Academy converter

Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School

Boys · ages 11–18 · with sixth form · selective (grammar)Medway, South East · Rochester ME1 3ELTrust: Leigh Academies TrustSchool website
Pupils on roll
1,555of 1,280 places
Free school meals
11.7%
Year 11 cohort 2025
216
Ofsted
Outstanding, 21 March 2023Read the Ofsted report

Results below include those reported under the school’s previous registration: Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School (URN 118839, until 1 April 2011).

What the data says

Of the 203 pupils who finished Year 11 at Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School in 2023, 86% stayed on in Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School’s own sixth form (Medway average 54%), 9% went to a further education college and none started an apprenticeship.

Among the 205 students who left the sixth form in 2023, 65% went to university (Medway 30%, England 37%), and 44% of level 3 students progressed to one of the most selective universities, against 19% nationally.

GCSE results in 2025 were well above the national picture: Attainment 8 of 69.5 against 46.1 across England and 46.1 in Medway, with 94% of pupils getting grade 5 or above in both English and maths (England 45%) — as a selective grammar school, Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School admits pupils by test at 11, which drives these figures.

Design and Technology is unusually popular at GCSE: 50% of the year group took it, against 11% of pupils across England.

Where pupils went after Year 11

Destinations of the 2023 Year 11 leavers, measured the following year: the share in a sustained place for at least two terms. Compared with all state-funded schools in Medway and England.

This school
Medway
England
School sixth formSixth form collegeFurther education collegeOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
MeasureThis schoolMedwayEngland
Pupils in the cohort2033,382607,348
Any sustained destination97%91%92%
Stayed in education97%86%86%
— school sixth form86%54%34%
— sixth form college0%13%
— further education college9%28%37%
— other education1%3%2%
Apprenticeship0%3%3%
Employment3%3%
No sustained destination2%5%6%
Destination unknown1%4%3%

Where students went after sixth form

Destinations of students who finished 16–18 study in 2023, measured the following year.

This school
Medway
England
University (higher education)Further educationOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
MeasureThis schoolMedwayEngland
Students in the cohort2053,685541,441
Any sustained destination86%76%79%
University (higher education)65%30%37%
— most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students44%11%19%
Further education0%4%5%
Apprenticeship5%9%7%
Employment16%33%28%
No sustained destination8%18%16%

GCSE results 2025

MeasureThis schoolMedwayEngland
Attainment 8 (average points per pupil)69.546.146.1
Grade 5 or above in English and maths94%44%45%
Grade 4 or above in English and maths97%64%65%
Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects99%52%41%
EBacc average point score6.824.164.09
Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort11%25%28%
Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils71.233.934.9
Attainment 8 — other pupils69.350.150.4
Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2)
English as an additional language8%15%19%

Progress 8 is not available for 2025 and 2026: these cohorts had no Key Stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021, so there is no baseline. Attainment 8 shows results without taking pupils’ starting points into account.

Subjects taken at GCSE

Entries in 2025 as a share of the Year 11 cohort, and the share of entries graded 7–9 and 4–9, compared with all entries in England.

SubjectEntriesShare of cohortEnglandGrades 7–9EnglandGrades 4–9
English Language216100%89%50%20%97%
Mathematics216100%88%69%22%99%
English Literature216100%86%56%21%98%
Physics15371%23%68%46%100%
Biology15371%23%63%45%100%
Chemistry15371%23%73%47%100%
Geography14567%41%57%25%99%
Economics11955%1%46%34%92%
Design and Technology10850%11%35%23%99%
Computer Science9343%13%34%30%94%
French9142%18%53%29%95%
History7635%41%51%26%93%
Latin6831%1%54%74%94%
Spanish6530%19%54%27%88%
Combined Science6229%65%27%9%94%
Physical Education6128%11%43%24%100%
Citizenship Studies2813%3%50%19%100%
Religious Studies157%31%47%32%100%
Fine Art136%9%31%28%100%
Music115%5%36%33%100%
Photography84%6%75%19%100%
Drama42%7%27%
Polish31%1%84%
Portuguese10%0%50%
Statistics10%5%20%

A levels and other level 3 courses

MeasureThis schoolMedwayEngland
Students at the end of 16–18 study447
— of whom A level students2171,385261,341
Average A level gradeB+C+B-
Average points per A level entry42.3232.6835.00
Average grade, best 3 A levelsB+C+B-
AAB or better with two facilitating subjects28%13%18%
Average grade, applied general courses
Average grade, T levels

A level subjects

Entries as a share of A level students, compared with the share across England.

SubjectEntriesShare of cohortEngland
Mathematics14768%31%
Psychology8439%23%
Biology7133%20%
Economics6530%13%
Chemistry5224%17%
Physical Education4320%3%
Physics3215%12%
Further Mathematics3114%5%
Politics188%6%
History188%13%
Product Design188%2%
Geography188%10%
English Literature188%11%
Computer Science136%5%
Classical Civilisation105%1%
Fine Art63%3%
Photography3%
Music0%
French1%
Turkish0%

Applied, technical and other level 3 courses

SubjectQualificationEntriesShare of cohortEngland
Study SkillsExtended Project (Diploma)199%
GermanGCE AS level (Not continued to A2)
MathematicsGCE AS level (Not continued to A2)
GermanGCE AS level (All)
MathematicsGCE AS level (All)

Other secondary schools in Medway

Brompton Academy

Academy sponsor led · sixth form · 1,399 pupils

83% stayed in education · Attainment 8 38.1

Chatham Grammar

Academy converter · sixth form · 948 pupils

96% stayed in education · Attainment 8 61.8

Leigh Academy Strood

Academy sponsor led · sixth form · 1,311 pupils

79% stayed in education · Attainment 8 41.2

Sources: Department for Education school and college performance tables 2024/2025 (Key Stage 4 and 16–18 results, subject entries, destination measures for 2023 leavers); Get Information About Schools register as at 19 September 2026; Ofsted management information as at 31 August 2026. Small numbers are suppressed by DfE and shown as “—”. How to read these figures.