Atom Learning is partnered with Holcombe Grammar School. You can read more about our partnership here.
Thinking about applying to Holcombe Grammar School for entry in 2026? Find out everything you need to know about admissions and how to prepare your child for success in the 11 plus.
Are you thinking about applying to Holcombe Grammar School? Find out everything you need to know about the entry process and how to prepare for the 11+ exam.
Holcombe Grammar School is a selective school. This means that your child will need to take the Medway Test to be eligible for a place.
You must register your child for the test during the registration window. Registration opens on Monday 18th May 2026 and closes on Friday 12th June 2026.
If your child attends a Medway maintained primary or junior school, they will sit the test at their own school on Tuesday 15th or Wednesday 16th September 2026. If your child does not attend a Medway primary or junior school, they will be allocated a place at a Medway Test centre on Saturday 19th or Sunday 20th September 2026.
You'll receive your child's results on Wednesday 14th October 2026. If they are assessed as suitable for grammar school, you can apply for a place by naming Holcombe Grammar School on your common application form. This must be submitted to your home local authority by Saturday 31st October 2026.
Important note: being assessed as suitable for grammar school doesn't guarantee that your child will be allocated a place at your preferred school. Grammar schools are often oversubscribed with children who meet the qualifying standard. After the 31st October deadline, schools use their admissions criteria to allocate places.
We've outlined the process for Holcombe Grammar School below.
English(30 minutes, plus 5 minutes of unscored practice) Questions based on national curriculum content, including a reading comprehension task and questions on vocabulary, punctuation and grammar.
Maths(50 minutes, plus 2 minutes of unscored practice) Questions based on Key Stage 2 maths content, covering areas such as number, measurement, geometry and statistics.
Reasoning(45 minutes total)The reasoning paper covers three areas:
Verbal reasoning(25 minutes): assesses your child's ability to use logic and solve problems with written information
Non-verbal reasoning and spatial reasoning(20 minutes, split into four individually timed sections): tests your child's ability to identify patterns and solve problems using shapes and diagrams
Unlike English and maths, reasoning is not taught as part of the Key Stage 2 curriculum — it's included in the test to assess your child's potential, not just what they've already learned.
Is your child ready for the 11+?
See where they stand in minutes. Atom’s free 11+ baseline tests give you an instant breakdown of their strengths and gaps. Know exactly what to focus on next and start preparing with direction, not uncertainty.
How are places allocated at Holcombe Grammar School?
In October, you'll receive your child's results. These will include a total score, a breakdown of scores for each paper, and a decision on whether your child is assessed as suitable for a grammar school.
If the number of children who meet the qualifying standard exceeds the number of places available, Holcombe Grammar School applies oversubscription criteria. Children are prioritised for places in the following order:
Looked after children and previously looked after children
Siblings of children who will still be attending Holcombe Grammar School or another Thinking Schools Academy Trust secondary school in Medway at the time of admission
Children attending a Thinking Schools Academy Trust primary school in Medway
Children of Holcombe Grammar School staff, where the member of staff has been employed for two or more years, or has been recruited to fill a post with a demonstrable skill shortage
Children with specific health reasons requiring attendance at Holcombe Grammar School, supported by medical evidence
All other eligible children, allocated by distance from the school
Does Holcombe Grammar School have a catchment area?
Holcombe Grammar School doesn't have a catchment area. If your child is assessed as suitable for grammar school, they are eligible to apply for a place regardless of where they live.
If a tie-break is needed (e.g. there is one place left and two children have the same score), the child living closest to the school will be prioritised for a place.
If you don't live close to the school, it's important to think about how your child will get there every day. How long will the journey take? What transport options are available? Will they be travelling independently or with support?
A longer or more complex journey can affect your child's daily routine, including how much time they have for homework, rest, and after-school activities.
It's a good idea to think about how manageable the school run will be and whether it will work for your family day to day.
How can I help my child prepare for the test?
The Medway Test can feel like a big milestone, but preparation doesn't have to be overwhelming. Here's how you can help your child prepare for test day.
Stay on track with a clear plan
One of the hardest parts of 11+ preparation is knowing what to focus on, when, and how to make steady progress without it taking over family life.
A clear, structured plan helps your child feel less overwhelmed and more in control. It ensures they build skills in the right order, cover everything they need, and avoid last-minute cramming.
Atom's exam plan makes this easier. Enter your child's exam date and target schools, and we'll create a personalised weekly plan tailored to the topics they'll be tested on. It shows them what to work on and when, adapts as they improve, and helps them build progress in a calm, manageable way — little and often.
That means less guesswork for you, less stress for them, and a clearer path all the way to exam day.
Build smart exam technique
As your child's knowledge grows, practice tests can help them feel more comfortable with the real exam format.
Atom's 11+ practice papers are exact replicas of real 11+ exams. They're also unlimited — you can download the same paper again and again, and your child will get new questions each time. This helps them practise without repeating the same content.
We've made marking easy for you, too. Simply photograph your child's answer sheets and upload them to Atom. The papers are marked instantly, showing your child's standardised age score (SAS), where they're doing well, and what they should focus on next. You'll also learn how they compare to other children applying to the same school.
Encourage regular reading
Strong reading skills play a big role in 11+ preparation.
Encourage your child to read every day, even for just 10–15 minutes. The key is variety. Mix fiction and non-fiction, different genres, and a range of authors. This helps them become more confident in understanding tone, purpose, and meaning across different texts.
Over time, regular reading will:
broaden their vocabulary
improve comprehension and inference
build confidence in tackling unseen texts
And just as importantly, it can help them enjoy reading — not just see it as exam preparation.
Looking for inspiration? Atom's recommended reading lists have suggestions spanning fiction and non-fiction for Years 3–6.
Celebrate progress, not just scores
When you're supporting your child through 11+ preparation, what really matters is knowing they're moving in the right direction — not just how they scored on a single test.
Atom's progress tracking gives you a clear, simple picture of how your child is doing in each topic and the direction they're moving in. You can see where they're on track, where they might need more practice, and spot progress as it happens.
That makes it easier to give meaningful encouragement, keep motivation steady, and focus on what matters most: consistent improvement, not just one-off results.
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Take control of your child’s 11+ preparation.
Not sure if your child is on track for the grammar school 11+? You don’t need to guess what to cover or whether they’re ready. Atom shows you exactly what to practise each week and how they’re performing, so you can stay ahead of the process without the stress.
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