Rainham Mark Grammar School 11 plus: a parents' guide for 2023

Rainham Mark Grammar School is a larger than average selective academy in Medway, Kent. Rainham Mark Grammar School is the only co-educational selective academy in the Medway area. Their most recent 2018 Ofsted rating was ‘Outstanding’, finding students make excellent progress while having highly positive attitudes to learning.

Rainham Mark Grammar School became an academy in 2011, helping accelerate student achievement and the quality of teaching. Rainham Mark Grammar School provides a caring and friendly environment for its 1,200 students. The school organises field trips and cultural exchanges as part of the curriculum and encourages students to take part in a wide range of extracurricular activities on offer.

11 plus information for Rainham Mark Grammar School

• Address: Pump Lane, Rainham, Gillingham ME8 7AJ

• County: Kent

• Admissions contact: [email protected], 01634 364151

• School type: co-educational academy

• Number of pupils: 1,238 (approximately)

• Number of places in Year 7: 205

• Open day date: October

• 11 plus exam dates: mid-September

• Exam board type: Medway Test

Rainham Mark Grammar School term dates

The 2022-23 term dates for Rainham Mark Grammar School are:

• Autumn term: 6th September – 20th December 2022

• Half term: 24th – 28th October 2022

• Spring term: 3rd January – 31st March 2023

• Half term: 13th – 17th February 2023

• Summer term: 17th April – 21st July 2023

• Half term: 29th May – 2nd June 2023

Admissions process for Rainham Mark Grammar School

Rainham Mark Grammar School uses the Medway admission criteria to determine which pupils are eligible for a place. If places are oversubscribed, students who have an elder sibling at Rainham Mark Grammar School, children of staff at Rainham Mark Grammar School, and proximity of students homes to the schools will be given priority. Rainham Mark Grammar School has a catchment area based on location and distance from the school.

Open days for Rainham Mark Grammar School are in October, which allows both parents and potential pupils to learn more about the admissions process and see the school and facilities.

How to apply for Rainham Mark Grammar School

To apply to Rainham Mark Grammar School, parents need to complete the common application form (CAF), which you can get from the Medway Local Authority. Parents looking to apply from schools outside the Medway Local Authority should apply by using the form provided by the Local Authority where they live.

Rainham Mark Grammar School uses the Medway 11 plus to assess potential students. Your child can take the Medway Test whether they live in Medway or not. Students can sit the test at their school if they go to a Medway school or at a Medway Test centre.

When is the Rainham Mark Grammar School 11 plus exam taken?

Registration for the Medway Test opens and closes in June. The test takes place on various dates in September, depending on whether you live in Medway or not, with results issued in October. Rainham Mark Grammar School sends out offers for potential students the following March.

Join Atom's free specialist Grammar School Preparation webinars, and learn how to structure the next few months to maximise your child's progress:

The Rainham Mark Grammar School 11 plus exam format

The Rainham Mark Grammar School 11 plus consists of a verbal reasoning test, a maths test and an extended writing test. The verbal reasoning and maths tests last 50 minutes, each being multiple-choice. The English test is usually a 50-minute essay with 10 minutes of planning time.

You can learn more about the format and content of the Medway Test here.

How to prepare for the Rainham Mark Grammar 11 plus

It's best to start preparing as early as possible for the Rainham Mark Grammar School 11 plus to give your child the maximum amount of time to master all the material before the exam.

A good way to prepare for the Rainham Mark Grammar School 11 plus is to practice as many questions as possible in the format of the GL Assessment exams. Carrying out mock tests helps students practice answering questions under pressure and improve their exam technique and time management.

Atom Nucleus is the UK's leading online learning and exam prep platform, designed to help your child build academic confidence and succeed in the 11 plus. As a subscriber, you'll get access to:

• Over 90,000 interactive questions in Key Stage 2 English, maths, science, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning

• Unlimited online practice papers that replicate the 11 plus, including tests set by GL Assessment

• Daily live lessons and revision programmes with engaging teachers to help your child master key topics and revise efficiently

• Automatic progress-tracking so you can see how your child is performing compared to their peers

• Access to expert advice from education specialists, with ongoing parent webinars and WhatsApp groups for your child’s cohort

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