Wycombe High School 11 plus 2027 entry guide for parents

Wycombe High School 11 plus admissions can feel simple on paper and strangely stressful in real life.

Wycombe High School 11 plus admissions can feel simple on paper and strangely stressful in real life. The process is run through the Buckinghamshire Council Secondary Transfer Test, then places are offered using the school’s published oversubscription rules. That means two things matter most: your child’s test outcome, and your home address category for allocation.

This guide is written so you can make decisions without jumping between ten tabs. It covers what the test is measuring, how offers are prioritised, what catchment actually changes, and what to do if your child is close to the qualifying score. It also includes a clear, parent friendly preparation plan for Year 4, Year 5, and Year 6 that fits the Buckinghamshire test style, plus the key dates published for the 2027 entry cycle.

For a wider Buckinghamshire planning view, keep a single home base page and return to it when you feel lost: the Buckinghamshire 11 plus planning hub.

Overview

Key detailInformation
SchoolWycombe High School
TownHigh Wycombe
AddressMarlow Road, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, HP11 1TB
Age range11 to 18
Local authority admissionsBuckinghamshire
Year 7 published admission number192
Entry routeBuckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test

A quick factual cross check for governance and identifiers is the DfE Get Information About Schools listing.

Admissions process

Who needs to register for the Secondary Transfer Test

Children at Buckinghamshire state primary schools are usually entered automatically for testing unless a parent withdraws them. Children at independent schools, out of county schools, or those educated otherwise normally need parent registration through the Buckinghamshire test system.

What the test is assessing

Your child sits two tests, each around an hour, designed to assess verbal, non verbal, and mathematical skills.

Practical parent takeaway: preparation should blend vocabulary and comprehension habits with number fluency and reasoning, rather than treating this as only a maths test or only an English test.

Results and qualification

Wycombe High School’s published qualifying score is a standardised score of 121 in the Buckinghamshire test.

There is also a specific pupil premium route described in the admissions policy, explained in the offers section below.

Applying after results

After test results, you apply through your home local authority on the Common Application Form. A high score does not automatically mean an offer, because offers depend on the oversubscription priorities and distance rules once the school is oversubscribed.

If your child is not qualified or is borderline

Buckinghamshire families often consider the Selection Review route and then an appeal, depending on the situation. It is important to act quickly and keep evidence organised, especially if there were serious extenuating circumstances or strong academic evidence from the school.

For the national framework governing admission appeals, see the School admission appeals code.

Key dates for 2027 entry

The published Buckinghamshire testing timeline is available on Buckinghamshire grammar school key dates.

DateWhat it means
1 May 2026Test registration opens
2 June 2026Test registration closes
8 September 2026Practice test day (Buckinghamshire state primary pupils)
10 September 2026Secondary Transfer Test
9 October 2026Results released
31 October 2026Common Application Form deadline
1 March 2027National secondary offer day

Catchment, distance, and offers

What catchment means

Wycombe High School defines two catchment areas, Area A and Area B. Living in catchment usually prioritises applicants ahead of equally qualified applicants living outside catchment, depending on the category applied.

Oversubscription order

  • Looked after and previously looked after children
  • Children with exceptional medical or social needs where the school is the only suitable school
  • Girls eligible for pupil premium who qualify and live in catchment
  • Up to 12 ringfenced places for qualified disadvantaged girls in catchment scoring 113 to 120
  • Qualified girls in catchment
  • Qualified girls out of catchment

How ringfenced pupil premium places work

Up to 12 places are set aside for disadvantaged girls living in catchment who score between 113 and 120. If fewer than 12 qualify through this route, remaining places roll back into the main catchment allocation.

Distance measurement

If applicants are tied within a category, distance is measured in a straight line from the home address to the school using the local authority’s measurement system. If distance cannot separate applicants, random allocation may be used.

Siblings and family links

The policy prioritises sisters of girls currently at Wycombe High School and sisters of boys attending John Hampden Grammar School, provided the family lives within Wycombe High School catchment.

Assessment and interview

For Year 7 entry, selection is based on the Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test and the published admissions rules. There is no Year 7 interview stage.

Practical takeaway: preparation should focus on calm skill building and timed practice rather than interview coaching.

Preparing for the Wycombe High School 11 plus

Year 4

  • Build reading stamina and vocabulary steadily each week
  • Strengthen number sense through place value, fractions, and accurate arithmetic
  • Use puzzles and patterns to normalise non verbal reasoning
  • Keep confidence high and avoid heavy timing drills

Year 5

  • Move to a structured weekly routine combining maths and verbal reasoning
  • Introduce light timing once methods are secure
  • Keep a short error log to track repeated misconceptions
  • Follow a clear plan such as a Year 5 Buckinghamshire 11 plus plan

Year 6

  • Shift into phased test readiness with mixed papers and mocks
  • Train stamina and calm decision making
  • Review errors carefully after each mock
  • Prepare for sleep, breakfast, travel, and nerves management

If you would like support with preparation, Find Your Tutor (FYT) offers a free 11+ diagnostic session for children applying to Wycombe High School. This benchmarks your child’s current level and provides a personalised roadmap for improvement.

Is Your Child Ready For Wycombe High School

Join Hundreds of Families Who Secured Wycombe High School  Places with Find Your Tutor.

Results at a glance

Wycombe High School has published 2025 headline outcomes including 43% of A level grades at A* or A. At GCSE, results included 23% at grade 9, 46% at grade 8 or above, and 67% at grade 7 or above.

For the official Department for Education performance measures view, use the Wycombe High School performance page .

Two grounding questions can help when weighing options:

  1. Is your priority the highest possible grades, or the best overall fit for your child’s confidence and day-to-day wellbeing?
  2. Do you want a school that is closest, or one that might involve travel but feels like the right environment?

Other grammar schools to consider near High Wycombe

Woodford County High School
Woodford County High School

Contents

    Wycombe High School

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Do you have to live in catchment to apply to Wycombe High School

    No. You can apply from outside catchment, but catchment categories are prioritised ahead of out of catchment categories when places are allocated.

    The policy states a standardised score of 121 is the qualifying score.

    The policy describes a route for up to 12 disadvantaged girls in catchment who score between 113 and 120, subject to the conditions in the policy.
    Outside that route, a score below 121 normally means not qualified for grammar allocation, and families may consider Selection Review and appeal depending on circumstances.

    Up to 12 places can be offered to eligible disadvantaged girls who live in catchment and score 113 to 120, using the policy’s definition and qualifying date.

    The policy states unfilled ringfenced places are allocated to qualified girls in catchment.

    Distance is used as the tie break within a category, measured in a straight line by the local authority system.
    If distance cannot separate applicants, the policy states random allocation may be used.

    The admissions policy describes the Secondary Transfer Test route and oversubscription allocation, and does not publish a Year 7 interview stage.

     

    Yes, but you normally need to complete the parent registration for the Secondary Transfer Test rather than relying on automatic school entry.

    Yes. You sit the Buckinghamshire test, then apply through your home local authority on the Common Application Form, naming the Buckinghamshire grammar school choices appropriately.

    The policy includes a category for exceptional needs where the school is the only suitable school. Evidence is usually required, and it must relate specifically to why this school is necessary.

    How does the sibling rule work here

    The policy includes sisters of current Wycombe High School pupils, and also sisters of boys at John Hampden Grammar School, provided the family lives in the Wycombe High School catchment areas.

    Allocation uses the address rules in the local authority application process and the school policy. In practice, you should update your local authority immediately and be prepared to provide proof of address.

    Waiting list arrangements apply after offers are issued, and it is common for movement to happen as families accept other places. The school and local authority process governs how the list is ranked.

    Selection Review is a Buckinghamshire process typically used when a child does not reach the qualifying score and the family believes there are strong academic indicators or exceptional circumstances. Evidence and timing matter.

    Yes. Admission appeals are part of the national system, and your argument usually needs to be structured around why the school place is required and what evidence supports your case.

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