Oversubscription Criteria
The rules used to allocate grammar school places when more children qualify than places are available.
Definition
Oversubscription criteria are the rules each school uses to decide which qualifying children receive places when a school receives more applications than it has available places. All Buckinghamshire grammar schools use the same basic priority order: (1) looked-after children and previously looked-after children, (2) children with siblings currently at the school, (3) children living closest to the school by straight-line distance. Qualifying at 121 is the prerequisite — without a qualifying score, a child cannot be considered at all. But once qualified, distance is almost always the deciding factor. The exact distance cut-off varies year to year depending on the number of qualifying applicants.
Related Terms
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a higher 11+ score improve grammar school admission chances?
No. Once a child has qualified at 121, their exact score does not affect which place they receive. A child with 135 and a child with 121 are equal in the admissions process. Distance is the determining factor at oversubscribed schools — not score level.
12 questions across all four domains — instant GL-style score and readiness band. No account needed.