Admission to Year 7 for September 2025

Admission to RMGS is by tests administered by Medway Council. The Medway tests comprise a Mathematics test, a Verbal Reasoning test and an Extended Writing exercise, and are normally taken by pupils in September preceding admission in the following September. 

KEY DATES FOR SECONDARY SCHOOL ADMISSIONS 2025

Date	Event
9am on Monday 20 May 2024	Registration for the Medway Test (11+) opens.
5pm on Friday 14 June 2024	Registration for the Medway Test closes.
Friday 21 June 2024	Closing date for special arrangements requests from schools.
Monday 2 September 2024	Secondary school applications open.
Tuesday 17 and Wednesday 18 September 2024	Medway Test dates for children who attend Medway primary and junior schools.
Saturday 21 or Sunday 22 September 2024	Medway Test date for children from non-Medway schools. One day will be allocated to each child who attends a non-Medway primary or junior school.
Wednesday 16 October 2024	Results of the Medway Test.
Friday 8 November 2024	Secondary school applications close.
Monday 3 March 2025	Offers sent to parents and carers.
Friday 28 March 2025	Deadline for accepting/refusing offers, waiting requests and appeal requests.
Monday 21 April 2025	Re-allocation of school places and processing of late applications.
Wednesday 31 December 2025	End of admissions process and waiting lists close.

Please see attached link to Medway Council for further information on applying for a secondary school place.  https://www.medway.gov.uk/info/200137/schools_and_learning/1061/applying_for_a_secondary_school_place

As a result of the tests children will be deemed either selective or non-selective.

Oversubscription: If the number of RMGS preferences received, via the Medway Coordinated Scheme, from parents of children achieving selective standard exceeds the number of places available, places will be allocated in the following priority order.

(i) Children in Public Care, as defined in the Medway Coordinated Admissions Scheme to include children who are adopted and were previously looked after.

(ii) Children who are designated as receiving ‘Free School Meals’ on the qualifying date of 31 October 2023. Applicants under this criterion must complete a Supplementary Information Form (SIF) so that checks can be made to determine eligibility.

(iii) Children who at the time of application have a brother or sister (including children living as siblings in the same family unit) on the roll of the school at the time of the sibling’s admission.

(iv) Child’s health reasons, supported by medical evidence, which requires the child to attend this school.

(v) Children who at the time of application have a parent who is a member of staff at the school (where the member of staff has been employed for three years or more at the time at which the application is made and/or where the member of staff is recruited to fill a vacant post for which there is a demonstrable skill shortage).

(vii) Nearest of children’s homes.

The system may seem confusing; RMGS is ready and willing to advise. Please telephone 01634 364151 to arrange to speak to a member of the senior team. The Admissions team at Medway Council are also happy to help on 01634 331110.

 

Supplementary Form

The school's SIF can be found in the following link. https://www.rainhammark.com/attachments/download.asp?file=686. There is also a downloadable version at the bottom of this page. Please note, this form only needs to be completed for students who have free school meals. Once completed, the form should be emailed to Admissions@rmgs.org.uk. 

 

Year 6 Open Evening for entry into Year 7 in September 2025

To be confirmed

 

Information on appealing for a place in Year 7 for September 2025 entry

PLEASE READ THIS CAREFULLY. 

If you have not been offered a place at Rainham Mark Grammar School, after offer day at the start of March, the law entitles you to appeal against that decision to an Independent Appeal Panel. This panel is completely independent of the school and the Local Authority. All appeals will be heard online which has the advantage that your appeal can be heard from your home or place of work. 

If you wish to appeal, please use this link to complete your appeal online. Please do NOT use ANY other appeal form or send your form to your local authority. It is suggested that you download the explanatory booklet about appeals which you should read before you complete the appeal form – Booklet Link . 

You should include any evidence or supporting material with your appeal form and you MUST give the grounds for your appeal at the time you lodge your appeal form. Your appeal form will not be accepted unless you state the grounds for your appeal. You may appeal for more than one school, but on different forms. 

Any letters or reports that you wish the panel to see should be uploaded at this time.  You are asked to bear in mind that if you later send additional information, the closing date is 5 working days before the STAGE 1 hearing.  All appointed panels have agreed NOT to take any late letters or reports after the 5 working day deadline.  This will be strictly enforced.  For secondary/primary transfer appeals, the hearing will take place at least TWO months after the refusal letter.  This gives you plenty of time to get your evidence together if you act early and take account of school holidays. 

Please note that the online form will ask you to download two utility bills dated in the last THREE months.  If you do not have access to a scanner, please take two photographs with a mobile phone and upload the photographic files. 

Full details about the hearing will be sent to you with your invitation to the hearing. 

If you wish to contact the clerk – email:  clerk@educationappeals.com 

The timetable for Year 7 September 2025 entry appeals is as follows:  

Last day for lodging appeal forms for a place in Year 7 to start in September 2025	4pm on Wednesday 2 April 2025 to guarantee that your appeal will be heard in the first tranche of appeals.  Appeals lodged later may not be heard until the second tranche which could be in September 2025. You MUST state the reasons for your appeal and supply any documentary evidence at this stage.
The stage 1 part of the hearing (with other parents present) will take place on	Thursday 1 May 2025 at 5.00 pm
Part 2, the individual private hearings will take place on	Tuesday 6 May – Friday 9 May 2025 (depending on the number of appeals)
Invitation letter giving details about your hearing will be sent by the Clerk to the Independent Appeal Panel	At least 10 school days before the stage 1 hearing.
Any additional supporting evidence	Closing date is Thursday 24 April 2025. You are advised that additional paperwork received on the day of the appeal hearing will not be taken into account. Please provide the Clerk with ONE copy of any new additional evidence BY EMAIL ONLY. These must be sent to clerk@educationappeals.com.
Letter from the Clerk informing you of the decision of the independent appeal panel	Due to the high number of appeals held at this time, this may not be sent until up to 10 working days after the last hearing for the school.

 

In-Year Casual Admissions (this process is separate from Year 6 into Year 7 Appeals)

Process 1: If your child is currently at a secondary school in Years 7-11 and you would like to apply for  a school place at RMGS, please complete the RMGS In-Year Casual Admission Application form here:  Link to in-year casual admission form

Students having not taken the Medway Test will be invited to take a CAT4 test. This comprises four elements. The pass mark for each is at least 111 and a student must gain 111 in all areas to be deemed selective for RMGS.

Process 2: If your application for admission to RMGS is unsuccessful after stage 1, you are entitled to appeal if you wish to. Please read the following carefully:

If you have not been offered a place at Rainham Mark Grammar School, the law entitles you to appeal against that decision to an Independent Appeal Panel. This panel is completely independent of the school and the Local Authority. All appeals will be heard online which has the advantage that your appeal can be heard from your home or place of work.

If you wish to appeal, please use this link to complete your appeal online. Please do NOT use ANY other appeal form or send your form to your local authority. It is suggested that you download the explanatory booklet about appeals which you should read before you complete the appeal form – Booklet Link .

You should include any evidence or supporting material with your appeal form and you MUST give the grounds for your appeal at the time you lodge your appeal form. Your appeal form will not be accepted unless you state the grounds for your appeal. You may appeal for more than one school, but on different forms.

Any letters or reports that you wish the panel to see should be uploaded at this time.  You are asked to bear in mind that if you later send additional information, the closing date is 5 working days before the STAGE 1 hearing.  All appointed panels have agreed NOT to take any late letters or reports after the 5 working day deadline.  This will be strictly enforced.   

Please note that the online form will ask you to download two utility bills dated in the last THREE months.  If you do not have access to a scanner, please take two photographs with a mobile phone and upload the photographic files.

Full details about the hearing will be sent to you with your invitation to the hearing.

If you wish to contact the clerk – email:  clerk@educationappeals.com

Timetable for In-Year "casual" admission appeals is as follows:

Last day for lodging appeal forms following a refusal for a place ‘in year’ or ‘mid-term’ excluding 6th form.

You must lodge the appeal form within 20 school days upon receipt of your letter of refusal.  You MUST state the reasons for your appeal and supply documentary evidence at this stage. Appeals are held within 30 school days of receipt of the appeal form.

 

Admission to Sixth Form (Year 12) 

Please go here https://www.rainhammark.com/page/?title=Sixth+Form+Admission+%28Appeal+information%29&pid=311