The Rochester Grammar School

When there are more applications than places for 2027-28 (Year 7), places are offered in this order of priority. Meeting a higher criterion beats meeting a lower one.

1. 1Looked after and previously looked after children — Looked After Children and all children who have been previously looked after but became subject to an adoption order, child arrangement order or special guardianship order (in the care of, or provided with accommodation by, a Local Authority for a continuous period of more than 24 hours), or children who appear to have been in state care outside of England but ceased to be so as a result of being adopted.
2. 2Pupil premium — Pupils eligible for pupil premium funding, in priority order: (i) children currently registered as eligible for free school meals; (ii) children registered as eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years; (iii) children whose parent(s) are serving in the regular UK armed forces; (iv) children of ex-regular UK armed forces personnel who were serving in the last 3 years; (v) children where a parent died while serving in the UK armed forces and the child receives a pension under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme or War Pensions Scheme. Evidenced via the Supplementary Information Form.
3. 3Sibling at RGS — Children who, at the time of admission, have a sibling who attends the Academy (RGS). Sibling means a whole, half or step-sister, or an adopted child resident at the same address, including children of parents who are married or cohabiting and living together. Multiple births/siblings in the same year group tied for the final place are all offered places above PAN.
4. 4Named Thinking Schools Academy Trust primary schools — Children who attend any of the following Thinking Schools Academy Trust Medway primary schools: New Horizons Children's Academy, The Gordon Children's Academy, All Faiths Children's Academy and Cedars Children's Academy.
5. 5Children of staff — Children of staff employed by the School, where the staff member has been employed at the School for two or more years at the time of application, and/or was employed to fill a vacant post for which there is a demonstrable skills shortage.
6. 6Child's health reasons — Written medical evidence from a General Practitioner or hospital consultant demonstrating a specific health reason which requires the child to attend The Rochester Grammar School.
7. 7Closest to the School — Children who live closest to the School, by shortest distance from home to the School as per the Medway Co-ordinated scheme. Two or more identical distances requiring prioritisation are both allocated places, over PAN.

If two applications tie: For each of the 7 priority criteria in turn, if the School reaches its PAN of 205 while still within that priority tier, remaining places within that tier are allocated by shortest distance from home to the School (measured per the Medway Co-ordinated scheme); for the final criterion (7th, closest to School), two or more identical distances are both admitted, over PAN.

Where the School is named on a student's EHC Plan and entry requirements are met, the student is admitted; this is stated in the general section ahead of the numbered list, not itself numbered, so not listed as a criterion (a separate in-year-admissions passage ties an EHCP admission to 'point 6' of these criteria). One sentence in section 1 states the PAN of 205 is 'for pupils entering Year 7 in 2026', which conflicts with the document's own title, its 'Oversubscription criteria for September 2027' heading, and the SIF's 'ADMISSION - SEPTEMBER 2027' label; treated as a drafting error and 2027 used throughout, consistent with the weight of the document.

Published by the admission authority. Meeting a criterion never guarantees a place — it sets the order places are offered in. Full detail, other entry points and previous years are on the Admissions tab.