Key Facts
| School type | State grammar school, boys, ages 11 to 18 |
|---|---|
| Location | High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire |
| Entry points | 11+ (Year 7); 16+ (Year 12, sixth form, subject to entry requirements) |
| Assessment | Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test (GL Assessment): two 60-minute papers covering verbal, non-verbal and mathematical skills; qualifying score 121. |
| Test provider | GL Assessment |
| Registration deadline | Next published window: registration for out-of-county or independent-school boys runs May to June 2027 (for September 2028 entry); the common application form naming preferred schools is due to the home local authority by 31 October 2027 |
| Assessment date | Early September 2027 (Secondary Transfer Test papers, for September 2028 Year 7 entry; the practice test runs a few days beforehand) |
Figures correct at the time of writing — always confirm current fees and deadlines with the school directly.
Entry to John Hampden Grammar School at 11+ depends on a boy reaching the qualifying score of 121 in the Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test, then his parents naming the school on the local authority's common application form. Reaching the qualifying score does not by itself guarantee a place; where qualifying applications exceed the 180 places available in Year 7, the school applies its own published oversubscription criteria, based mainly on catchment area, siblings and particular need.
The school is a state grammar for boys aged 11 to 18 in High Wycombe, and it takes no test of its own at 11+: every boy is assessed through the countywide test set by Buckinghamshire Council. Twelve of the 180 places are ring-fenced for looked-after children and boys eligible for pupil premium or service premium who score close to, but below, the qualifying mark.
How 11+ entry works
John Hampden Grammar School admits 180 boys into Year 7 each year, its published admission number for 11+ entry. All Year 7 places are filled through the Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test; the school sets no assessment of its own, so there is no separate entrance exam to prepare for beyond the countywide test. The school also takes boys into the sixth form at 16+, where it has capacity for 190 students; internal boys who meet the entry requirement are prioritised, and 30 places are reserved for boys joining from other schools.
How the Secondary Transfer Test works
The Secondary Transfer Test is produced by GL Assessment and administered by Buckinghamshire Council on behalf of all the county's grammar schools, including John Hampden. Boys sit two papers on the same day in the autumn of Year 6, each about 60 minutes long, covering verbal, non-verbal and mathematical skills. Each of the three skill areas is age-standardised and the scores added together to produce the boy's Secondary Transfer Test Score; a score of 121 or more is needed to qualify automatically for a Buckinghamshire grammar school place.
How to register and apply for a place
Boys attending a Buckinghamshire state primary school are entered for the test automatically, unless a parent withdraws them; they usually sit it at their own primary school or a partner school. Boys at independent schools, out of county, or in Milton Keynes must be registered separately with Buckinghamshire Council, the test administrator, within the published registration window.
After the test, parents must still name the school as a preference on the common application form submitted to their home local authority; a qualifying score alone does not secure a place. Where the school is oversubscribed with qualifying boys, offers are made according to the oversubscription criteria, with any unsuccessful applicants placed on a waiting list or entitled to appeal to an Independent Appeal Panel.
Catchment area and priority areas
The school's catchment area is split into two priority bands, applied in order. Priority Area A covers High Wycombe, part of South Buckinghamshire and some outlying villages, and is considered ahead of Priority Area B, which covers part of South Buckinghamshire and Maidenhead. Parents can check which area, if any, applies to their address using Buckinghamshire Council's catchment checker and the school's published catchment map.
Oversubscription criteria if the school is oversubscribed
Boys who qualify and hold an Education Health and Care Plan naming the school are admitted first, which reduces the places available under the rest of the criteria. Twelve places are also ring-fenced ahead of the main list for looked-after boys and boys eligible for pupil premium or service premium who score 113 to 120 and live in the catchment area. Where qualifying applications for the remaining places exceed the number available, the school then works through the following order.
- Looked-after and previously looked-after boys who qualify
- Within the 12 ring-fenced places, looked-after boys or those eligible for pupil premium or service premium, scoring 113 to 120 in the catchment area
- Other boys eligible for pupil premium or service premium scoring 121 or more in the catchment area
- Brothers of current pupils living in the catchment area
- Boys with a sister on the roll of Wycombe High School who live in the catchment area
- Sons of staff meeting the school's length-of-service or skills-shortage conditions
- Boys living in Priority Area A
- Boys living in Priority Area B
- Boys with significant medical or social needs, supported by evidence
- All other qualifying boys, in distance order
How to prepare for the assessment
Since John Hampden sets no test of its own, preparation means building familiarity with the format of the Secondary Transfer Test itself: verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning and mathematics, each against the clock over roughly 60 minutes per paper. Practising timed papers in that format, alongside ordinary reading and arithmetic practice through Year 6, tends to matter more than researching the individual school. Parents whose son narrowly misses the qualifying score of 121 can apply for a Selection Review if they believe particular circumstances affected his performance on the day.
Waiting lists and appeals
A waiting list is maintained for Year 7 places, with position determined by the oversubscription criteria and independent of when a boy joined the list; it stays open until the end of December in the year of admission. Parents refused a place because the school is full can make representations to an Independent Appeal Panel, which Buckinghamshire Council manages on the school's behalf; an appeal panel does not normally re-examine whether a boy should have qualified in the test, since that is the purpose of the separate Selection Review.
Related guides
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Frequently asked questions
- What is the qualifying score for John Hampden Grammar School?
- Boys need a Secondary Transfer Test Score of 121 or more to qualify automatically for a Buckinghamshire grammar school place, including John Hampden. The score combines age-standardised results in verbal, non-verbal and mathematical skills from the two test papers. Reaching 121 does not guarantee a place if the school is oversubscribed; it makes a boy eligible to be considered under the oversubscription criteria.
- Do we need to register for the Secondary Transfer Test?
- Boys attending a Buckinghamshire state primary school are entered automatically, unless a parent withdraws them. Boys at independent schools, out of county, or in Milton Keynes must register separately with Buckinghamshire Council, the test administrator, within its published registration window, and all families must still name the school on the common application form.
- How many places does John Hampden Grammar School offer in Year 7?
- The published admission number is 180 boys for Year 7 entry. Twelve of these places are ring-fenced for looked-after boys and those eligible for pupil premium or service premium who score 113 to 120 and live in the catchment area, ahead of the main oversubscription criteria applied to the rest.
- What happens if my son doesn't reach the qualifying score?
- Parents who believe particular circumstances affected their son's performance can apply for a Selection Review, carried out by a panel of serving headteachers before places are allocated. A boy deemed qualified by the panel becomes eligible for admission to any Buckinghamshire grammar school, including John Hampden.
- Can we appeal if John Hampden Grammar School refuses a place?
- Yes. Parents can make representations to an Independent Appeal Panel, managed on the school's behalf by Buckinghamshire Council, if their son is refused admission because the school is full. The panel does not normally re-examine whether a boy should have qualified in the test, since that is the purpose of the Selection Review.
- Does the school give priority to siblings?
- Yes, but only after looked-after, previously looked-after and pupil premium or service premium boys in the catchment area. Brothers of boys on the school's roll, and boys with a sister on the roll of Wycombe High School, are prioritised ahead of boys living in Priority Area A or B, provided they live in the catchment area.
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