HomeGrammar schoolsMedwayRainham Mark Grammar School
Has a catchment areaCo-educationalMedway

Rainham Mark Grammar School catchment area

Gillingham · 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
235
Location
Gillingham, Medway
Catchment, explained

How catchment works at Rainham Mark Grammar School

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

235 places: after looked-after and other priority categories, remaining places decided by distance from home to school. 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 Rainham Mark 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 Gillingham
Medway
Applying

Sitting the 11+ for Rainham Mark 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 Gillingham schools by preference on the application.

FAQs

Rainham Mark Grammar School catchment, your questions answered

Does Rainham Mark Grammar School have a catchment area?+
No fixed catchment area, but distance from home to school is used as the tie-break to decide places.
Is Rainham Mark Grammar School super-selective?+
No. Rainham Mark 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 Rainham Mark Grammar School measured?+
235 places: after looked-after and other priority categories, remaining places decided by distance from home to school. 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 Rainham Mark Grammar School?+
Children applying to Rainham Mark 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 Rainham Mark Grammar School offer?+
Rainham Mark Grammar School admits 235 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 Rainham Mark 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 Rainham Mark 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 Rainham Mark Grammar School or your local authority.

Get Gillingham-ready for the 11+

Pip turns Medway Test revision into a 10-minute daily habit kids actually enjoy: maths, English, verbal and non-verbal reasoning, with a friendly tutor.

Get Pip free →
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 Rainham Mark Grammar School and your local authority before applying.