Bucks 11+ score: qualified at 121, but is there a place?
Bucks 11+ score
Type the score
What a Bucks 11+ score means
If your child's STTS is 121 or above, they qualify for grammar school. The Council expects that about 37% of children will get an STTS of 121 or more.
Qualifying is the Council's line. The offer is the school's decision. A score above 121 does not mean your child has a higher priority for a grammar school place as Buckinghamshire grammar schools do not use score as an admission rule.
So “121 but no grammar place” happens when a school has more qualified applicants than places. Its admission rules then rank them, and the last places go by catchment or distance. The table below shows how far each school's offers went in the last two years.
How far each school's offers went
| School | 2026 entry | 2025 entry | Pupil Premium places from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aylesbury Grammar School Aylesbury, boys | Beyond the catchment, to 9.8 mi | Beyond the catchment, to 11.1 mi | 115, catchment Policy |
| Aylesbury High School Aylesbury, girls | Beyond the catchment, to 12.7 mi | Beyond the catchment, to 13.5 mi | 115, catchment Policy |
| Beaconsfield High School Beaconsfield, girls | Beyond the catchment, to 5.1 mi | Catchment only, to 8 mi | 115, catchment Policy |
| Burnham Grammar School Burnham, mixed | Beyond the catchment, to 2.7 mi | Beyond the catchment, to 3.4 mi | 115, catchment Policy |
| Chesham Grammar School Chesham, mixed | Beyond the catchment, to 3.7 mi | Beyond the catchment, to 3.5 mi | 110, catchment Policy |
| Dr Challoner's Grammar School Amersham, boys | Beyond the catchment, to 10 mi | Catchment only, to 5.3 mi | 110, catchment Policy |
| Dr Challoner's High School Little Chalfont, girls | Catchment, then siblings to 3.4 mi | Beyond the catchment, to 4.8 mi | 110, catchment Policy |
| John Hampden Grammar School High Wycombe, boys | Priority Area B only, to 11.5 mi | Beyond the catchment, to 15.9 mi | 113, catchment Policy |
| Royal Grammar School High Wycombe, boys | Beyond the catchment, to 13.5 mi | Beyond the catchment, to 3.8 mi | 115, catchment Policy |
| The Royal Latin School Buckingham, mixed | Beyond the catchment, to 7 mi | Catchment, then siblings to 7.5 mi | 115, catchment Policy |
| Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School Aylesbury, mixed | Beyond the catchment, to 13.8 mi | All qualified applicants offered (farthest 14.163 mi) | 110 Policy |
| Sir William Borlase's Grammar School Marlow, mixed | Catchment only, to 3.1 mi | Beyond the catchment, to 3.3 mi | 110, catchment Policy |
| Wycombe High School High Wycombe, girls | Priority Area B only, to 8.1 mi | Beyond the catchment, to 12.3 mi | 113, catchment Policy |
Questions parents ask
What does a Bucks 11+ score of 121 mean?
121 is the qualifying score for the Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test. A child with a score (STTS) of 121 or more qualifies for any Buckinghamshire grammar school. The Council expects about 37% of children to reach it.
My child scored 121 or more. Why might there be no grammar place?
Qualifying is not an offer. When a school has more qualified applicants than places, its admission rules decide who is offered: usually looked-after children, Pupil Premium, siblings, catchment and then distance. The Council publishes how far each school's offers went every March.
Does a higher score give a better chance?
No. The Council says a score above 121 gives no higher priority, because Bucks grammar schools do not use score as an admission rule. A child on 121 and a child on 140 are treated the same.
How is the Bucks score worked out?
The test is age-standardised and weighted: 50% verbal skills, 25% mathematical skills and 25% non-verbal skills.
My child scored under 121. What can we do?
You can ask for a Selection Review by 30 October 2026. A panel of headteachers looks at school evidence and anything that affected the test day. Most successful reviews have been for scores of 110 to 120. You can also skip the review, wait for National Offer Day and then ask for an Independent Admission Appeal for a grammar school you listed. Every Bucks grammar school also keeps a few places for Pupil Premium children who scored a little under 121, usually only if they live in the catchment.
Can we get a Bucks grammar place if we live outside Buckinghamshire?
Children from anywhere can qualify, but offers follow each school's rules, and most give priority to their catchment. Most Bucks grammar schools require families to have moved into Buckinghamshire by 1 September 2026 for a new address to count for 2027 entry. A few have earlier dates: both Dr Challoner's schools use 1 April 2026 for some rules. At Dr Challoner's Grammar School that date covers only its catchment rules, so a move by 1 September 2026 still counts for distance places. You apply through your own home council.
When are Bucks grammar school places offered?
On National Offer Day, 1 March 2027. You must respond by 11:59pm on 15 March 2027. If you are not offered a higher preference, your child goes on its waiting list automatically, as long as they are eligible: a child who scored under 121 is not, unless a Selection Review succeeds or an appeal panel finds them qualified (for that school's list only). You can also appeal.
How we work this out
What it does
121 or more qualifies. Enter the score, the school and where you live to see whether last year's offers reached you.