180 places, qualifying score 121, test 10 September 2026 — serving Burnham, Taplow, and the east Bucks and Slough border area
Book a Free ConsultationBurnham Grammar School is a co-educational selective grammar school located on Opendale Road in Burnham, Buckinghamshire (SL1 7EG). It sits at the eastern edge of Buckinghamshire, close to the Berkshire border and within daily commuting distance of Slough, Windsor, and surrounding towns. The school admits approximately 180 students into Year 7 each year via the Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test (STT), administered by GL Assessment — the same test used by all 13 grammar schools in the county. Entry requires reaching the qualifying score of 121; where the school is oversubscribed, the defined catchment area covering Burnham, Taplow, Egypt, Hedgerley, Fulmer, and Middle Green determines priority. This guide covers everything families need to know for 2026 11+ entry.
The Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test (STT) is administered by The Buckinghamshire Grammar Schools (TBGS) using materials from GL Assessment. Every child who wants to attend any of the 13 Buckinghamshire grammar schools sits exactly the same test, on the same day, from the same test booklets. Results are age-standardised to remove the advantage of older children. A single qualifying score of 121 unlocks the eligibility to apply to all 13 schools simultaneously.
The STT has two papers, each approximately 60 minutes long, with all questions in multiple-choice format. Paper 1 covers verbal skills and is worth 50% of the total score. It contains three sections: English comprehension (reading an unseen passage and answering inferential and vocabulary questions), technical English (grammar, punctuation, sentence correction), and verbal reasoning (letter codes, analogies, sequences, word patterns). Paper 2 covers maths (25%) and non-verbal reasoning (25%). The two papers are sat back-to-back on the same morning with a short break.
Because verbal ability carries 50% of the score, effective preparation must dedicate at least half its time to the verbal components. In practice, many children find the technical English section the most demanding, as it tests knowledge of grammatical terms and sentence structure that rarely feature in the KS2 national curriculum and that most primary schools do not teach explicitly. Children who have been specifically taught these conventions — verb tenses, clause types, correct punctuation — have a significant advantage over peers who have not.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Year 7 places | 180 |
| School type | Co-educational selective grammar school (ages 11–18) |
| Location | Opendale Road, Burnham, Buckinghamshire, SL1 7EG |
| Test | Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test (STT), GL Assessment |
| Paper 1 (50%) | Verbal skills: comprehension, technical English, verbal reasoning |
| Paper 2 (50%) | Maths 25% + Non-verbal reasoning 25% |
| Qualifying score | 121 (age-standardised) |
| Registration opens | Friday 1 May 2026 |
| Registration closes | Tuesday 2 June 2026 |
| Practice test | Tuesday 8 September 2026 |
| Main test date | Thursday 10 September 2026 |
| Results | Thursday 9 October 2026 |
| CAF deadline | Saturday 31 October 2026 |
| Catchment area | Burnham, Taplow, Egypt, Hedgerley, Fulmer, Middle Green |
Burnham Grammar School's defined catchment area covers Burnham, Taplow, Egypt, Hedgerley, Fulmer, and Middle Green. Families who live within these areas and whose child achieves the qualifying standard of 121 on the STT are prioritised over out-of-catchment applicants at an equivalent score. The full admissions policy and catchment map are published annually on the Burnham Grammar School website and should be checked for the current cycle's boundaries.
When more qualifying students apply than there are places, the school's oversubscription criteria apply in the following order: first, looked-after and previously looked-after children; second, children with exceptional medical or social need supported by professional evidence; third, siblings of current students; fourth, Pupil Premium students resident in the catchment area; fifth, all other qualifying students in the catchment, ranked by distance (straight-line from home to school gate); sixth, qualifying students outside the catchment, ranked by distance.
The school's proximity to Slough, Windsor, and Berkshire means that a significant number of out-of-county families apply each year. These families fall into the sixth oversubscription tier regardless of their score, and must also register manually for the STT. The registration window for 2026 opens 1 May and closes 2 June — missing this deadline means the child cannot sit the test and must wait until the following year. There is no late registration facility.
Families from Slough borough itself should note that Slough is a unitary authority separate from Buckinghamshire, and Slough schools do not use the STT. A Slough-based family who wants their child to attend Burnham Grammar must register for the Buckinghamshire STT specifically and list Burnham Grammar on the Slough common application form, directing the application to Buckinghamshire Council for processing. This cross-boundary application process is manageable but requires attention to deadlines.
Burnham Grammar School's eastern Buckinghamshire location places it within reach of a large, densely populated area that includes Slough (pop. ~165,000), Windsor, Maidenhead, and parts of West London. This geographic reality means Burnham attracts interest from families well beyond the defined Buckinghamshire catchment. Unlike the more isolated grammars in north or central Bucks, Burnham sits where the population density is highest — and where the competition for grammar school places from ambitious families is most acute.
Approximately 9,500 children across Buckinghamshire sit the STT each year, competing for around 1,900 places. Burnham Grammar's 180 places represent just under 10% of total county grammar school capacity. The practical implication of its eastern Bucks location is that a meaningful proportion of applicants come from outside the catchment, which makes in-catchment residency particularly valuable when places are contested. For in-catchment families who qualify, the priority they receive is real and meaningful. For out-of-catchment families — especially those from Berkshire, Slough, or further afield — scoring well above the 121 threshold is essential to have a realistic chance in the sixth oversubscription tier.
Families in the catchment area should also remember that distance to school is the final tiebreaker within each tier. A child who lives in Burnham and scores 125 is not automatically guaranteed a place over a child who scores 130 and also lives in Burnham — both are in the same catchment tier and the child whose home is measured closer to the school gate would be prioritised if places run out. Knowing approximate distances from previous years helps families calibrate expectations, though the school's admissions team are the definitive source for cut-off data.
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Effective preparation for Burnham Grammar School and the Buckinghamshire STT follows a clear arc: introduce all question types first, build speed and accuracy second, then develop full-paper stamina in the final months. Families who succeed consistently are those who start 12–18 months before the September test and work systematically rather than frantically.
What works: Starting in Year 4 or early Year 5, introducing each STT question type in a structured way (not just throwing practice papers at a child before Year 6), reading widely across fiction and non-fiction to build comprehension vocabulary, doing targeted technical English practice from GL Assessment-style materials, and using timed conditions progressively as the test approaches.
What doesn't work: Relying entirely on primary school teaching (which does not prepare children for the STT's verbal reasoning or technical English sections), starting serious preparation in Year 6 term 1 (too late to build foundations), practicing only the question types the child already finds easy, and using practice papers that do not match the GL Assessment format Buckinghamshire uses.
A note on mock tests: sitting mock exams under realistic conditions — timed, in a quiet room, answering all questions with no going back — is one of the most valuable activities in the six months before the test. Children who have sat several full mocks are significantly calmer on the actual test day and better able to manage their time across both papers. Mock tests also reveal which specific question types remain weak, giving a tutor a precise target for the final preparation phase.
Children at independent schools sitting the STT face a specific consideration: they are not registered automatically and must register manually between 1 May and 2 June 2026. Year 6 at an independent school often means heavy academic workload and activity. Families should diarise the registration window and not assume someone else has registered their child.
Burnham Grammar School sits at the intersection of Buckinghamshire's grammar tradition and the demographic dynamism of the Greater London commuter belt. Several features distinguish it from other Bucks grammar schools.
Diverse student body. The school's location near the Berkshire border and Slough means its student population reflects a notably diverse range of cultural and ethnic backgrounds compared to grammar schools in more rural parts of Buckinghamshire. For many families, this diversity is a significant positive — preparing students for a multicultural professional world. It also means the school has strong experience supporting students from a wide range of home backgrounds.
Accessible location. Burnham station on the Great Western Main Line provides rail access from Slough (7 minutes), Maidenhead (8 minutes), and Reading (30 minutes). This makes the school accessible to families across a wide area without requiring a car journey, which is relevant for families in central Slough or those further west along the GWR corridor.
Strong sixth form destinations. Burnham Grammar School's A-level students regularly secure places at Russell Group universities. The school offers a broad A-level curriculum and has a history of strong performance in sciences, mathematics, and humanities. The sixth form is selective, with GCSE grade thresholds for entry, but the school draws from its own Year 11 cohort and does not generally recruit from outside.
Parents considering Burnham alongside other east Buckinghamshire grammar schools — such as Sir William Borlase's in Marlow — should attend both open evenings, since the school communities are meaningfully different. Borlase's has a different geographic and social catchment, and families in Burnham or Taplow should not assume that one is a clear fallback for the other simply because both are in east Bucks.
Because all 13 Buckinghamshire grammar schools share the same test and results, families can apply to multiple schools simultaneously. Most families in east Buckinghamshire list Burnham Grammar alongside one or two other schools on their common application form. The right combination depends on catchment, distance, and the child's preferences from open evenings.
For a full overview of all 13 Buckinghamshire grammar schools — including their locations, places, and catchment areas — see our Buckinghamshire grammar schools guide 2026. For a detailed explanation of the test format, paper structure, and how scores are calculated, see our Buckinghamshire 11+ format guide 2026. For the complete grammar school preparation guide, including preparation timelines and how to choose between schools, start there.
Like all 13 Buckinghamshire grammar schools, Burnham Grammar School uses the Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test and the county-wide qualifying standard of 121. There is no Burnham-specific score. Achieving 121 makes a child eligible to apply to Burnham Grammar School, but does not guarantee a place if the school is oversubscribed. In oversubscribed years, places are allocated using the school's admissions criteria, with catchment residency a key factor. Out-of-catchment applicants who score close to 121 face significant uncertainty; scoring comfortably above the qualifying standard is advisable for all families, especially those outside the primary catchment area.
Burnham Grammar School's catchment area covers Burnham, Taplow, Egypt, Hedgerley, Fulmer, and Middle Green. When the school is oversubscribed, qualifying students living in the catchment are prioritised over out-of-catchment applicants at equivalent scores. The admissions policy also prioritises looked-after children, siblings, Pupil Premium students in catchment, and students with exceptional medical or social need, in that order. Families near Slough but outside the defined catchment should verify their exact status before submitting a preference, as the boundary details affect priority.
For 2027 Year 7 entry, the registration window is 1st May to 2nd June 2026. Children at Buckinghamshire state-funded primary schools are registered automatically; those at independent schools or outside Buckinghamshire must register manually in this window. The practice test takes place on Tuesday 8th September 2026, and the main STT is on Thursday 10th September 2026. Results are emailed to parents on Thursday 9th October 2026. The common application form (CAF) must be submitted to your home local authority by Saturday 31st October 2026.
The Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test consists of two papers, each approximately 60 minutes, with all questions in multiple-choice format. Paper 1 covers verbal skills — comprising English comprehension, technical English (grammar and punctuation), and verbal reasoning — and accounts for 50% of the total score. Paper 2 covers maths (25%) and non-verbal reasoning (25%). All scores are age-standardised before combination. The qualifying standard is 121. The verbal skills paper carries the most weight, making strong English comprehension, grammar knowledge, and verbal reasoning practice essential components of any effective preparation plan.
Yes. Children from outside Buckinghamshire, including those from Berkshire, Slough, or other neighbouring authorities, can apply to Burnham Grammar School. They must sit the Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test and achieve the qualifying standard of 121. Crucially, they must register manually for the STT — they are not registered automatically. The registration window for 2026 is 1st May to 2nd June 2026. Out-of-area applicants who do not register in this window cannot sit the test that year. Once registered and qualified, out-of-county applicants list Burnham Grammar School on their home authority's common application form, but they fall into the out-of-catchment oversubscription tier.
Leading Tuition provides specialist 11+ tuition for Burnham Grammar School and all Buckinghamshire grammar schools. Our tutors have detailed knowledge of the STT's three verbal components — comprehension, technical English, and verbal reasoning — and of the paper's 50/25/25 weighting. We work with students from Year 4 upwards, building skills systematically and developing timed exam technique well before the September test. We are rated 4.8/5 on Trustpilot by parents whose children have secured Buckinghamshire grammar school places. For a programme tailored to Burnham Grammar School, book a free consultation or send us a WhatsApp message.
Leading Tuition specialises in Buckinghamshire grammar school preparation. We understand the STT format and know what it takes to score well above the qualifying mark. Rated 4.8/5 on Trustpilot.
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