or your local authority.

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Catchment and admissions details change every year. This page is an indicative guide for parents, always confirm the current catchment area, distances, places and test arrangements directly with Holcombe Grammar School and your local authority before applying.