Holcombe Grammar School

About the School

Holcombe Grammar School is a selective 11-18 boys’ school (with a mixed Sixth Form). The school’s history is believed to date from 1817, but its formal history began in 1913 with the establishment of Chatham Junior Technical School to train young men aged 13 – 16 for careers as artificers in the Royal Navy and in the Royal Dockyard School as engineers. The School evolved to become a centre of academic excellence as Chatham Grammar School for Boys, offering GCSE and A Levels as well as some vocational courses. The school officially became known as Holcombe Grammar School from the 1st Jan 2017.

The school occupies an attractive half-timbered black and white building, formerly a manor house owned by George Winch, a one time Mayor of Chatham, and part of his estate known as Holcombe. Holcombe Grammar School claims links with the Dickens’ family through the site and the pleasant grounds.

Seven modern teaching blocks house the Main Hall and Gym, Library, Science Laboratories, Technology Suite, Modern Language Block, Humanities Block and a Mathematics Suite, as well as other classrooms. The school has a 3G pitch and grass pitches for rugby, soccer, and cricket. These sports, together with hockey, are also played at the school’s off-site facilities.

Holcombe Grammar School currently takes students between the ages of 11 and 18. Many of Holcombe Grammar School's former students are senior academics and managers in industry and commerce. A number have also represented their country at sport including in football, rugby and athletics.