Buckinghamshire
Sir William Borlase's Grammar School
Exceptional results, but a place depends on the entrance test rather than where you live — worth a look only if you are planning to sit it.
What the data says
Published data, read plainly. It tells you what to check next; it does not guarantee a place or replace your local authority’s admissions guidance.
Attainment 8 of 72.4 is well above the national average of around 46. This reflects strong GCSE outcomes across the standard subject basket.
- 72.4
- Attainment 8
- 98%
- 5+ Eng & Maths
- 2024/2025
- Academic year
Pupils made above-average progress compared with similar pupils nationally. The confidence interval is entirely above zero, which is strong evidence of added value.
- +0.56
- Progress 8
- [0.30, 0.81]
- Confidence interval
Admissions realism depends on your home postcode and the school's published allocation data. Enter your postcode on this page to get a more specific assessment, and always verify the latest policy on the school's official admissions page.
This is a selective school. Admission usually requires passing an entrance test. Check the school's admissions policy for test registration deadlines.
Watch-outs
- Selective admissions: an entrance test (usually the 11+ or equivalent) is required. Check registration and test dates well in advance.
What to do next
- Verify the school's official admissions policy
- Check entrance test registration dates
- Book an open day or school visit
- Add this school to your shortlist and compare with backup options
Admissions and catchment
Year 7 entry · Buckinghamshire council allocation figures, 2023–2026
Add a postcode to see where you would sit against past cut-offs.
The furthest child offered a place in 2026 lived 5.0 km from the school. Add your postcode to see where you would sit.
Why we say “Add your postcode”
- In 2026 the furthest child offered a place lived 5.0 km from the school. Buckinghamshire printed 3.121 miles (Secondary School Allocations - 2 March 2026).
What could change this
- We measure a straight line from your postcode centre. The council measures from your home address, sometimes along walking routes, so treat anything near the line with care.
- Cut-offs move every year with the number of applicants and siblings.
- Children with an EHC plan, looked-after children and siblings are usually offered places before distance is used.
- Past allocations never guarantee a place.
Rings are to scale in straight-line km. Your marker’s direction is arbitrary; only its distance from the school matters.
Last offer distance
Furthest child offered a place.
Applications and places
Published admission number (PAN) against applications
Not published by the council.
Pupils on roll
School census count against building capacity
113% full. Source: Get Information about Schools, 26 September 2026. A full school can still have places in the entry year.
Sources — check them yourself
- 2026 (Secondary School Allocations - 2 March 2026): Buckinghamshire council allocation figures (spreadsheet)
- 2025 (Secondary school allocations - 3 March 2025): Buckinghamshire council allocation figures (spreadsheet)
- 2024 (Secondary school allocations - 1 March 2024): Buckinghamshire council allocation figures (spreadsheet)
- 2023 (Secondary school allocations - 1 March): Buckinghamshire council allocation figures (spreadsheet)
- Official admissions page: Buckinghamshire. Use its address checker or booklet to confirm your own position.
Figures collected from council publications on 27 September 2026 and shown as printed, converted to km. Years the council did not publish are left blank. Past allocations never guarantee a place.
Applications and offers
National offer day figures that councils report to the Department for Education. These are counts only: they do not show how far away the last child offered a place lived.
Year 7 entry
| Year of entry | Places offered | Put it first | First choices offered | Applications (any preference) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026 | 146 | 257 | 144 (56%) | 714 |
| September 2025 | 147 | 220 | 145 (66%) | 620 |
| September 2024 | 147 | 220 | 144 (65%) | 657 |
| September 2023 | 150 | 213 | 146 (69%) | 595 |
| September 2022 | 150 | 240 | 150 (63%) | 649 |
Source: Department for Education: Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, school-level data, published 18 June 2026. “–” means the figure was not published. The council’s own allocation figures are the official record: check Buckinghamshire’s admissions page for cut-off distances, the admission rules and this year’s dates.
Performance over time
Attainment 8 over time
Progress 8 over time(not available 2024/25)
University destinations
Share of this school's sixth-form leavers who went on to Oxford or Cambridge, a Russell Group university, or a university in the top third by entry grades. Department for Education data for state-funded schools and colleges.
| Left sixth form | Students | Oxford or Cambridge | Russell Group | Top-third universities |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 2024-2025 tables | 233 | Not published | Not published | 67% England 19% |
| 2020/21 2023-2024 tables | 215 | Not published | Not published | 67% England 24% |
| 2019/20 2022-2023 tables | 202 | 4% England 1% | 61% England 18% | 68% England 20% |
| 2018/19 2021-2022 tables | 198 | 7% England 1% | 63% England 15% | 70% England 17% |
| 2017/18 2020-2021 tables | 212 | 5% England 1% | 59% England 16% | 64% England 18% |
| 2015/16 2018-2019 tables | 207 | 4% England 1% | 60% England 14% | 69% England 19% |
- The DfE stopped publishing Oxbridge and Russell Group shares for individual schools after the 2022-23 performance tables (students who left in 2019/20). Top-third figures continue.
- Figures are percentages of all students who finished 16 to 18 study at the school, counting those who sustained a university place in the two years after leaving.
- Rankings use the average across years weighted by the number of students; a school needs at least 2 years and 50 students to be ranked. The top-third ranking uses the latest 3 years. Ranks are among state-funded schools and colleges.
- '<0.5%' means above zero but under half a percent. 'Suppressed' means 5 or fewer students.
- Source: Department for Education, 16 to 18 progression to higher education or training (Compare school and college performance, Explore education statistics).
Entry, tests and fees
Entrance test
9 October 2026 | Secondary Transfer Test results released
Source · checked 28 September 2026
10 September 2026 | Children who attend a state-funded Buckinghamshire primary school or Partner School will sit the Transfer Test in their school. Children who…
Source · checked 28 September 2026
7 December: Invitations to sit the test on 4 February 2027, are sent via email
Source · checked 28 September 2026
Admission to the school in Year 7 is overseen by Buckinghamshire Council and is dependent on performance in tests produced by GL Assessment.
Source · checked 28 September 2026
Students will sit 3 tests, English, Maths and a Modern Language (French, Spanish or German).
Source · checked 28 September 2026
Open events
The application process for entry into the Sixth Form in September 2027 will commence after the Sixth Form Open Evening on 15 October 2026.
Source · checked 28 September 2026
Admissions
Most pupils take the ’11+’ in the first term of Year 6 and sit these tests in their own primary school.
Source · checked 28 September 2026
If you have moved into the catchment area after the deadline of 1 September 2026, please contact us directly.
Source · checked 28 September 2026
The school's current admissions policy and catchment area map can be downloaded below.
Source · checked 28 September 2026
Admissions pageAdmission policyTest information
Copied from the school's and test organisers' own pages; check them before registering or applying.
Historical results
| Year | Pupils | Att8 | P8 | 5+ E&M | EBacc % | EBacc APS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024/2025 | 151 | 72.4 | — | 98.0% | 80.8% | 6.9 |
| 2023/2024 | 143 | 73.8 | +0.56 | 97.2% | 79.7% | 7.1 |
| 2022/2023 | 140 | 76.4 | +0.71 | 99.0% | 85.0% | 7.3 |
| 2021/2022 | 135 | 77.4 | +0.55 | 99.0% | 86.0% | 7.4 |
Nearby and similar schools
Other secondary schools in Buckinghamshire for local comparison.
School information
| URN | 136781 |
| Local authority | Buckinghamshire |
| Region | South East |
| Phase | Secondary |
| Type | Academy converter |
| Gender of entry | Mixed |
| Age range | 11-18 |
| Headteacher | Headteacher Ed Goodall |
| Trust | MARLOW EDUCATION TRUST |
| Admissions | Selective |
| Religious character | None |
| Postcode | SL7 2BR |
| Latest pupils | 151 |
| FSM eligible | 2.7% |
Contact and identifiers
West Street, Marlow, Buckinghamshire, SL7 2BR
www.swbgs.comView local authority page1628816500| DfE number | 4505 |
| UKPRN | 10033699 |
| Opened | 1 Jun 2011 |
| GIAS updated | 9 Sept 2025 |
Data sources and freshness
| Official record updated | 9 Sept 2025 |
| Latest KS4 year | 2024/2025 |
| Latest KS2 year | — |
| Ofsted published | 9 Jun 2024 |
Latest Ofsted inspection
| Quality of education | Outstanding |
| Behaviour and attitudes | Outstanding |
| Personal development | Outstanding |
| Leadership and management | Outstanding |
| Safeguarding | Effective |
| Inspection type | S5 Inspection |
| Category of concern | — |
| Inspection date | 1 May 2024 |
| Publication date | 9 Jun 2024 |