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11-Plus Results 2026: What to Do Next, Whether Your Child Passed or Not

11-plus results for September 2027 entry arrive this month: Buckinghamshire's Secondary Transfer Test results are due on 9 October 2026 and Kent Test results on 15 October. Whatever the letter says, the next deadline is the same for everyone: the secondary school application must reach your home council by 31 October 2026. This page explains how to read the result, what to do if your child qualified, what options remain if they did not, and the dates between now and National Offer Day on 1 March 2027.

First: a result is not a school place

The single most common misunderstanding on results day is that passing the 11-plus gives a child a grammar school place. It does not. A pass, or "qualifying score", only makes a child eligible to be considered. Places are then allocated through the normal council application, using each school's own oversubscription criteria, such as distance, catchment or score ranking. That is why the 31 October application matters more than the results letter itself.

The reverse is also true: not qualifying does not stop you naming a grammar school on the form, and naming one does not harm your chances at the other schools you list. Our guide to ranking school preferences explains why.

If your child qualified

1. Check the admissions rules for each grammar school you like. Some admit by distance among qualifiers; super-selective schools rank by score, so qualifying is the start, not the end. The previous year's allocation data, usually published by the council or the school, shows how far away or how high scoring the last child offered a place was.
2. List schools in your true order of preference. Under the equal preference system the council considers every school you name equally, then offers the highest-ranked school that can admit your child. Tactical ordering does not help.
3. Use all your preferences, including a realistic non-selective school. If every school you name is oversubscribed and you do not get any, the council allocates a school with spaces, which may be a long way from home.
4. Submit by 31 October. Late applications are usually dealt with only after on-time ones.

If your child did not qualify

Kent: the Headteacher Assessment has already happened

In Kent, primary headteachers receive results at the beginning of October and can refer a child who narrowly missed the standard to a Headteacher Assessment panel. The panel looks at samples of the child's work, the writing task from the Kent Test and the headteacher's evidence. It is done confidentially before results are sent, so parents do not apply. If it succeeds, your results letter says the child has been assessed suitable for grammar school, and that decision counts at every Kent grammar school on equal terms with a test pass. If your letter says "not suitable", there is no further review in Kent before allocation; your route is an appeal later (see below).

Buckinghamshire: request a Selection Review

In Buckinghamshire, if your child scored below 121 you can ask for a Selection Review. Reviews take place in December and January and consider evidence that the test did not reflect your child's ability. If the review is successful, your child qualifies for all Buckinghamshire grammar schools. To benefit, you must still name your preferred Buckinghamshire grammar schools on the secondary application by 31 October, even though your child has not qualified yet. Buckinghamshire Council's results page explains how to request one.

Other areas

Each selective area runs its own scheme, and many publish results in mid-October. Some offer a review, some do not. Check your council's 11-plus page for the exact deadline, which is often only days after results. Our explainer on 11-plus pass marks covers how the main areas set their thresholds.

Appeals come later

You cannot appeal an 11-plus mark. What you can appeal is a refusal of a school place, once offers are made on 1 March 2027. For a grammar school, the appeal panel has to consider both whether your child is of grammar school ability and whether the school can take another pupil. Buckinghamshire says independent admission appeals will run from May 2027. Our guides to grammar school admissions and the school admission appeals process explain what panels look for.

Talking to your child about the result

Children often take the result harder, or more lightly, than parents expect. Keep the focus on what happens next rather than on the score: they will be going to secondary school next September either way. If the result is a disappointment, avoid comparing scores with friends, and remember that most children in selective areas go to non-selective schools, many of which get excellent results. Visiting a non-selective school's open evening before 31 October can help everyone see a good option clearly.