Transition

Throughout the year we will update this page after Transition Meetings, and with any information that will be helpful.

Please remember that as a maintained local authority school, Buckinghamshire Council are our admissions authority. Please visit this website for more information:

https://www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/schools-and-learning/schools-index/school-admissions/

Thinking towards Year 7... Would my child be suitable for a grammar school?

Here is some information about the things to consider when choosing a school for your child. Deciding on the type of school for your child's secondary education is an important decision, and not all schools will suit all children. If you are considering a grammar school for your child in the future this leaflet gives you some things to think about as your child moves through primary school.

Thinking about grammar schools

Children now in Year 5 moving to Secondary School in September 2027

We have held 4 meetings over the last few weeks sharing information about:

how to apply for a secondary school place
how the Secondary Transfer Test (11+) process works, including familiarisation, testing and results

Please find the slides from this meeting available here:

parents presentation year 5 2026.pdf

Important

Your child's unique code

If you have not recieved a paper letter in a brown envelope from school with your child's unique code, please contact the office urgently.

You will need this letter to ensure your child takes the test and that you recieve your child's test results via email on results day.
You will also need this letter if you wish to withdraw your child from the test so that they do not take the test in September.

Here is the Moving Up to Secondary School leaflet:

year 5 leaflet final 1 .pdf

Frequently Asked Questions about Moving Up to Secondary School

Applying for a Secondary School/Grammar School place

Q. Once you have accepted a place, how long do you stay on the waiting list for your higher preference listed schools?

A. This depends on whether the school is a grammar or upper school: for upper schools, a child can stay on the waiting list for as long the family wants them to. For grammar schools, a child’s qualification will lapse at some stage – though this depends on the grammar school (some consider a child qualified up to the end of Year 9 if they qualified at 11+, other schools will not)

Q. I would like my child to go to a private school - do I include this in my preference list?

A. Please don’t include independent schools in your child’s application, as we cannot process these. Families should only include state schools in their child’s secondary school application.

Q. I might be moving house between now and when my child goes to secondary school.

What happens if I move between now and September 2026?
The family’s new address will be used in the child’s secondary school application (unless they’re applying for Dr Challoner’s High or Dr Challoner’s Grammar). Families should make sure their current school is made aware of any changes of address, so that we (Admissions Team) can check this with the school directly in case of any discrepancies.
What happens if I move in between 7th September and 31st October?
For grammar schools, the family’s previous address will likely be used in the child’s application - the address could then be updated in time for the second allocation round. For upper schools, the new address can be used.
What happens if I move after 31st October?
Any changes of address after 31 October will not be taken into account until the second allocation round (at the earliest).

There are two main deadlines families need to be aware of in terms of moving house:

For grammar schools (apart from Dr Challoner’s High and Grammar schools whose deadline was 1 April 2026), the deadline to move to a new address is 1 September 2026.

For upper schools, the deadline is 31 October (i.e. the application deadline). Families should make sure their current school is made aware of any changes of address, so that we (Admissions Team) can check this with the school directly in case of any discrepancies

Generally-speaking, if a family submits their child’s secondary school application using the address we already hold on file (this should be the address on the Primary School records) the only evidence they will need to submit is either their Council Tax number, or an energy bill (gas or electricity) showing usage.

If a family applies using a different address, we may request additional address evidence, details of which can be found on our website here: https://www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/schools-and-learning/schools-index/school-admissions/school-admissions-guides-policies-and-statistics/guide-to-moving-up-to-secondary-school/moving-home/ For us to agree a new address, families must be able to evidence that they have also disposed of their previous address, and this disposal must have happened by the same deadlines set out above.

Where a family’s change of address happens after the deadlines set out above, the family’s previous address will be used in the child’s application to determine residency in catchment and to measure the distance between home and school. The previous address will be used for allocations on National Offer Day (1 March) and in the re-allocation round (beginning of April). Their new address may then be used from the second allocation round: https://www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/schools-and-learning/schools-index/school-admissions/school-admissions-guides-policies-and-statistics/guide-to-moving-up-to-secondary-school/later-allocation-rounds/

Q. Once school places have been offered, what happens if you neither accept or decline an offer within the 14 days?

A. If we do not receive a response to a school offer, we will issue an email reminder to the family telling them that they need to respond, and advising that the offer will be removed if no response is forthcoming. The email will give a further deadline. If no response is received by the deadline, we will send a further email confirming the offer has been withdrawn.

Q. Where do I send a SIF (Supplementary Information Form)?

A. Directly to the school - check each school's website for more information.

The Secondary Transfer Test (11+)

Q. What happens to the practice test papers once completed on the Tuesday?

A. They are collected, packed, sealed and stored before collection via courier. They are not looked at, marked or sent home. They are for familiarisation.

Q. Does my child have to take the test?

A. No, if you do not want them to sit the test please make sure that you withdraw your child from the test using the QR code on the letter sent home in a brown envelope.

Q. I did not get the letter in a brown envelope that had my child's unique code on it

A. Contact the office as soon as possible.

If you have any more questions, please email the office - office@disraeli.bucks.sch.uk