Buckinghamshire School Catchment Areas

Buckinghamshire is England's most prominent fully-selective county, with 276 state schools – 184 primary and 35 secondary – spread across 37 towns and areas. The county retains 14 grammar schools, and all secondary admissions are structured around the 11+ test: children who pass are eligible for grammar places, while those who do not attend non-selective secondary modern schools. The system makes Buckinghamshire unique among English counties.

Demand for school places is high across the authority: 76 of the 266 schools with published capacity data are at or above their admission number, representing 29% of schools. Eighty schools apply faith criteria in their admissions policies – among the highest proportions in any English county. Of the schools with a current Ofsted inspection, 78 are rated Good or Outstanding. Grammar schools are particularly oversubscribed, and many families seek private tuition to prepare for the 11+ test.

The 11+ registration window in Buckinghamshire opens in the spring term and closes in June, with the test held in September. Results are released in October, before the January secondary admissions deadline. For primary places, catchment boundaries are set by the council and by individual academy trusts. With 37 towns and areas across a large geographic area, catchment dynamics vary significantly: families in Aylesbury and High Wycombe may have a wider choice than those in smaller rural areas.