South East local authority
Schools in Buckinghamshire
Search and compare schools in Buckinghamshire with map view, rankings, Ofsted context, performance data and admissions research links. Use this page as a local hub before opening individual school profiles or building a side-by-side comparison.
Buckinghamshire school comparison signals
Metrics use latest available published data where present. Local authority averages can be unavailable when a metric is not published for enough schools in the selected authority.
Search paths for Buckinghamshire
Checked 23 May 2026
Buckinghamshire school admissions for parents
Buckinghamshire Council publishes separate September 2026 routes for Reception, junior transfer, secondary transfer, grammar-school testing, in-year moves and appeals. The county also makes clear that Buckinghamshire residents apply through Buckinghamshire even when listing schools outside the county.
Primary September 2026 round
Applications for Reception and moving from infant to junior school opened on 5 November 2025 and closed on 15 January 2026. Buckinghamshire also set 29 January 2026 as the deadline for address evidence for families moving into or within the county, with offers released on 16 April 2026.
Secondary September 2026 round
Secondary applications opened on 4 September 2025 and closed on 31 October 2025. Buckinghamshire published 10 October 2025 as results day for children who took the Secondary Transfer Test by 12 September, and 2 March 2026 as national offer day.
Grammar schools and the 11+
Buckinghamshire has 13 grammar schools working together as The Buckinghamshire Grammar Schools. Children need to sit the Secondary Transfer Test and achieve a score of at least 121 to be considered qualified for a Buckinghamshire grammar school place.
Home council and evidence rules
Families who live outside Buckinghamshire must apply through their home council even if they want a Buckinghamshire school. The council also requires address evidence after preferences are submitted, which can affect how an application is processed if you are moving home.
In-year moves and appeals
Buckinghamshire runs a separate in-year transfer route for children changing schools during the academic year and a separate appeals section with primary and secondary appeal pathways plus parent guidance.
Official Buckinghamshire links
In-depth guide · Checked May 2026
Buckinghamshire school admissions guide for parents
This guide summarises Buckinghamshire Council admissions pages as available on 23 May 2026 for September 2026 entry. Always re-check the live council pages before you apply.
Executive summary
Buckinghamshire Council separates primary, secondary, grammar-school testing, in-year transfer and appeals into dedicated pages under one admissions section. For many families the biggest extra task is the grammar-school route: the Secondary Transfer Test sits alongside the normal Year 7 application and does not replace it.
Key dates
| Stage | Primary | Secondary |
|---|---|---|
| Applications open | 5 November 2025 | 4 September 2025 |
| On-time closing date | 15 January 2026 | 31 October 2025 |
| Extra evidence deadline | 29 January 2026 for moving-address evidence | 10 October 2025 results day if the test was taken by 12 September |
| Offer day | 16 April 2026 | 2 March 2026 |
What matters in Buckinghamshire
- Buckinghamshire residents apply through Buckinghamshire even when listing schools outside the county.
- Families moving into or within Buckinghamshire may need to send address evidence after they submit preferences.
- Buckinghamshire has 13 grammar schools. Children need to sit the Secondary Transfer Test and score at least 121 to be considered qualified.
- Grammar-school testing is coordinated by The Buckinghamshire Grammar Schools, but the school-place application still goes through the local-authority route.
- In-year moves and appeals are handled through separate sections, so bookmark the main admissions hub rather than a single page.
After offer day
Buckinghamshire links waiting lists and appeals from the primary and secondary application journeys. If you need to move school outside the normal round, use the separate in-year transfer route rather than the September entry process.
Official links
| Topic | Link |
|---|---|
| School admissions hub | https://www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/schools-and-learning/schools-index/school-admissions/ |
| Apply for a primary school place | https://www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/schools-and-learning/schools-index/school-admissions/apply-for-a-primary-school-place/ |
| Apply for a secondary school place | https://www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/schools-and-learning/schools-index/school-admissions/apply-for-a-secondary-school-place/ |
| Grammar schools and Secondary Transfer Testing | https://www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/schools-and-learning/schools-index/school-admissions/grammar-schools-and-transfer-testing-11/ |
| Change schools in-year | https://www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/schools-and-learning/schools-index/school-admissions/change-schools-in-year/ |
| School appeals | https://www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/schools-and-learning/schools-index/school-admissions/school-appeals/ |