For parents and guardians: Please verify all school data — cut-off scores, applicant numbers and competition ratios — against official sources (school websites, local authority admissions data) before making any decisions. The figures on this page are researched but not guaranteed and change each admissions cycle.
Complete 2025/26 11+ Guide to Grammar Schools in Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is home to 5 fully selective grammar schools and 0 partially selective schools, served by the The Buckinghamshire Grammar Schools (TBGS) — thebucksgrammarschools.org. This guide covers every school — admissions criteria, competition data, cut-off scores, GCSE results, and specific prep advice — so you can make an informed decision.
How the Buckinghamshire 11+ works
Two papers, each approximately 60 minutes (including introduction and practice examples). Paper 1: English Comprehension and Verbal Reasoning. Paper 2: Mathematics and Non-Verbal/Spatial Reasoning. All questions are multiple-choice. Scores are weighted: Verbal 50%, Non-Verbal 25%, Maths 25%. Results are age-standardised. Qualifying score: 121 (Secondary Transfer Test Score, STTS). Children scoring below 121 may apply for a Selection Review Panel.
Buckinghamshire is a fully selective county with 13 grammar schools. All children attending state-funded Buckinghamshire primary schools are automatically registered for the Secondary Transfer Test (opt-out system). Children attending schools outside Buckinghamshire, or independent schools, must register separately via the Buckinghamshire Council website. The test is administered by The Buckinghamshire Grammar Schools (TBGS) consortium on behalf of all 13 grammar schools. Passing the test (score ≥ 121) grants "selective status" — parents then apply to individual schools via the Local Authority Common Application Form (CAF) by 31 October. Schools use their own oversubscription criteria (catchment area, siblings, distance) to allocate places when oversubscribed. Buckinghamshire does NOT publish a school-level cut-off score; all reported score thresholds are parent-reported estimates only.
Key dates
Compare with all 25 areas →Who can apply?
Children must sit the Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test (STT) and achieve a standardised score of 121 or above (or be deemed qualified by a Selection Review Panel) to be eligible for any Buckinghamshire grammar school.
Children attending state-funded Buckinghamshire primary schools are automatically entered for the STT — no separate registration required.
Children at independent schools in Buckinghamshire, or at primary schools outside Buckinghamshire, must register separately via Buckinghamshire Council's online portal.
Registration for out-of-county and independent school pupils typically opens in May and closes in June each year — missing this deadline means your child cannot sit the test.
After receiving results, parents must name preferred grammar school(s) on the Local Authority Common Application Form (CAF) by 31 October.
Each grammar school has its own oversubscription criteria applied when more qualified applicants exist than places — typically: (1) Looked After Children, (2) Pupil Premium within catchment, (3) Siblings within catchment, (4) Catchment area residents by distance, (5) Out-of-catchment by distance.
Schools featured on this page are among the most oversubscribed of the 13 Bucks grammars. Simply passing the STT does not guarantee a place at these schools.
Buckinghamshire Grammar School Catchment Checker
Each of the five featured schools has its own defined catchment area. Living within a school's catchment is effectively essential for a realistic chance at the most oversubscribed schools. Use the postcode lookup below to get a general indication of which catchment areas you may fall within — then verify using the official school admissions policies and Buckinghamshire Council's "Find My School Place" tool.
Admissions process
Children at Buckinghamshire state primary schools are registered automatically. All others must register via Buckinghamshire Council's website during the May–June window (check council website for exact dates each year).
Bucks primary pupils sit the Practice Test and STT at their school in September of Year 6. Out-of-county and independent school pupils are allocated a grammar school or central test venue. Both papers are completed on the same day with a short break. All questions are multiple-choice.
Results (pass/fail and score) are issued by Buckinghamshire Council in October, usually mid-month. Children scoring 121+ are deemed "qualified." Children who narrowly miss the mark may apply for a Selection Review Panel before allocations are made.
Parents submit the CAF to their home Local Authority by 31 October, listing up to six preferred schools in order. For most schools with catchment-based criteria, a Supplementary Information Form (SIF) must also be returned directly to the school by late November to be considered under catchment rules.
School place offers are made on 2 March (National Offer Day). Oversubscribed schools apply their published criteria — typically: Looked After Children, then Pupil Premium within catchment, then siblings within catchment, then catchment residents ranked by straight-line distance, then out-of-catchment by distance.
School Directory
Disclaimer: Data from official school websites (challoners.com, rgshw.com, whs.bucks.sch.uk, challonershigh.com, beaconsfieldhigh.school), Buckinghamshire Council admissions pages (buckinghamshire.gov.uk), The Buckinghamshire Grammar Schools consortium (thebucksgrammarschools.org), DfE Compare School Performance tables, and Ofsted reports. Performance data (Progress 8, Attainment 8) from DfE 2023 published tables and school-published results. Ofsted inspection dates from reports.ofsted.gov.uk and school websites. Cut-off scores: Buckinghamshire does NOT publish school-level cut-offs — all score estimates are parent-reported only. Verify all dates and policies at individual school websites and buckinghamshire.gov.uk before acting. Last reviewed April 2026. Always verify figures on the school or local authority website before making decisions — data changes each admissions cycle. Last updated: 2026-04-19. We aim to refresh this guide every year after new DfE data is published (typically June/July).
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