Admissions to RMGS 2026-27

Admission to Year 7 for September 2026

**RMGS Admission Policy for 2027-2028 can be found here**

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 2026

Date	Event
9am on Monday 19 May 2025	Registration for the Medway Test (11+) opens.
5pm on Friday 13 June 2025	Registration for the Medway Test closes.
Monday 23 June 2025	Closing date for special arrangements requests from schools.
Monday 1 September 2025	Secondary school applications open.
Tuesday 16 and Wednesday 17 September 2025	Medway Test dates for children who attend Medway primary and junior schools.
Saturday 20 or Sunday 21 September 2025	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 15 October 2025	Results of the Medway Test.
Friday 31 October 2025	Secondary school applications close.
Monday 2 March 2026	Offers sent to parents and carers.
Friday 27 March 2026	Deadline for accepting/refusing offers, waiting requests and appeal requests.
Monday 20 April 2026	Re-allocation of school places and processing of late applications.
Monday 31 August 2026	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 in the year of application. Applicants under this criterion must complete a Supplementary Information Form (SIF) so that checks can be made to determine eligibility.

(iii) Current Family Association (siblings) - a brother or sister already attending the school at the time of entry. In this context brother or sister means children who live as brother or sister in the same house, including natural brothers or sisters, adopted siblings, stepbrothers or sisters and foster brothers and sisters.

(iv) Health and Special Access Reasons - Medical/Health and Special Access Reasons will be applied in accordance with the School’s legal obligations, in particular those under the Equality Act 2010. Priority will be given to children whose mental or physical impairment means they have a demonstrable and significant need to attend a particular 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.

For more details see the Rainham Mark Grammar School Admissions Policy for the year of admission.

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 RMGS Admissions Team. The Admissions team at Medway Council are also happy to help on 01634 331110.

Supplementary Form

The school's SIF can be downloaded 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 2027

Thursday 15^th October 2026

Information on appealing for a place in Year 7 for September 2026 entry

Appeal Dates & Information

PLEASE READ THIS CAREFULLY.

Appeal Dates & Information Academic year 2026/2027

If you have not been offered a place following an in-year application, you are entitled to appeal to an Independent Appeal Panel. This panel is completely independent of the school and the Local Authority. In accordance with the 2022 School Admission Appeals Code, the admission authority and all appeal panels have elected for all admissions appeals to be held online. Online appeals have the advantage of being heard from your home or place of work.  No longer do you have to travel to a hearing.

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 highly recommended that you download the explanatory booklet about appeals which you should read before you complete the appeal form. Booklet Link  

For 6^th form appeals an Appeal form can be downloaded on this link

You should include any evidence or supporting material with your appeal form (photos of your child will not be accepted). You MUST state the grounds of your appeal at the time you lodge your appeal form. Your appeal form will not be accepted unless you give the grounds of your appeal.  You may appeal for more than one school, but a separate form must be completed for each school you wish to appeal for.  If you are appealing for more than one child, a separate form must be completed for each child and use a different email address.

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 using a mobile phone and upload the photographic files.

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

Information and a timetable for Summer Transfer appeals will appear on this website before 28 February 2027.

The timetable for ‘in-year’ appeals is as follows: -

The timetable for ‘in-year’ appeals
Last day for lodging appeal forms	20 School days after the decision letter informing you that you had not been offered a place.
Invitation letter giving details about your hearing will be sent by the Clerk to the Independent Appeal Panel	This will be EMAILED at least 10 school days before the hearing unless you have opted on the appeal form for a shorter notice period.   All in-year appeals will be heard within 30 school days of the appeal form being lodged.
Closing date for any additional supporting evidence	Up to 12 noon on FIVE school days before your hearing you can upload additional documents to your online appeal folder.  You are advised that additional paperwork received on the day of the appeal hearing will not be taken into account.
Letter from the Clerk informing you of the decision of the independent appeal panel	Due to the high number of appeals, an email is sent a few working days after your hearing with the decision of the panel.  This is followed up around 20 school days later with a further emailed letter outlining the panels’ reasons.

 

The timetable for 6th form appeals
Last day for lodging appeal forms	27 August 2026.  For 6th form appeals only, the appeal form can be completed by a student or parent. An Appeal form can be downloaded on this link
Invitation letter giving details about your hearing will be sent by the Clerk to the Independent Appeal Panel	In order to facilitate a hearing as soon as possible, an email will be sent at very short notice. However, if a student or parent wishes to have 10 school days notice, this needs to be indicated on the appeal form.
Date(s) of hearings	Late August/September 2026.

Admission to Sixth Form (Year 12) 

Please see our Admissions Policy for 2026. Appeals information post- application is here https://www.rainhammark.com/page/?title=Sixth+Form+Admission+%28Appeal+information%29&pid=311