How to prepare for the Chatham Grammar 11+

The exam at a glance

Chatham Grammar is a selective academy for ages 11 to 19 and, for Year 7 entry, admission is linked to grammar-school selection through Medway. For the 2028 intake, ElevenReady’s verified information is that entry is via a consortium-set paper through the Medway Test and/or Kent Test.

The school’s own Year 7 admissions page explains that children applying for a Medway grammar place normally need to be assessed as selective through the Medway Test or through the Local Review process. The same page also says that children who have taken the Kent Test and have been assessed suitable for grammar school by Kent County Council may be considered selective without taking the Medway Test.

The exact 2028 test format is not yet confirmed. We have not found an official 2028 page that sets out the provider, paper style, subjects tested or whether the assessment will be on paper or computer. Until Medway Council publishes the next admissions round, the safest approach is to treat this as a school entry route linked to Medway’s grammar assessment process and to check the school’s admissions page regularly for the confirmed arrangements.

What the day usually looks like, based on Medway’s published arrangements for the most recent available round, is that testing takes place in mid-September across more than one date. Medway has recently offered weekday and weekend test dates. Children then receive the outcome before the secondary application deadline, so families can use that information when naming schools on the Common Application Form.

Because the detailed paper structure for 2028 has not yet been published, avoid over-focusing on one commercial test style. A better plan is to build broad 11+ readiness: secure Key Stage 2 maths, careful reading, precise vocabulary work, clear writing and steady timed practice once official familiarisation information appears.

Registration and key dates

For Chatham Grammar, the assessment process is run through Medway Council, not by registering directly with the school for an internal 11+ test. The school’s admissions page directs families to Medway Test information and explains that parents must complete the relevant registration as part of the grammar assessment process.

For the most recent published round we could verify, the timetable for September 2027 entry was as follows:

Registration opened on Monday 18 May 2026.
Registration closed on Friday 12 June 2026.
Test dates were Tuesday 15 September, Wednesday 16 September, Saturday 19 September and Sunday 20 September 2026.
Results were issued on Wednesday 14 October 2026.
The secondary application window opened on Tuesday 1 September 2026 and closed at 5pm on Saturday 31 October 2026.
National Offer Day was Monday 1 March 2027.

For families aiming for September 2028 entry, the 2028-specific dates were not yet published in the sources we could verify. So the sensible expectation is that registration will usually open in May, close in June, testing will be typically in mid-September, and results will usually arrive in October. Please treat that as typical timing based on the latest available Medway timetable, not as confirmed 2028 dates.

When registration opens, parents should use the Medway Council process named on the council’s admissions pages. Once a child has test results, families must still submit the separate secondary school application naming Chatham Grammar if they want to be considered for a place.

It is wise to prepare a small admissions file in advance containing:

your child’s full legal name and date of birth
current home address details
evidence of parental responsibility if requested
any documents Medway asks for to support a particular application category

Do not assume the registration period will stay open for late entries. Medway publishes a formal deadline each year, and missing it can complicate the process.

Who can apply: catchment and admissions

Chatham Grammar has 150 places in Year 7. The school is part of the University of Kent Academies Trust and states that it will be co-educational from September 2026, admitting girls and boys into Year 7.

We have not found an official catchment map for Chatham Grammar. ElevenReady’s verified directory information is that this is a no-catchment admissions policy. In other words, the published oversubscription rules do not describe a defined catchment area.

Where there are more eligible applicants than places, the school’s determined admissions arrangements set out the oversubscription order. The categories include:

previously looked after and looked after children
current family association
children of staff
distance from home, as determined by Medway Local Authority

This means two things matter: first, a child must meet the selective standard through the Medway grammar assessment route or an accepted equivalent route described by the school; second, if the school is oversubscribed, the published priority order is then applied.

The school’s admissions information also makes clear that children assessed suitable for grammar school through the Kent Test may be treated as selective for Chatham Grammar without sitting the Medway Test. That can be relevant for families near the Kent/Medway boundary, but always read the current school and local authority guidance carefully before relying on that route.

We did not find any official published pass mark, lowest qualifying score, distance cut-off or successful last-distance figure for Chatham Grammar. The school does not appear to publish those figures on the pages we reviewed, so parents should avoid anyone claiming to know a guaranteed score or distance.

A month-by-month preparation plan

Because the exact 2028 paper format is not yet confirmed, the best preparation is steady and balanced. For most Year 5 children, consistency matters much more than intensity.

January to March in Year 5

Keep preparation light and skills-based. Around 1 to 2 hours a week is enough for most children at this stage. Focus on reading stamina, secure number skills, mental arithmetic, spelling accuracy and vocabulary growth. Read aloud sometimes, discuss unfamiliar words and make sure your child can explain their thinking clearly.

April in Year 5

Move to 2 hours a week. Start short mixed tasks rather than long papers. Use this month to spot gaps: place value, fractions, arithmetic fluency, inference in reading and writing neat, complete answers under a little time pressure.

May in Year 5

When registration typically opens for Medway, keep academic work calm. Continue with 2 to 3 hours a week. If official familiarisation materials are available by this point, begin using them so your child becomes comfortable with instructions and pacing.

June in Year 5

By now, build a regular weekly rhythm: one maths session, one English or reading session, one short recap session. Around 3 hours a week is realistic for many children. Begin a little timed work, but keep it short. The aim is confidence, not pressure.

July in Year 5

This is a good month to introduce the first timed sections or mini-papers. Keep to 3 hours a week in total. Review mistakes carefully and look for patterns: rushing, skipped instructions, weak vocabulary, careless arithmetic or running out of time.

August before Year 6

This is usually the key consolidation month if the exam is in September. Aim for 3 to 4 hours a week, split into short sessions. Do one fuller timed task each week, then spend more time reviewing than testing. If your child tires easily, reduce the volume and increase the quality of feedback.

Early September in Year 6

In the final two weeks before a mid-September test, maintain routine but do not cram. One or two timed pieces each week is enough, with plenty of sleep and normal family life around them. In the last few days, scale back. Light review beats last-minute overload.

If your child is already very busy with school or clubs, it is absolutely fine to stay at the lower end of these hour ranges. A calm child who understands the basics usually does better than an exhausted child who has completed endless papers.

Subject by subject: what to practise

The exact tested subjects for 2028 entry are not yet confirmed in the official sources we could verify. For that reason, the most sensible preparation is broad rather than narrowly tied to one provider format. Below are the core areas worth practising for grammar-school readiness while you wait for Medway’s confirmed familiarisation information.

Mathematics

Build fluency first: the four operations, place value, fractions, decimals, percentages, ratio basics, measures and simple problem solving. Children should practise working accurately under mild time pressure and checking their own answers. Short daily arithmetic can help, but also include worded problems so they get used to selecting the right method.

Useful practice includes:

mental maths warm-ups
multi-step word problems
fraction, decimal and percentage conversions
careful reading of mathematical language
answer-checking habits

English and reading

Prioritise comprehension, inference, vocabulary and careful reading. Ask your child to explain why an answer is right, not just choose it. Strong readers tend to cope better with many selective tests because they can process instructions and extract meaning quickly.

Useful practice includes:

reading fiction and non-fiction regularly
summarising short passages
spotting evidence for an answer
vocabulary notebooks with synonyms and antonyms
spelling and punctuation review

Writing

Even though we do not yet have confirmed 2028 subject detail, clear writing is still worth practising. Work on sentence control, paragraphing, punctuation, accurate spelling and writing that answers the task directly. Children benefit from planning briefly before they write and leaving time to reread.

Reasoning and problem solving

Because the detailed paper structure has not yet been confirmed, it is sensible to include some general reasoning and pattern-spotting work without assuming a specific provider style. Focus on careful thinking, following multi-step instructions, spotting relationships and managing time calmly.

As soon as Medway or the school publishes official familiarisation materials for the 2028 round, switch your practice to match those documents closely.

Practice papers and mock exams

Practice papers are most useful when they are used sparingly and reviewed properly. Start with untimed work so your child learns the method, then move to short timed sections, and only later to fuller papers. After every paper, spend time asking:

Which questions were genuinely difficult?
Which were lost through rushing?
Did my child misunderstand the instructions?
Are there recurring gaps in knowledge?

A good rule is to do fewer papers but review them better. Children improve more from understanding mistakes than from racing through a large stack of tests.

For school-specific support, use:

If you use a mock exam, choose one for confidence-building rather than pressure. It should help your child experience test conditions, practise sitting still, listening carefully and moving on when stuck. One or two mocks are usually enough for most children.

Until the official 2028 format is published, avoid buying large bundles tied to a test style that may not match the final arrangements.

On the day

Keep the morning simple. Lay out clothes, water and any required items the night before. Leave in good time so there is no sense of rushing.

At breakfast, choose familiar food rather than a special treat that may not sit well. Keep conversation calm and ordinary. Children often take their emotional cue from the adults around them.

Remind your child of just a few practical habits:

listen carefully to every instruction
read each question slowly before answering
if stuck, move on and come back if there is time
check work where possible, especially simple errors

After the test, avoid a detailed post-mortem. Most children feel better if the family simply acknowledges their effort and moves on with the day.

After the exam: results, allocation and appeals

For the latest published Medway round we could verify, results were issued in mid-October, before the secondary application deadline at the end of October. That sequence matters because parents can use the result when deciding how to rank schools on their application.

After results are released, families must submit the secondary application through their home local authority, naming Chatham Grammar according to genuine preference. Meeting the selective standard does not guarantee a place if the school is oversubscribed; the published admission rules are then applied.

School offers are made on National Offer Day on 1 March in the relevant admissions year. If a child is not offered Chatham Grammar, families may be able to join the waiting list and, where appropriate, appeal. The exact appeals timetable is published each year by the admission authority or local authority.

If your child is not deemed selective through the initial process, Medway’s admissions system refers to review arrangements. Read the current year’s official guidance carefully, as review and appeal are separate processes and each has its own deadline.

For any 2028-specific results or appeals dates, check the school and Medway Council pages once the new admissions round opens.

What has changed recently

The clearest recent change we found is that Chatham Grammar states it will be co-educational from September 2026, admitting girls and boys into Year 7.

We also found that the latest published Medway testing timetable included multiple test dates across both weekdays and a weekend for the September 2027 intake, with registration in May and June 2026 and results in October 2026.

We did not find an official announcement yet confirming any new 2028 change to the test provider, paper style, subjects or delivery method. Until that appears on the school or Medway pages, treat those details as unconfirmed.

Frequently asked questions

Does Chatham Grammar have a catchment area?

We did not find an official catchment map, and ElevenReady’s verified information is that the school does not use a named catchment area. If the school is oversubscribed, distance is used within the published priority rules.

How many Year 7 places are there at Chatham Grammar?

There are 150 places in Year 7.

Do children have to sit the Medway Test for Chatham Grammar?

Usually, admission depends on being assessed as selective through Medway’s grammar assessment route. The school also says children assessed suitable for grammar school through the Kent Test may be considered selective without taking the Medway Test.

When should we start preparing for the Chatham Grammar 11+?

For most children, a gentle start in January or spring of Year 5 is enough. Build skills steadily first, then add timed practice during the summer before the September test period.

Are the 2028 test subjects confirmed yet?

No. In the official sources we could verify, the 2028 format and subjects were not yet published, so it is best to watch the school and Medway Council pages for the confirmed arrangements.

When do Medway Test results usually come out?

In the latest published round we found, results were issued in mid-October, before the secondary application deadline. Parents should still check the current year’s timetable when it is published.

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Sources

Chatham Grammar – Year 7 Intake: Chatham Grammar is selective; applicants normally need to be assessed as selective through the Medway Test or Local Review; children found suitable through the Kent Test may be considered selective without taking the Medway Test; admissions information for Year 7 is on the school site.
Chatham Grammar – Home page: Chatham Grammar is part of the University of Kent Academies Trust; the school states it will be co-educational from September 2026, admitting girls and boys into Year 7.
Medway Council – Medway Test: For September 2027 entry, registration opened Monday 18 May 2026 and closed Friday 12 June 2026; test dates were 15, 16, 19 and 20 September 2026; results were issued Wednesday 14 October 2026; Medway runs the registration and testing process.
Chatham Grammar – Admissions arrangements: Year 7 admission number is 150; oversubscription criteria include previously looked after and looked after children, current family association, children of staff, then distance from home measured by Medway Local Authority.

Preparing for other schools in Medway

Written by ElevenReady from the school's published information and reviewed by a person before publishing. Last reviewed 20 October 2026. Exam arrangements change. Check the school's admissions page for the current year.