A selective boys grammar school in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 1,271 pupils on roll.
John Hampden Grammar School
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At a glance
John Hampden Grammar School is a selective boys' grammar school on Marlow Hill in High Wycombe, educating around 1,271 pupils from Year 7 to sixth form. The school has a long local history, with its headteacher's welcome referring back more than 125 years to education linked with the Wycombe furniture industry, but the current identity is deliberately forward-looking. Its identity combines challenging academic education with the #BeMore campaign: character, resilience, leadership, responsibility, care, collaboration and creativity.
The academic offer is broad and technology-conscious. John Hampden describes strong GCSE and A-level outcomes, links with local and global companies, and preparation for university, competitive apprenticeships and enterprise. The site also points to recent investment in teaching spaces: a design technology studio and workshops, new science laboratories and a 3.5 million pound Innovation Hub housing mathematics, business, economics, psychology and IT-rich learning spaces.
Co-curricular life is one of the most specific parts of the school's own story. Sport, music, productions, Duke of Edinburgh, debating, JHGS Question Time, Young Magistrates, trips abroad and Bar Mock Trial all appear in school-published material. The pastoral message is equally clear: the school says parents value its care for individual boys, and the pastoral team is described as central to each student's journey.
Year 7 admission has a published admission number of 180 and runs through the Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test. The two age-standardised papers are weighted 50% verbal, 25% mathematical and 25% non-verbal; 121 is the normal qualifying score, with up to 12 ring-fenced catchment places for eligible looked-after, pupil-premium or service-premium boys scoring 113 to 120. Published measures include Ofsted Outstanding in September 2022, +0.84 Progress 8, 99.4% grade 5+ in English and maths and 31.4% AAB or better at A level.
Latest 2024/25 KS4 measures compared with Buckinghamshire and England.
Recent published Attainment 8 scores compared with Buckinghamshire and England.
Latest 2024/25 Year 11 destination mix compared with Buckinghamshire and England.
January 2025 school census
Whole-school roll of 1,271 pupils; 1,248 had a recorded ethnic group.
| Recorded group | Share | Category | Pupils |
|---|---|---|---|
| White British | 43.4% | White | 551 |
| Indian | 19% | Asian | 242 |
| Pakistani | 12.4% | Asian | 158 |
| Any other White background | 5.3% | White | 67 |
| Any other Asian background | 4.8% | Asian | 61 |
| White and Asian | 4.4% | Mixed | 56 |
| Any other mixed background | 2.4% | Mixed | 31 |
| Unclassified | 1.8% | Unclassified | 23 |
| African | 1.3% | Black | 17 |
| Any other ethnic group | 1.2% | Other | 15 |
| Chinese | 0.9% | Asian | 12 |
| Bangladeshi | 0.7% | Asian | 9 |
| White and Black Caribbean | 0.7% | Mixed | 9 |
| Irish | 0.6% | White | 7 |
| White and Black African | 0.6% | Mixed | 7 |
| Caribbean | 0.5% | Black | 6 |
Year 7 applications are coordinated through Buckinghamshire Council after boys take the Buckinghamshire grammar-school transfer test.
March 2026 allocation reached all applicants in the ring-fenced catchment/pupil-premium, catchment pupil-premium, sibling, linked-sibling and Priority Area A rules, then some Priority Area B applicants to 11.494 miles.
Qualified looked-after and previously looked-after boys
First priority goes to qualified looked-after, previously looked-after, and internationally adopted previously looked-after boys.
Ring-fenced catchment places for eligible boys scoring 113-120
Up to 12 places are ring-fenced for looked-after, pupil-premium, or service-premium boys in catchment who score between 113 and 120.
Other catchment pupil-premium or service-premium boys
Other eligible pupil-premium or service-premium boys in catchment are then ranked once they reach the normal qualifying score.
Brothers of current John Hampden pupils in catchment
Brothers of boys already in Years 7 to 12 at John Hampden are next if they also live in catchment.
Boys with a sister at Wycombe High School in catchment
The policy then prioritises boys whose sister attends Wycombe High School and whose home is in John Hampden's catchment.
Sons of staff
Children of staff are next in line under the published staff criterion.
Year 7 entry is through the Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test. It has two multiple-choice papers and age-standardised verbal, mathematical and non-verbal skill scores; 121 or more qualifies a child for grammar-school consideration.
Shared exam route
John Hampden Grammar School uses the shared Buckinghamshire route. Use these common practice resources for the route, then check the full consortium guide for the complete set and current test guidance.
View all Buckinghamshire practice papersPaper 1
English, Verbal reasoning
Verbal skills paper
Multiple-choice verbal skills paper covering comprehension, technical English and verbal reasoning.
Paper 2
Maths, Non-verbal reasoning
Mathematical and non-verbal skills paper
Multiple-choice mathematical and non-verbal skills paper covering mathematics, non-verbal reasoning and spatial reasoning.
English, Maths, Verbal reasoning and Non-verbal reasoning are included in the published format.
Science is not listed in the current published format.
English
Maths
Verbal reasoning
Multiple-choice verbal skills paper covering comprehension, technical English and verbal reasoning.
Non-verbal reasoning
Multiple-choice mathematical and non-verbal skills paper covering mathematics, non-verbal reasoning and spatial reasoning.
Science
Secondary Transfer Test registration opens
1 May 2026
PastSecondary Transfer Test registration closes
2 June 2026
PastTest invitation emails sent
7 August 2026
Practice test
8 September 2026
Secondary Transfer Test
10 September 2026
Transfer Test results
9 October 2026
Secondary application deadline
31 October 2026
Read the 2027 admissions policy
Check the PAN, ring-fenced places, priority areas, and address rules before starting the Buckinghamshire grammar-school application.
Open admissions policyTake the Buckinghamshire Transfer Test
Boys must take the Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test to be considered for Year 7 grammar-school places.
Open 2027 admissionsApply through Buckinghamshire Council
Year 7 applications are coordinated by Buckinghamshire Council after the transfer-test process.
Check the application routeLatest official destinations data currently covers 2022/23 study leavers.
Recent trend
This follows the school's published overall GCSE score across the subjects pupils take. Higher is better.
| Year | This school | Grammar schools | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | 75.4 | 74.2 | 49.4 |
| 2022/23 | 72.9 | 71.8 | 47.0 |
| 2023/24 | 73.2 | 72.1 | 46.7 |
| 2024/25 | 72.3 | 72.3 | 46.8 |
Recent trend
This follows the published average A-level result for the school's sixth form. Higher is better.
| Year | This school | Grammar schools | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | B+ average (42 points) | 44.0 points | 37.5 points |
| 2022/23 | B average (41.3 points) | 40.5 points | 33.7 points |
| 2023/24 | B+ average (41.7 points) | 41.3 points | 34.5 points |
| 2024/25 | B+ average (42.2 points) | 41.8 points | 35.0 points |
Recent trend
This follows the share of pupils moving into a sustained destination after Year 11, such as education, apprenticeships, or employment.
| Year | This school | Grammar schools | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | 98% | 99.1% | 94.1% |
| 2022/23 | 98% | 98.9% | 93.9% |
| 2023/24 | 99% | 99.0% | 93.3% |
| 2024/25 | 98% | 98.7% | 91.8% |
Latest year breakdown
| In education | 98% |
|---|---|
| In apprenticeships | 0% |
| In employment | 0% |
Latest inspection: 15 September 2022
Local rivals appear first, followed by nearby alternatives where the journey and admissions route are still comparable.
Same Buckinghamshire area and similar boys' selective route
Same Buckinghamshire area and similar boys' selective route
Same Buckinghamshire area and similar boys' selective route
Nearby option within a reasonable travel distance
Closest comparable alternatives with a similar academic profile, so parents can weigh local fit and results together.
Similar Attainment 8 and Progress 8
Similar Attainment 8 and Progress 8
Similar Attainment 8 and Progress 8
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Best Grammar Schools in Buckinghamshire
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Best Boys' Grammar Schools in the UK
Explore the best boys grammar schools in the UK with a national ranking parents can filter by county and Ofsted before comparing schools by route and journey.
Best Grammar Schools in the UK
Explore the best grammar schools in the UK with a national ranking that can be filtered by county, school type, and Ofsted before moving into local admissions detail.
Best Grammar Schools by A-level Results
Explore the best grammar schools by A-level results in the UK, ranked by the published share of students achieving AAB or better at A level.
Related guides are still being added.
FAQ
John Hampden Grammar School currently uses GL Assessment.
1. Read the 2027 admissions policy: Check the PAN, ring-fenced places, priority areas, and address rules before starting the Buckinghamshire grammar-school application. 2. Take the Buckinghamshire Transfer Test: Boys must take the Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test to be considered for Year 7 grammar-school places. 3. Apply through Buckinghamshire Council: Year 7 applications are coordinated by Buckinghamshire Council after the transfer-test process.
Secondary Transfer Test registration opens: 1 May 2026. Secondary Transfer Test registration closes: 2 June 2026. Test invitation emails sent: 7 August 2026. Practice test: 8 September 2026. Secondary Transfer Test: 10 September 2026. Transfer Test results: 9 October 2026. Secondary application deadline: 31 October 2026
John Hampden Grammar School is currently rated Outstanding following the latest published inspection dated 15 September 2022.