11+ appeals: Kent and Bucks grammar schools

An appeal comes after offers on Monday 1 March 2027. It is heard by an independent panel and is not another test.

What to do now

An appeal is only possible for a school you named, so the work starts with the application.

Name the grammar school on your applicationKent residents by Monday 2 November 2026. Bucks residents by 31 October 2026. Elsewhere, your own council's date. Add schools you would be happy with too.
Bucks only: think about a Selection ReviewAsk by 30 October 2026. If you have one, an appeal later first asks whether the review was fair. How reviews work
Gather evidence while school is openReports, test results and letters are much easier to get in term time.
Monday 1 March 2027: offersAccept the place offered. Then lodge your appeal and join the waiting lists you can.

Dates and process

For children starting secondary school in September 2027.

Grammar school appeals by county
	Kent	Buckinghamshire
Offers	Monday 1 March 2027	1 March 2027
Accept your offer by	Monday 15 March 2027	15 March 2027
Appeal by	Tuesday 13 April 2027	Not yet published: the Council says near the end of March 2027
Hearings	By 16 June 2027 for appeals lodged on time	From May 2027, by video call
Notice	Date at least 14 days ahead; papers at least 7 days ahead	Date at least 10 days ahead, with an evidence deadline; papers about a week ahead
The panel	Usually three independent people, with a clerk who advises on the rules	Trained volunteers, independent of the school
How to appeal	Online through KCC	Online through the Council, except Dr Challoner's Grammar School and Dr Challoner's High School, which run their own

What the panel decides

It depends on whether your child passed.

Passed, but refused because the school is full
A qualified appeal
The school explains why one more child would harm the education of the others. The panel weighs that against your reasons for this school.
Strong reasons are specific: medical, social or educational needs this school meets and others do not. “It is the best school” is unlikely to be enough.
Did not pass
A non-qualified appeal
First, the panel needs evidence that your child is of the required academic standard. Only then does it weigh your reasons against the school's case.
In Kent the panel considers whether there is an exceptional reason to admit your child. Buckinghamshire Council adds that the further below 121, the stronger the evidence needs to be.
Bucks, after a Selection Review
The review comes first
The panel can only ask whether the review was fair, consistent and objective. Disagreeing with its decision is not enough.
Only if the review was not done properly can the panel look at your academic evidence and reasons.

The evidence panels look at

Gather these

School reports, especially in English and maths.
School test results, and SATs results if they arrive in time.
Letters of support from your child's current or previous school.
Why the score was lower than expected, with evidence: a GP or hospital letter, or a letter about a bereavement or move.
Your reasons for this particular school, with any evidence.
A list of certificates or achievements, not the certificates.

Leave these out

Schoolwork and certificates.
Original documents, photographs of documents or highlighted copies.
Videos, slides or password-protected files.
Letters of support from the school you are appealing for.
Bucks Selection Review papers: the Council sends them itself.

In Bucks, panels look for a child in the top third of their year, with particular weight on English and maths.

What usually happens

Buckinghamshire Council publishes its appeal outcomes, so you can plan with the real picture.

Bucks Year 7 grammar appeals in 2025, child had qualified: 7 of 105succeeded (7%)
Bucks Year 7 grammar appeals in 2025, child had not qualified: 4 of 169succeeded (2%)

Most appeals fail because the school is already full.
Kent's appeal pages do not publish success rates.
Plan for the school you are offered as well as the one you appeal for. It is likely to be where your child starts.

Waiting lists and after the decision

Waiting lists

Kent: you join the lists of higher preferences automatically, and can ask for lower ones by Monday 15 March 2027. A grammar school can only list children assessed suitable.
Bucks: qualified children join the lists of higher preferences automatically. Children who have not qualified cannot join.
Join the waiting list for any school you appeal for. Being on a list does not harm an appeal.

After the decision

The decision comes in writing. If the appeal succeeds, the school must offer a place, and you tell the first school you no longer need it.
If it fails, the decision is final. Kent allows another appeal for the same school that year only after a significant change in circumstances.
In Bucks, if the panel finds your child qualified but the school is full, your child goes on that school's waiting list.

More help

Official guidance

11+ appeals: questions parents ask

When can I appeal for a grammar school place?

After offers on Monday 1 March 2027, for any school you named on your application and were not offered. You cannot appeal against the test result itself.

What is the Kent appeal deadline for 2027?

Tuesday 13 April 2027, to be heard before September. KCC says appeals lodged by then will be considered by 16 June 2027. Later appeals need a reason for being late.

What is the Bucks appeal deadline for 2027?

Buckinghamshire Council says it will be near the end of March 2027, with hearings from May 2027. It confirms the exact date on its appeals page.

Can my child appeal for a grammar school without passing the 11+?

Yes. The panel first needs evidence that your child is of the required academic standard. Then, if the school is full, it weighs your reasons against the school's case for refusing.

Should I accept the school we were offered?

Yes. KCC recommends it. Accepting does not affect an appeal or a waiting list place, and it means your child has a school in September.

What if the appeal fails?

The panel's decision is final. In Kent you cannot appeal again for the same school that year unless your circumstances have changed significantly.