High Wycombe is home to three grammar schools, and for many local families the 11 plus is a key milestone in their child’s education. Buckinghamshire’s Secondary Transfer Test decides which children qualify for a grammar school place, so understanding how it works, and when things happen, helps you plan calmly. This guide explains the test, the key dates and how to support your child.
What Is the Secondary Transfer Test?
The Secondary Transfer Test, commonly called the Bucks 11 plus, is the entrance test for Buckinghamshire’s 13 grammar schools. Children sit it in September of Year 6. The results, together with each school’s admissions criteria, decide who is offered a place the following September.
What Does the Test Cover?
The test is set by GL Assessment and consists of two multiple-choice papers of about an hour each, taken on the same day.
Paper 1: verbal skills
- English comprehension
- Technical English, such as grammar, punctuation and spelling
- Verbal reasoning
Paper 2: mathematical and non-verbal skills
- Key Stage 2 mathematics
- Non-verbal reasoning, using shapes and patterns
- Spatial reasoning
How Scores Work
Scores are age-standardised so younger children are not disadvantaged. A standardised score of 121 or more means a child qualifies for a Buckinghamshire grammar school. Qualifying does not guarantee a place at a particular school, because each school applies its own oversubscription criteria, such as catchment areas. Children who narrowly miss out can be considered through the selection review process.
Key Dates for High Wycombe Families
Dates change every year, so always check Buckinghamshire Council’s website. For entry in September 2027, the timetable is:
- Registration: 1 May to 2 June 2026 (summer term of Year 5)
- Practice test: 8 September 2026
- Secondary Transfer Test: 10 September 2026
- Results: 9 October 2026
- Secondary school application deadline: 31 October 2026
Registering children at independent schools
Children at state-funded Buckinghamshire primary schools are entered automatically. If your child attends an independent prep school, you must register them yourself during the registration window. Put a reminder in your diary early in Year 5.
High Wycombe Grammar Schools
High Wycombe has three grammar schools:
- John Hampden Grammar School (boys)
- Royal Grammar School (boys)
- Wycombe High School (girls)
Many families also look at grammar schools in Marlow, Beaconsfield and Amersham. Our guide to grammar schools in High Wycombe covers the options in more detail.
How to Support Your Child
Build strong foundations early
Reading widely, talking about books and feeling confident with numbers give children a head start on both papers. This starts long before Year 5, with everyday activities such as the ideas in our early maths at home guide.
Get familiar with the question types
Verbal and non-verbal reasoning may be new to children, so short, regular practice helps them feel comfortable with the formats.
Protect wellbeing
Keep the test in proportion. Children do best when they feel calm and supported, not pressured. Read our guide to preparing for the 11 plus without the pressure.
Look after the basics on test day
A good night’s sleep, a proper breakfast and arriving in plenty of time make a real difference. Pack a water bottle and any equipment the test centre asks for, and keep conversation on the way light and encouraging.
Plan for every outcome
Visit a range of secondary schools and include both grammar and non-grammar options on your application. High Wycombe has good non-selective and independent senior schools too, so it is worth seeing them before you decide.
The 11 Plus at Crown House
At Crown House Preparatory School in High Wycombe, around 80% of our pupils go on to local grammar schools. We recognise the importance of the Secondary Transfer Test, but we focus on making sure children feel well prepared, supported and confident, rather than allowing a single assessment to define their experience.
Our curriculum stays broad and academically ambitious throughout, and teachers know every pupil well enough to tailor their preparation. We also support families with senior school applications, assessments and interviews, so that every child leaves us ready for the next stage.
Frequently Asked Questions
A standardised score of 121 or above qualifies a child for a Buckinghamshire grammar school.
Three: John Hampden Grammar School, the Royal Grammar School and Wycombe High School.
Only if they attend an independent school or a school outside Buckinghamshire. Children at state-funded Buckinghamshire primaries are entered automatically.
Results are released in October of Year 6, before the 31 October secondary school application deadline.
