Sir William Borlase's Grammar School 11+ Entry Guide 2026

Sir William Borlase's Grammar School is a co-educational selective grammar school for students aged 11 to 18, located on West Street in Marlow, Buckinghamshire (SL7 2BR). Founded in 1624 by Sir William Borlase, High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire, it is one of the oldest grammar schools in England and one of the most academically distinguished in the county. The school admits 186 students into Year 7 each year via the Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test (STT), and it carries an Ofsted Outstanding designation. Entry requires achieving the county-wide qualifying standard of 121 on the STT; where the school is oversubscribed, students in the Marlow catchment are prioritised. This guide covers everything families need for 2026 Borlase's 11+ entry.

What Is the Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test?

The Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test is administered by The Buckinghamshire Grammar Schools (TBGS) using GL Assessment materials. All 13 Buckinghamshire grammar schools — including Sir William Borlase's — use the same test, held on the same day. One test, one set of results, 13 schools to choose from on the common application form. Scores are age-standardised to remove the advantage of older children, and the qualifying standard is 121.

The test comprises two papers. Paper 1 covers verbal skills and carries 50% of the total score. It has three sections: English comprehension (unseen passage, multiple-choice questions testing inference, vocabulary in context, and the author's purpose), technical English (grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure — one of the most commonly underestimated sections), and verbal reasoning (letter codes, word analogies, number sequences, and related formats). Paper 2 covers maths (25%) and non-verbal reasoning (25%). Both papers are in multiple-choice format, each approximately 60 minutes.

A critical planning point: because verbal ability accounts for half the total score, the preparation programme must weight time accordingly. Children who drill maths and non-verbal reasoning but underinvest in verbal reasoning and technical English end up with scores that reflect this imbalance. The best-prepared children allocate at least half their preparation hours to the verbal paper, covering all three components explicitly.

Item	Details
Year 7 places	186
School type	Co-educational selective grammar school (ages 11–18)
Founded	1624 (Sir William Borlase, High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire)
Location	West Street, Marlow, Buckinghamshire, SL7 2BR
Ofsted	Outstanding
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 window	Friday 1 May – 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	Marlow, Marlow Bottom, Little Marlow

Catchment Area and Admissions Criteria

Sir William Borlase's Grammar School has a defined catchment area covering Marlow, Marlow Bottom, and Little Marlow. A catchment map and full admissions policy are published annually on the school's website. Families should download the current-year policy for 2027 entry to confirm the exact boundary.

When oversubscribed with qualifying students, the school allocates places in this order: looked-after and previously looked-after children; children with exceptional medical or social need (evidenced in writing by a professional); siblings of current students; Pupil Premium students resident in the catchment; all other qualifying students in the catchment ranked by distance to the school gate; and finally qualifying students outside the catchment, ranked by distance.

The school's reputation and Ofsted Outstanding rating draw applicants from a wide geographic area — families in the Maidenhead area, Henley-on-Thames, Wycombe, and parts of Berkshire and Oxfordshire all consider Borlase's. All non-catchment applicants fall into the sixth oversubscription tier regardless of their score. In years where Borlase's is heavily oversubscribed — which it frequently is — the distance cut-off for out-of-catchment applicants can be quite tight. Families outside Marlow, Marlow Bottom, and Little Marlow should not rely on Borlase's as their primary or only grammar school preference.

Families from across the Berkshire border (Maidenhead, Wargrave, Cookham) should also note they must register manually for the Buckinghamshire STT between 1 May and 2 June 2026. Berkshire families are not automatically enrolled in the Buckinghamshire system.

How Competitive Is Entry to Sir William Borlase's?

Sir William Borlase's Grammar School is among the most sought-after grammar schools not just in Buckinghamshire but nationally. It features prominently in national grammar school rankings and consistently sends students to Oxford, Cambridge, and Russell Group universities. Its reputation draws applications from families across the south Buckinghamshire and Thames Valley corridor.

With 186 places and a defined catchment that includes three specific settlements, the school is both reasonably large and geographically concentrated. In-catchment qualifying families in Marlow and Marlow Bottom are in a strong position if their child achieves 121. The challenge is the depth of competition — a high proportion of children in Marlow prepare diligently for the STT, which means the in-catchment pool of qualifying children is itself competitive, and being in-catchment is not a guarantee of a place if the qualifying cohort is large relative to 186.

For out-of-catchment families: Borlase's should typically be listed as a preference alongside at least one other school for which the family has stronger catchment credentials. Children who qualify on the STT with a score comfortably above 121 can list Borlase's as a reach preference, but should not put it as the only grammar school on the form if they live some distance from Marlow.

What Makes Sir William Borlase's Grammar School Distinctive?

Several features make Borlase's stand out even within the already-strong Buckinghamshire grammar school group.

Founded in 1624. Sir William Borlase was a notable benefactor who established the school for local children in the Thames Valley. The school has operated continuously on the West Street site for four centuries. The history is not merely decorative — it shapes the school's sense of institutional identity, its strong alumni network, and its traditions, which many students and families find meaningful.

Ofsted Outstanding. The school has held an Outstanding Ofsted rating, reflecting high-quality leadership, teaching, and outcomes. Academic results consistently place Borlase's among the top grammar schools in the county and in England. GCSE and A-level performance in sciences, mathematics, humanities, and languages is well above national grammar school averages.

Co-educational throughout. Unlike many Buckinghamshire grammar schools — where single-sex entry at 11 is the norm — Borlase's is mixed from Year 7 through to Year 13. For families who prefer a co-educational environment, Borlase's is the primary grammar school option in south Buckinghamshire. The mixed environment is widely seen as a positive by families and the school values it as part of its identity.

Location and site. The school's West Street campus in Marlow is well-resourced and has been developed significantly in recent years. Marlow is accessible by train (Marlow branch line to Maidenhead, then Great Western Main Line) and by road from the A404. Many students travel in from Windsor, Maidenhead, Henley, Wycombe, and parts of west London.

Sixth form. The sixth form at Borlase's is selective — students need to meet GCSE grade thresholds to continue into Year 12 — but it draws from the school's own high-attaining Year 11 cohort and is academically excellent. A-level results are among the strongest in the region.

Preparation Timeline for Borlase's and the Buckinghamshire STT

Given Borlase's competition levels and the depth of preparation among Marlow families, children targeting the school should begin systematic preparation by Year 4 or early Year 5 at the latest. The three-phase preparation arc applies here as to every Bucks grammar school: foundations (all question types introduced) → timed practice (speed and accuracy) → full-paper stamina (mock tests, exam conditions).

For Borlase's specifically, the verbal paper deserves heightened attention. Because Borlase's draws from a population of children who are already broadly strong academically, the differentiator between qualifying and not qualifying — and between scoring 121 and scoring 130 — often lies in the verbal skills paper. Children in Marlow and surrounding areas who attend independent prep schools have often received explicit grammar and comprehension tuition, which may give them a baseline advantage in technical English. State primary school children can close this gap entirely with targeted preparation, but the preparation must cover technical English specifically — it is not addressed by most primary school assessments.

For a full breakdown of the STT format, question types, and timing strategy, see our dedicated Buckinghamshire 11+ format guide. For an overview of all 13 Buckinghamshire grammar schools — including how Borlase's compares — see our Buckinghamshire grammar schools hub. Our complete grammar school preparation guide covers every element of the 11+ preparation process from Year 4 to offer day.

Frequently Asked Questions