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Introduction
Rochester Grammar School (RGS) is a selective secondary school for girls with a mixed Sixth Form. It is part of the Thinking Schools Academy Trust (TSAT), a group of schools committed to improving children’s life chances by ensuring they have the tools to be successful.
The academic curriculum at RGS is broad, and pupils are encouraged to be curious learners rather than just passively absorb information. Additionally, pupils are taught to have a growth mindset, believing that hard work and effort will develop their skills. This helps build their resilience and confidence, meaning they are ready to take on the challenges of public exams when the time comes.
Life outside of the classroom is vibrant at RGS. Numerous clubs, including chess, choir and drama, help pupils become well-rounded young adults. The school also offers the Duke of Edinburgh Award at bronze, silver and gold level. Students can have fun while enhancing their teamwork and leadership skills.
Excellent pastoral care is at the heart of RGS. Students have a form tutor who gets to know them well and provides support and guidance. Many other staff members, such as a trained counsellor and a wellbeing practitioner, also offer emotional support.
Please review the admissions process below if you want your daughter to join RGS at the start of Year 8.
Rochester Grammar School: Admissions Process for 12 Plus (12+)/Year 8 Entry
The best place to start is by visiting RGS with your daughter. This will give you a feel for the place and whether it is right for your daughter. Year 7 is the main entry point, so you should contact the school to arrange a visit for Year 8 entry.
Joining in Year 8 is considered a casual admission because it is outside the normal Year 7 admissions round. For casual admissions, you register directly with RGS. Once you have registered your daughter, she will be invited to take the next scheduled test along with any other registered girls. RGS administers its own admissions test for casual admissions. These tests take place in January, February, March and July.
If more girls reach the required standard in the admissions test than there are places available, priority will be given to the following:
- Looked after or previously looked after children
- Children in receipt of pupil premium funding
- Children who have a sibling at RGS
- Children who attended a TSAT primary school
- Children who have a parent employed by RGS
- Children with health reasons that require them to attend RGS
Please note that if your daughter reaches the required academic standard and has an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) naming RGS, she will be offered a place.
Rochester Grammar School: School Details and Year 8 Entrance Papers Information
Address: Maidstone Road, Rochester, ME1 3BY
County: Kent
Admissions info: office@rochestergrammar.org.uk or +44 333 360 2120
School type: Grammar school for girls, with a mixed Sixth Form
Entrance exam date: Various
Entrance exam: English and maths papers
Your daughter will sit a paper English test and a paper maths test for admission to Year 8.
Both papers will last for 60 minutes.
The English paper will assess the standard of your daughter’s spelling, punctuation and grammar.
The maths paper will test the topics your daughter will have covered at her current school. If your daughter sits the entrance exam in July of Year 7, you can expect the maths test to cover the following:
- Algebra
- Place value
- Fractions, decimals and percentages
- Solving problems using addition, subtraction, multiplication and division
- Lines and angles
- Mathematical reasoning
RGS will need your daughter to reach a required standard if she is to be offered a place. They want pupils to be able to access their challenging curriculum and flourish.
If your daughter reaches the required standard but is not offered a place because there are more eligible candidates than places available, she can go on RGS’s waiting list.
You should hear whether your daughter has secured a place within four school weeks of her sitting the entrance exam.
Your daughter should prepare for the entrance papers so she can perform to the best of her ability.
Preparing for the Rochester Grammar School 12 Plus (12+)/Year 8 Entrance Papers
We have some top tips for you to help your daughter prepare for Rochester Grammar School’s 12+ entrance exam:
- Encourage your daughter to read widely
Reading a wide variety of texts will improve your daughter’s spelling, punctuation and grammar. When she reads, she is exposed to correct spelling, punctuation and grammar. She will subconsciously pick up on how to spell tricky words and use punctuation and grammar accurately.
- Go through recent maths topics
Sit down with your daughter and help her revise the maths topics she has covered in class. You will be able to identify any areas she finds challenging and can allocate more time to these. You could seek the help of a tutor.
- Keep study sessions short
Research has shown that children around the age of 11 can focus for about 30 minutes at a time, meaning a ‘little and often’ approach is best.
- Be positive
Praise your daughter for her efforts and achievements, no matter how small. This will help her stay motivated and feel good about herself. If she feels positive, she will perform better on the day.
- Use targeted resources and practice tests
Using targeted resources and practice tests is an ideal way to prepare for the RGS Year 8 entrance exam. Practice tests will get your daughter used to answering questions under time pressure. They will also enable her to learn from her mistakes, ensuring she doesn’t make similar mistakes in the actual exam. When she takes the entrance exam, she will feel confident and ready to give a polished performance.
It can be hard to know which resources and practice tests to use. For this reason, we have developed a range of targeted resources to help candidates prepare for competitive entrance exams. Please look at our recommendations for RGS’s 12+ entrance exam.
Rochester Grammar School: 12 Plus (12+)/Year 8 Entry Practice Materials
To access our 12+ resource recommendations, please click the below links:
English
We highly recommend the following packs to prepare successfully for the Rochester Grammar School 12+ English paper:
12+ English: Rewrite & Improve
12+ English: Vocabulary & Grammar
If you’d like to have your child’s writing assessed and marked, you may be interested in our Writing Marking Service. Please click here to learn more.
Mathematics
We highly recommend the use of the following pack to help develop your child’s arithmetic and problem-solving skills within the examination context of the Rochester Grammar School 12 Plus maths test:
12+ Mathematics: Mental Arithmetic
12+ Mathematics: Problem Solving
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If you have any questions about any of our resources, please contact us.
We wish your daughter all the best in her Year 8 entrance exam and senior school years.
Our practice tests aim to show what sort of questions have been included in Rochester Grammar School 12+ past papers. The information provided about Rochester Grammar School is believed to be correct at the time of publishing. However, please be aware of future changes. We advise you to contact the school directly if you are unsure of anything. School contact details are provided within the article.
Please note that Exam Papers Plus is an independent publisher of practice tests and resources, and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Rochester Grammar School.
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Author(s)
Louise Lang
Director of Learning
