Rainham Mark Grammar School: Comprehensive 11+ Admissions Guide

Key Information Summary

• School Name: Rainham Mark Grammar School
• Location: Pump Lane, Gillingham, Kent, ME8 7AJ
• Type: Co-educational Grammar School (Academy)
• Age Range: 11-18 years
• Student Numbers: Approximately 1,235 pupils
• Trust: Rainham Mark Educational Trust (RMET)
• House System: Eight houses including Aylward, Brontë, Faraday, Newton, Rutherford, Scott, Pankhurst, and Lovelace

About Rainham Mark Grammar School

Located in the heart of Kent, Rainham Mark Grammar School has established itself as a leading co-educational grammar school serving the Medway area. The school operates under the Rainham Mark Educational Trust and maintains a strong commitment to academic excellence whilst fostering leadership skills and creativity among its diverse student body.

The school's ethos centres on providing an inclusive environment where academically gifted young people can flourish regardless of their socio-economic background or ethnicity. With high expectations for both students and staff, Rainham Mark creates a motivated learning atmosphere that encourages intellectual curiosity and personal development.

The house system plays a central role in school life, with eight houses named after notable historical figures including scientists, writers, and social reformers. This structure promotes healthy competition, pastoral care, and a sense of belonging amongst the student community.

The 11+ Assessment Process

Entry to Rainham Mark Grammar School requires success in the Kent Test, the region's standardised 11+ examination. This comprehensive assessment evaluates academic potential across four key areas:

• Verbal Reasoning: Tests comprehension, vocabulary, and logical thinking through language-based problems
• Non-Verbal Reasoning: Assesses spatial awareness and pattern recognition using visual puzzles
• Mathematics: Evaluates numerical skills, problem-solving abilities, and mathematical reasoning
• English: Tests reading comprehension, grammar, punctuation, and spelling

The Kent Test is designed to measure academic aptitude rather than curriculum knowledge, ensuring fair assessment regardless of primary school attended. Results determine eligibility for grammar school places throughout Kent, with Rainham Mark Grammar School seeking students who demonstrate strong intellectual potential and will thrive in a rigorous academic environment.

How to Apply

The application process for Year 7 entry at Rainham Mark Grammar School involves several important steps:

Registration for Kent Test:
Parents must register their child for the Kent Test through Medway Council during the specified registration period, typically in spring for autumn testing.

Taking the 11+ Examination:
Children sit the Kent Test at designated centres during the autumn term of Year 6, usually in September or October.

Secondary School Application:
Complete the secondary school application form through Medway Council's online portal, listing Rainham Mark Grammar School as a preference.

Application Deadline:
Submit all application materials by the deadline specified by Medway Council, typically 31st October.

Results and Offers:
Kent Test results are released in October, followed by secondary school place offers on National Offer Day in March.

Families are strongly advised to visit the school during open events and contact the admissions office for current deadline information and specific requirements.

Preparing for the Rainham Mark Grammar School 11+ with Taylor Tuition

Families preparing for the Rainham Mark Grammar School 11+ usually come to us a year or so before the assessment, though shorter runs work where the foundations are already sound. Having prepared pupils for entry to leading independent and grammar schools, with placements including Westminster, St Paul's, Wycombe Abbey and Eton, our tutors build each programme around the format the school actually uses, whether a written paper, an online pre-test, an interview or a combination of them.

More than half of our tutors hold Qualified Teacher Status and around three in five hold a master's degree or doctorate, and the pool includes former heads of department, exam-board examiners and teachers from independent and boarding schools, so the preparation is led by people who know how selective schools assess. Every tutor who works with children holds an enhanced DBS check.

Families work with us online from anywhere in the UK or abroad, and in person in central London. Fees start from £50 per 50-minute session and depend on tutor level and subject, with no registration fee and a free initial consultation to talk through your child's current level and the timeline to the 11+. Families receive progress reports after sessions and have a dedicated point of contact, and we reply to enquiries within one working day with tutor recommendations.

Read more about our 11+ entrance exam tutors, or send an enquiry and we will come back with tutor recommendations.