Transparency data

Rochester Grammar School (Medway) URN: 136313

Updated 14 February 2020

This transparency data was withdrawn on 14 July 2023

The Selective Schools Expansion Fund is closed and there are no plans to run future rounds.

Applies to England

Fair access and partnership plan summary

The above school has made a commitment to deliver the following fair access and partnership plan by 2020 (and in subsequent years) as part of its successful Selective Schools Expansion Fund bid.

Admissions

The school intends to increase its year 7 published admission number (PAN) by 30 places to 205 for September 2020.

The school has set itself a target of doubling the proportion of students from deprived backgrounds gaining places at the school to 16% within 3 years of 2020.

For year 7 admissions, after the admission of looked after and previously looked after children, children eligible for the pupil premium will be allocated places.

The school has switched for 2019 from a system which in 2018 admitted the highest scoring children in the selection test to a system which prioritised those who have met a pass mark and attended named feeders from disadvantaged areas (All Faiths Primary, Gordons Junior, New Horizons Primary and Cedar Primary). These feeders are retained for 2020 and this should assist high ability pupil premium applicants in obtaining a place.

Outreach

Rochester Grammar School (RGS) sixth formers will provide mathematics support in nearby primary schools serving deprived cohorts:

• Delce Academy
• St Margaret’s at Troy Town
• Warren Wood

Teachers from RGS will lead mathematics and English sessions for the more able year 6 children in primary schools with high levels of deprivation. This will have the knock-on effect of improving student performance in the 11+. Support will focus on children attending trust primaries:

• Cedar Primary
• Gordons’ Junior
• New Horizons Primary
• All Faiths Primary

Plus primary schools identified by the local authority, namely Delce Academy, St Margaret’s at Troy Town and Warren Wood.

Online familiarisation information will be provided for any child to access about the 11+ that goes beyond that provided by the local authority.

RGS will lead sport sessions for students from primary schools, which would give access to students from deprived backgrounds to the new facilities and familiarise them with the school and what it has to offer.

RGS will extend access its STEM club to children from additional schools identified by the local authority:

• Delce Academy
• St Margaret’s at Troy Town
• Warren Wood
• the trust primaries

So their year 5 students can engage in life in a grammar school outside of school time. This will provide aspirational opportunities for PP students.

RGS will lead a community choir for children from feeder primaries.

Students from RGS currently lead Maths sessions at Cedars Primary leading to improved results for students in their SATs 2018. The programme seeks to inspire students to have confidence with mathematics to help develop resilience with problem solving and to inspire them to apply to RGS as a potential future school and to develop aspiration to take the Medway test. An increase in student attainment for disadvantaged students will enhance their chances of passing the 11+ test. This will continue and has been expanded to include Gordons’ Junior and Infant schools, New Horizons Primary, and All Faiths Primary.

RGS 6th form students will also support children in all trust Medway schools: Cedars, Gordons’ Junior and Infant schools, New Horizons Primary, and All Faiths Primary with literacy skills to the same end.

RGS holds taster days and evenings. Children from deprived backgrounds are, and will be, prioritised for places.

Currently, there is one taster evening for year 5 in term 6 for 250 places. Students have an opportunity to engage in a range of subjects and activities. Provision will be made for children to attend a further taster evening focusing on children from the trust’s primary schools in Medway:

• Cedar’s Primary
• Gordons’ Junior
• New Horizons Primary
• All Faiths Primary

Students in Medway already sit a single coordinated 11+ assessment and sit it in their own school. This will continue.

The Rochester Grammar School already supports deprived students by providing free uniform, extra-curricular and trip funding as part of its pupil premium spending. This offer will be emphasised in communication with parents.

RGS leads ‘Theatre in Education’ at primary schools and runs workshops on social issues. This aims to raise standards, break down barriers and give students an awareness of a grammar school education to inspire them to consider a grammar school.

Partnership

Staff will provide continuing professional development (CPD) for primary teachers in effective delivery of Maths and in PE. The first priority will be to the above Trust Primaries through Trust Joint Professional Development. RGS is the lead school within the Teaching School Alliance and will develop programmes for Maths and PE delivery for additional schools both within and without the Trust

As Trust lead for Design and Technology, RGS runs workshops for students in primary schools. The Trust Lead for Design and Technology will run workshops for students in Trust primary schools and the aforementioned schools in the locality. This will give students access to Design and Technology facilities and an awareness of a STEM subject.

RGS supports two schools with high numbers of disadvantaged students – Portsmouth and Victory Academies. The support involves designing schemes of work and supporting the stretch and challenge of the most able students in English, History, Geography. This work will extend to include Goodwin Academy. The work will expand to other subjects, in the 3 schools, as the need arises, using specialist leader of education (SLEs) within the New Horizons Teaching School Alliance and Curriculum Leader peer to peer support.

Supporting both Victory Academy and Goodwin Academy (schools with above average numbers of disadvantaged students) in developing a grammar stream for their most able students. Currently more able students at these schools are making the weakest progress across the schools. Students identified for this provision would follow the same curriculum and use the same assessments as students at Rochester Grammar School. Heads of departments and teachers will collaborate on lesson planning and moderation. This provision will be available to all schools in the local area who wish to make a similar offer, with resources, curricula and lesson plans available online.

Students from All Faiths Children’s Academy will continue to come to RGS for a ‘dissect a heart’ session with the Science department.