Three single-sex grammar schools will now start admitting both boys and girls after the government approved the change.

Chatham Grammar, Fort Pitt Grammar School and Holcombe Grammar School in Medway will become co-educational from September 2026.

The change was first suggested in April 2022 and was intended to come into effect from this September.

However, following consultations with parents the same year, the Department for Education (DfE) intervened in July 2023 and postponed any decision.

Further consultations took place last December and in January this year which pushed back the proposed starting date to September 2025.

The decision on whether girls' schools Fort Pitt Grammar and Chatham Grammar, as well as Holcombe Grammar, a boys’ school, could go co-educational passed to the DfE’s South East Advisory Board.

But on April 18 they decided to refer it to the minister for education to have the final say.

The DfE has now confirmed the plans will go ahead and the schools will become mixed from September 2026.

The council had argued the move would provide more spaces in the Towns’ selective schools for boys, as there were said to be not enough girls to fill the number of spaces allocated to them.

At present, once Medway children have been offered their school places, the additional girls’ grammar school places are offered to pupils who live outside of Medway.

It is hoped the move to go co-ed will mean more children from the Towns will be offered a place at a local selective school.

Additionally, the council believes by creating more grammar places it could help to alleviate pressure for places at non-selective schools.

And it says the change will also mean boys’ and girls’ places will be more evenly spread across Medway, meaning pupils will not have to travel as far.

Former grammar school head teacher and Kent education expert, Peter Read, previously questioned the scheme and disputed a shortage of grammar school places for boys.

Following today’s (November 5) announcement, Mr Read said he didn’t support or oppose the idea, but felt there were bigger issues to be dealt with.

He said: “It makes sense from certain perspectives, Chatham Grammar struggles to attract enough Medway girls to fill itself and Holcombe Grammar has the same with boys.

“Opening them both up means they can take on more Medway children, rather than taking on children from outside Medway to fill those places.

“What has interested me over the last three years is this lack of interest shown by the parents of children who may end up going to one of these schools - I would like to know what they think.”

“But at the moment there are various concerns in education I would have thought are far more important.”

He also agreed with the council’s assessment that creating more selective school places in Medway would lessen the pressure on non-selective places.

But he says the recent Medway Test results showed there was not a shortage of places for boys, as had previously been stated as the reason behind the move.

In a joint statement, the three schools stated: “We are delighted to receive a positive decision from the DfE and know that our schools’ move to a co-educational model will ensure a more equal balance of grammar school places for boys and girls and support the council’s wider efforts to relieve pressure on school places across Medway.

“We would like to thank everyone who took part in the consultation and enabled us to make the best decision for our community and for young people in this area.

“This signifies an important moment for each school and we are confident that this decision will only enhance the education being provided across our schools and prepare our pupils for the modern world.

“We are now working with the local authority, our staff, families, pupils and each other to ensure a smooth transition.”

Cllr Tracy Coombs, Medway Council’s portfolio holder for education, said: “I’m really pleased that these three great schools are now set to become co-educational. It’s a progressive step which will benefit all Medway children.

“I’d also like to thank the DfE for approving the move – it’s is going to help us provide more access to grammar school places, and in doing so will help ensure there are enough places for pupils of all academic abilities at all secondary schools across Medway.”

Medway has six grammar schools, of which the three subject to these proposals will now be joining Rainham Mark as co-educational schools.

Two others will remain single-sex. They are The Rochester Grammar School, for girls, and Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School, for boys.