St Bernard’s Catholic Grammar School 11 plus matters to families who want a selective school in Slough with a clear Catholic ethos and a strong academic culture.
St Bernard’s Catholic Grammar School 11 plus matters to families who want a selective school in Slough with a clear Catholic ethos and a strong academic culture. The school is on Langley Road, so the commute and the feel of the local area become part of the decision early on.
Most parents feel calmer once the admissions route is broken into two separate layers. The first layer is academic. Your child needs to reach the required standard in the Slough Consortium Secondary Transfer Test. The second layer is how places are offered when there are more children who meet the standard than there are places. St Bernard’s uses oversubscription rules that give priority to Catholic children, with specific categories and tie breaks.
It also helps to get your grammar school application UK timeline onto one page early, because the test registration window and the CAF deadline can arrive faster than expected. A simple starting point is this internal guide: grammar school application UK timeline.
| Key detail | Information |
| Address | St. Bernards Catholic Grammar School, 1 Langley Rd, Slough SL3 7AF, United Kingdom |
| School type | Selective Catholic grammar, mixed intake |
| Year 7 entry size | 150 places |
| Entry route | Slough Consortium Secondary Transfer Test, then oversubscription rules |
| Who can apply | Children who sit the test and meet the required standard, then ranked within categories |
| Admissions priority | Catholic priority within oversubscription criteria, then score and distance tie breaks |
| Local authority | Slough |
| Contact | +441753527020, secretary@st-bernards.slough.sch.uk |
| Ofsted | Outstanding (most recent inspection) |
| Location |
Registration for 2027 entry is completed online through the Slough Consortium portal. The published registration window runs from 1 May 2026 to 5 June 2026, with the test date set for 19 September 2026.
Keep one organised folder for registration confirmation, child details, and any access arrangements evidence.
Although St Bernard’s shares the Slough Consortium test, each school sets its own required standard. Meeting the standard for one grammar school does not automatically mean meeting the standard for another.
This is why outcomes can differ even when families apply to multiple Slough grammar schools.
The test follows a GL Assessment style, age standardised 11 plus format used across the Slough grammar schools. It is typically taken at one of the consortium schools on the published test date.
St Bernard’s uses two supplementary information forms as part of the admissions process. These are used to apply the faith based oversubscription criteria and are essential even when a child meets the academic standard.
For Catholic categories, supporting evidence and correct completion of forms are often where last minute stress occurs, so early organisation helps.
Even with a strong score and completed supplementary paperwork, a place is only possible if St Bernard’s is named on your local authority Common Application Form by the deadline.
Offers are issued on national offer day. Waiting lists may move after March, particularly if families accept independent school places or relocate. Appeals are possible and work best when evidence is clear and paperwork organised.
| Event | Date |
| Registration opens | 1 May 2026 |
| Registration deadline | 5 June 2026 |
| Secondary Transfer Test date | 19 September 2026 |
| CAF deadline | 31 October 2026 |
| National offer day | 1 March 2027 |
| Supplementary form deadline | Not published |
| Access arrangements deadline | Not published |
St Bernard’s does not operate a guaranteed catchment system. Places are allocated through oversubscription categories, followed by tie breaks where necessary.
Families outside higher priority faith categories should be prepared for potentially higher score thresholds, as fewer places may remain after earlier categories are allocated.
Selection is test led. The admissions arrangements focus on the entrance test and oversubscription criteria rather than an interview stage for standard Year 7 entry.
Confidence still matters on the day, as time pressure can lead to small but costly mistakes.
A steady structure keeps Year 5 manageable: Year 5 revision plan.
As a clear starting point, you can book a free 11 plus diagnostic session with Find Your Tutor FYT focused on St Bernard’s Catholic Grammar School. It benchmarks your child’s current level and provides a personalised preparation roadmap for the months ahead.
Join Hundreds of Families Who Secured St Bernard’s Catholic Grammar School Places with Find Your Tutor.
The published test date is 19 September 2026, with registration open from 1 May 2026 to 5 June 2026.
Children sit the Slough Consortium Secondary Transfer Test, then places are offered using St Bernard’s oversubscription criteria among those who meet the required standard.
No. Applications can be made by any child who sits the test, but Catholic categories can be given priority within the oversubscription criteria once the required standard is met.
Yes. Many families apply from nearby areas. What matters is meeting the required standard and then how the oversubscription criteria and tie breaks apply.
Yes, St Bernard’s uses supplementary information forms as part of applying its admissions criteria, especially for faith priority categories.
This can happen when more children meet the standard than there are places, because offers must follow the oversubscription criteria. Waiting lists and appeals are the next steps.
The published admission number is 150.
Not necessarily. Each school can set its own required standard even within a shared testing system.
The arrangements explain that ranking by test performance is used within categories, and distance is used as a tie break where needed.
The admissions arrangements refer to specific Catholic primary schools that can be used for priority in certain categories. The exact named list sits within the published arrangements.
The arrangements include a sibling category, but the exact definition matters. It is worth checking the wording in the admissions criteria so there are no assumptions.
The oversubscription rules include a category for children of staff, with conditions around length of service or hard to recruit posts.
Evidence and requests must be made by the published deadline during registration. Start early so paperwork does not become a summer scramble.
The test is only one part. A place is only possible if St Bernard’s is named on the CAF by the CAF deadline.
Offers are released through the coordinated local authority system on 1 March. Accepting an offered school does not stop you joining waiting lists where relevant.
