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Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School, Rochester

Outstanding
Secondary
Academy converter
Boys
Ages 11–18

Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School is a state grammar school for boys aged 11 to 18 in Rochester, part of Leigh Academies Trust. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2023. Its 2026 GCSE results were the highest of the 6 schools in Rochester with published results, and 103rd of 3,298 across England. For 2026 entry it had 1.7 first-choice applications for every place. It was full in 2025, at 109% of capacity.

GCSE results
Above England average
Ofsted
Outstanding (2023)
Admissions
Entry by 11+ test
Attendance
Better than England average
Progress (2024)
Well above average
New inspections, open days and news, by email.

Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 5 days

Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Medway (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.

Data last updated 26 Oct 2026

Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School in detail

Results

In 2026, pupils at Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 69.9, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 46.3 in Medway and 47 across England.

96% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 44% in Medway and 47% in England.

That is in line with 2025, when the score was 69.5.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.9: pupils made well above average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 67.9, against 70.1 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 2.2 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 23 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Geography, Biology and Physics.

Getting a place at Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School

Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School is a grammar school: places go to children who reach the required standard in its entrance test, and only then are the oversubscription criteria applied.

For September 2026 entry, 336 families put Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School as their first choice and 740 named it as one of their preferences, for 201 places offered. That is 1.7 first choices for every place. 140 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

Admissions history and your chances at Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School

The entrance test (11-plus)

Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School admits pupils through an entrance test - in Medway, the Medway Test. Children have to be registered for it in advance, normally in the spring or summer of Year 5; the test itself is usually sat in September of Year 6, and results come out in October, before the 31 October deadline for naming secondary schools.

Passing the test makes a child eligible rather than guaranteeing a place: when more children pass than there are places, Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School ranks them by the criteria in its admissions policy, which can include test score and distance. Check Medway's admissions pages and the school's own policy for this year's registration deadline - a child who is not registered in time cannot sit the test.

Medway has 6 state grammar schools in all, so a child who passes may have several selective schools to choose between.

Grammar schools in Medway

Compared with nearby schools

The nearest other state secondary schools to Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School are The Rochester Grammar School (0.1 miles, Good, selective, Attainment 8 67.5); The Thomas Aveling School (0.5 miles, Good, Attainment 8 38.8); Medway Secure Training Centre (0.6 miles); and Holcombe Grammar School (0.9 miles, Good, selective, Attainment 8 59.8).

Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School's 2026 results were higher than all 3 of them.

The Rochester Grammar SchoolThe Thomas Aveling SchoolMedway Secure Training CentreHolcombe Grammar School

The trust

Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School is one of 33 schools run by Leigh Academies Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 47.4 in 2024/25.

All 33 schools in Leigh Academies Trust

Where pupils go next

Of the 204 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 98% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 6% to a further education college.

Of the 217 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 72% went on to university or other higher education, 5% to apprenticeships and 12% into work. 43% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

Who goes there

10.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.

In 2026, 106 pupils (6.8%) received SEN support and 10 (0.6%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is autism.

Getting there

The nearest railway station is Chatham Rail Station, about 1.2 miles away in a straight line.

7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Grammar Schools (opposite), 50 metres away.

Suspensions and exclusions

In 2024/25, Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School issued 13 suspensions, 0.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 2 permanent exclusions.

Primary schools nearby

The primary schools closest to Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School are St William of Perth Roman Catholic Primary School (0.2 miles), Delce Academy (0.3 miles), Crest Infant School (0.3 miles) and St Peter's Infant School (0.5 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.

St William of Perth Roman Catholic Primary SchoolDelce AcademyCrest Infant SchoolSt Peter's Infant School

Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics

Location

Places here go by the entrance test first, so distance alone does not show your chances.

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mr Eliot Hodges
Pupils:1,555
LA:Medway
Phone:01634844008
Website:sjwms.org.uk
Address:Maidstone Road, Rochester, ME1 3EL
Trust:LEIGH ACADEMIES TRUST (33 schools)
Admissions:Selective
Status:open
Opened:1 April 2011

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 4 years ago
Outstanding

Overall

Outstanding

Quality of Education

Outstanding

Behaviour & Attitudes

Outstanding

Personal Development

Outstanding

Leadership & Management

Outstanding

Sixth Form

Inspected 21 March 2023View full report
URN:136662
UKPRN:10033431
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:Rochester and Strood
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at its March 2023 inspection.

Rated Outstanding for

Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Sixth form.

About

Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School (SJWMS) is an all boys' grammar school with academy status in Rochester, Kent, and a co-ed sixth form, also referred to as Rochester Math or The Math School. The school was founded by the statesman Sir Joseph Williamson (1633–1701), lord of the nearby Manor of Cobham, Kent, who, in his will, bequeathed £5,000 to set...

From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

At a Glance

10.9%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

No

Nursery

Yes

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

Secondary Performance (GCSE)

Academic year 2025/26

GCSE Results

2023
2024
2025
2026
Attainment 8 GCSE Eng+Maths

2025/26 academic year

Progress 8 has remained stable at around 0.90 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has declined from 70.4 to 69.9 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has remained stable at around 96% (2023 to 2026).

Performance by Group

GroupProgress 8Attainment 8Eng+Maths 5+
All pupils-69.996.3%
Disadvantaged(16)-67.993.8%
Not known to be disadvantaged(198)-70.196.5%
Boys(214)-69.996.3%
Show more breakdowns (2)
Known or believed to be other than English(32)-74.393.8%
Non mobile(211)-70.296.2%

2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data

GCSE Subjects Offered

Mathematics428
English Literature428
English Language428
Geography280
Biology272
Physics272
Chemistry272
Economics244
Design and Technology172
French168
History158
Combined Science156
Computer Science152
Latin140
Spanish126
Physical Education98
Social Studies88
Art and Design66
Religious Studies52
Music40

+ 3 more subjects

2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils

After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations

After GCSEs (Year 11) - 204 students

Continued education98%
Further education6%
Apprenticeships0%
Employment0%
Not in education/employment1%

2023/24 data

Exclusions & Suspensions

2

Permanent exclusions

0.13%

Exclusion rate

13

Suspensions

0.85%

Suspension rate

10 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 1,528 pupils

2024/25 academic year

How Does This School Compare?

Ranked against 5 nearby secondary schools

See peer comparison with Pro - £9 a month, or £90 a year, inc. VAT

Keep up with Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School

Getting There

Bus Stops

Grammar Schools (opp)
49m · 1 min walk
Valley View Road (adj)
262m · 4 min walk
Breton Road (opp)
295m · 5 min walk
Hawser Road (adj)
336m · 5 min walk
The Fairway (NE-bound)
409m · 7 min walk

Free school transport

Check free transport to Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School from your postcode →

You apply to the council where you live. Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School is in Medway; for families living there:

Apply to Medway for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.

Safety and surroundings

Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)

Collisions
17
Fatal
0
Serious
2
Children hurt
4

Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 17 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 15 slight.

4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot and 1 on a bicycle.

6 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.

The typical figure for schools in Medway is 25 (the median across 117 schools, same distance and years).

Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.

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Commute and house prices

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Your chances of a place at Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School

Will you get a place at Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School? Get the admissions report

Your home postcode, set against Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.

What the report includes for Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School:

  • The straight-line distance from your home to Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School.
  • We hold no last distance offered figures from Medway, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
  • Applications, first choices and offers at Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
  • How many families in Medway got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
  • The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
  • Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.

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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

109%

Over capacity

1,523 pupils

1,392 places

131 pupils over capacity in 2025

2025, DfE school capacity data

Area Demand Pressure - Rochester

High pressure
New homes approved:2,180
Projected new pupils:392

Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Rochester

Across Medway council

Low demand council-wide0.93 applications per place

Places available

3,844

Applications

3,586

Got 1st preference

80.4%

Got preferred school

96.8%

All secondary applications across Medway council (2026/27), not just this school.

This school: Entry by 11+ test

Inspection History(2)

21 March 2023
OutstandingReport
Quality of EducationOutstanding
Behaviour & AttitudesOutstanding
Personal DevelopmentOutstanding
Leadership & ManagementOutstanding
Sixth FormOutstanding
26 November 2008
Outstanding
Leadership & ManagementOutstanding

SEND & SEN Provision

SEN Overview

106

SEN Support

10

EHC Plans

7.5%

of Total Pupils

2026 academic year

Provision & Specialist Facilities

No specialist provision recorded

Pupils by Need Type

Autistic Spectrum Disorder60
Other25
Social, Emotional & Mental Health11
Specific Learning Difficulty10
Speech, Language & Communication4
Physical Disability3
Hearing Impairment2
EHC Plan
SEN Support

Pupil Demographics

Ethnicity

White British
39.2%
Asian
17.3%
Black
23.3%
Mixed
10.1%
Chinese
1.1%
Other
1.9%
Unclassified
1.8%

2026 academic year

Key Indicators

Free School Meals10.9%
English as Additional Language13.2%

1,555

Total Pupils

1,447

Boys

108

Girls

2026 academic year

Workforce

76

Teachers

20.5:1

Pupil-teacher ratio

£53,834

Mean salary

2026 data

School Funding

£6,465

Per pupil

£7269k

Total funding

£126k

Pupil premium

Deprivation£475,581
EAL funding£14,462
Lump sum£137,000

2025-26 financial year allocations

Pupil Absence
2024/25

3.7%

Overall absence

5.0%

Persistent absence

1,087

Enrolments

Authorised3.3%
Unauthorised0.4%
Persistent (10%+)5.0%
Severe (50%+)0.4%

Absence trend

3.5%
18/19
3.0%
20/21
5.7%
21/22
5.1%
22/23
4.5%
23/24
3.7%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

Questions parents ask about Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School

What are GCSE results like at Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School?

In the 2026 results, pupils at Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 69.9. 96% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.

What is Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School's Ofsted rating?

Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School was rated Outstanding at its most recent Ofsted inspection in March 2023.

What is the catchment area for Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School?

No fixed boundary. When Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School is oversubscribed, Medway allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.

Is it hard to get a place at Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School?

Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School was full in 2025, at 109% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.

How big are the classes at Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School?

Classes at Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School average 24.5 pupils (2025/26).

How many pupils go to Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School?

Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School has around 1555 pupils on roll. 11% are eligible for free school meals.

What is attendance like at Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School?

3.7% of sessions were missed at Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School in 2024/25. 5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).

How do I apply to Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School?

Apply through Medway's coordinated admissions process, naming Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School on your application. Applications for Year 7 places starting in September 2027 close on Saturday 31 October 2026, and offers are made on Monday 1 March 2027.

How many road collisions happen near Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School?

Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 17 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 15 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot and 1 on a bicycle. 6 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Medway is 25 (the median across 117 schools, same distance and years).

Where is Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School?

Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School is at Maidstone Road, Rochester, Kent, ME1 3EL.

Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)

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