Grammar-school admission criteria: how to check eligibility and priority

Grammar-school admission criteria explain who can be considered for a place and how places are allocated. The entrance-test result is only part of that picture. Depending on the school, academic qualification may be followed by priority categories, catchment rules, distance or score ranking. There is no universal pass mark or national allocation order that works for every grammar school.

Find the correct policy before comparing schools

Open the school’s own Year 7 admissions page and download its determined policy for the relevant entry year. “Determined” means the published arrangements, rather than a proposed consultation version. Check for later official amendments and any separate test or supplementary-form instructions. A prospectus, old search snippet or another family’s experience may describe a different cycle.

This guide focuses on state grammar schools in England. Some independent schools include “grammar” in their name but operate a different admissions process. Use our school directory as a starting point, then verify the current rules on the school’s own website.

Academic eligibility is different from an offer

One school may set a qualifying standard and then apply other priorities. Another may mainly allocate in score order. A multi-stage test may use the first stage only to decide who reaches the next assessment. Identify which model applies before interpreting a result.

For example, imagine a fictional school has more academically qualified applicants than places and gives priority to a defined local category. An applicant can qualify without receiving an offer in the first allocation. This illustrates a distinction; it is not a prediction for any named school.

Check our guide to the score needed for grammar school alongside the policy. A commercial practice-paper percentage cannot be treated as an official standardised score or a guaranteed admission threshold.

What to extract from each admissions policy

Make a separate row for each school in your own comparison sheet. Copy the relevant policy heading and page number next to any note. This makes it easier to ask an accurate question if wording seems ambiguous or two sources conflict.

Priority groups: read the actual order

GOV.UK’s parent guidance describes several possible criteria, including siblings, proximity and premium eligibility. Their presence and order depend on the school. An older sibling or a nearby address does not automatically take precedence over a higher test score.

The School Admissions Code, paragraphs 1.18–1.20, distinguishes grammar schools allocating wholly by highest scores from other selective arrangements when setting looked-after and previously looked-after children’s priority. Do not substitute a blanket national hierarchy for the published policy.

Read the definition as well as the category name. “Sibling”, “home address” and “pupil premium” may have conditions and evidence cut-offs. Our pupil-premium admissions guide explains why funding eligibility and a particular admissions priority need separate checks.

Keep the forms and deadlines separate

1. 1Register for the correct test with the named organiser. Do not assume the council’s school-preference form registers the exam.
2. 2Apply for access arrangements through the specified route if required; the evidence deadline can be separate.
3. 3Submit any supplementary information or priority evidence to the required recipient.
4. 4Complete the school-preference application through your home local authority by its published deadline.
5. 5Save acknowledgements and check that each form refers to the correct child, school and entry year.

Use the admissions timeline to organise these steps, but verify exact dates locally. Different schools can share a test without sharing every admissions rule or accepting one common evidence submission.

SEN, EHCPs and interviews

Test adjustments and school-place priority are different. If your child has an EHCP, discuss the placement and any testing requirements with the local authority’s SEND team. Follow its instructions rather than assuming the ordinary form is the only route. Our SEN admissions guide explains the distinctions.

Do not assume a state grammar will interview your child as part of ordinary Year 7 academic selection. The Admissions Code restricts admissions interviews; there is a separate exception for assessing boarding suitability. Independent-school interviews should not be imported into a state-school checklist.

What to do when a rule is unclear

Ask the admissions team a specific question, quoting the policy year and paragraph. For example: “Does this priority apply only inside the named catchment, and what evidence date is used?” Request a written response. If a future policy is not yet published, mark the item unconfirmed and revisit it; do not fill the gap with last year’s score or deadline.

Keep suitable alternatives in your plans. Previous allocation data can provide context, but changing applicants, addresses and scores mean it cannot guarantee next year’s result. Assess the school’s curriculum, support and journey as well as the admissions route.

Sources checked

• GOV.UK: admission criteria
• Department for Education: School Admissions Code
• Buckinghamshire Council: admission rules

Reviewed on 8 October 2026. No unconfirmed 2027 test date or future qualifying score is presented as settled.