Quick answer
A grammar school admissions policy tells you what happens after interest becomes an application. Read it for the published admission number, the test requirement, the oversubscription order, address rules, waiting-list wording, and any forms or evidence that sit outside the main local authority application.
- Start with the year of entry. A 2026 policy may not govern a 2027 application.
- Separate eligibility for consideration from priority for an actual place.
- Read the tie-break and address rules before assuming distance is simple.
Start With The Correct Year
Admissions policies are annual documents. The policy for September 2027 entry is not always identical to the one for September 2026 entry, even when the school name and test route stay the same.
Before reading the detail, check:
- the entry year on the policy
- whether the policy is determined or still under consultation
- whether the page is for Year 7 entry, sixth form, or in-year admission
- whether the school has a separate supplementary form, registration form, or access-arrangements deadline
For a date-led route, keep the policy open beside the relevant deadline page. For example, Buckinghamshire families can use Buckinghamshire 11 plus dates while reading school policies for The Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe, Aylesbury Grammar School or Dr Challoner’s Grammar School.
The Policy Terms That Matter Most
Published admission number
- What it means
- The number of Year 7 places the school expects to admit
- What to check
- Whether the school is usually oversubscribed and whether any places are reserved for a named priority group
Eligibility
- What it means
- The academic condition needed before the child can be considered
- What to check
- Whether the child needs a qualifying score, a stage result, a rank, or a school-specific test outcome
Oversubscription criteria
- What it means
- The order used when eligible applicants exceed available places
- What to check
- Whether looked-after status, pupil premium, siblings, catchment, score, distance, or staff priority changes the order
Tie-break
- What it means
- The rule used when two applicants cannot otherwise be separated
- What to check
- Whether distance, random allocation, or another method decides the final order
Waiting list
- What it means
- How the school orders applicants after offer day
- What to check
- Whether the waiting list follows the same oversubscription criteria and when it is cleared
Eligibility Is Not The Same As Priority
This is the line worth underlining. A child may be eligible for a grammar school place but still sit behind other eligible children once the school applies its policy.
The difference shows up in several ways:
- a school may require a qualifying score, then rank applicants by catchment and distance
- a school may allocate some places by score and others by a local priority rule
- a school may use a first-stage test only to decide who can sit another assessment
- a school may reserve places for pupils meeting a published disadvantage or local priority criterion
The what score is needed for grammar school guide explains the score side. The admissions policy tells you how that score is used by the named school.
Read The Address Rule Slowly
Address wording can decide more than families expect. Look for:
- the date when the address must be in place
- whether the school uses straight-line distance, walking distance, or a council measurement system
- how shared care, rented accommodation, previous homes, business addresses, or childminder addresses are treated
- whether catchment or priority-area status is checked before distance
In Buckinghamshire, the council publishes a September address cut-off for many schools, but also tells families to check each grammar school’s admissions policy because some may use a different date. That is exactly the kind of detail a summary page cannot safely replace.
Watch For Extra Forms
The local authority application is not always the only form in the process. Some schools or routes may require:
- a test registration form
- a supplementary information form
- evidence for pupil premium or service premium priority
- access-arrangements evidence
- proof of address
- faith, aptitude, boarding, or school-specific documentation
For Sutton, the Sutton SET dates page is a useful example because the shared SET registration is separate from the local authority CAF, and individual schools may have second-stage details or extra admissions wording to read.