It seems crazy to think, but according to the Buckinghamshire Grammar Schools Data release for 2023 entries, more pupils from outside of Buckinghamshire passed the 11+ than pupils who live in Bucks. How is this possible you ask!?
Background
The 11+ in Buckinghamshire is open to all pupils in year 6 who attend a primary school in Buckinghamshire. These pupils are automatically registered for the test, and there is an opt-out policy if you do not wish for your child to sit the test. However, it is also open to any Year 6 pupil in the whole country to apply to take the test.
Headline Data*
Number of pupils who registered for the secondary transfer test
Buckinghamshire pupils – 5857
Out of county pupils – 3825
Number of pupils who scored 121 or more
Buckinghamshire pupils – 1630
Out of county pupils – 1941
Pass rate
Buckinghamshire pupils – 27%
Out of County pupils – 50%
Pass rate by area
Aylesbury vale – 19%
High Wycombe – 25%
Chilterns – 41%
South Bucks – 41%
Rest of England – 50%
The Good News
The 'good' news relating to this article is that not all pupils who achieve a score of 121+ from out of country take up a place at one of the grammar schools. It is common practice for pupils who live in London, for example, to take a number of 11+ entrance exams in various parts of the country. A pupil can take as many transfer tests as they like, and in some cases pupils can pass 5-6 of these and then make their choice of which school to send their children to after this. So, whilst 1941 pupils from out of the county passed the 11+, not all took up a place at one of the grammar schools. This then opens places up for pupils to get in via an appeal. In this cycle there were 338 successful appeals for Buckinghamshire.
Conclusion
In summary, the number of pupils passing the 11+ each year equates to the number of spaces available at the grammar schools. However, with so many pupils from out of county passing it muddies the waters slightly, especially as not everyone who passes will go to one of the grammar schools. The secondary transfer test in Buckinghamshire is one of the most popular in the country, but this means that it is becoming more competitive each year. With the number of grammar schools not set to increase, yet the number of people living within Buckinghamshire increasing, coupled with the rise in number of pupils taking the test from out of county, it does make it a more challenging environment than it ever used to be.
*all data for this article has been obtained from the Buckinghamshire Grammar Schools Secondary Transfer Test Data section on their website for 2023 entries (https://www.thebucksgrammarschools.org/test-data).