Grammar schools - if you don't go in at 11+, are there sometimes places as people move on later?

[Conundrumish]

I'm guessing the answer is yes, as some people must move due to job changes etc. If so, how do you go about applying?

DH's job may change in the future, but we are not in the position to move right now.

I went to a grammar and kids definitely joined at later years due to moving into the area or having to leave private school. I'd have thought that you have to contact the school concerned, see if they have places and see if they're happy to accept reports and sat scores, etc or if they want your child to take an entrance exam.

I worked in a High school for a while and we had at least 2 boys transfer to the grammar - one in Y8 and one in Y9.

You need to phone he school concerned and ask if there is space in the particular year group that the child would be in. Spaces do become available. Some schools will allocate to children who were on the waiting list originally, others will just allow anyone to take a test to see if they are suitable to take the space. This happened to my friend who joined at the end of Y7, a girl had left and she took the same exams as we had taken for end of year, maths, english and science and was offered a place. The school didn't take from the previous waiting list as they felt the children would have settled in new schools by then. Her mum just applied when they moved to the area and there happened to be space and she was deemed able enough to join the school.

I went to grammar school many moons ago, and certainly new pupils joined the school as they moved into the area. These days I should imagine there is a lot more movement as jobs are less secure and people do seem to move more often. I guess you just apply directly to the school, and if there are places available the child would either have to take a test or they might go on school reports from previous school. After O levels, quite a few girls at my school moved on to college or elsewhere, so there were new girls coming in for the sixth form. My sister actually moved from her comp to the grammar for A levels too (she didn't pass the 11+ originally).

As ever, the answer is "it depends"
It depends what you mean by 'Grammar'. There are Grammars where the whole county is selective (so about 25% go to Grammar) and then there are legacy Grammar where there are only one or two left in the county and they are super-selective (about 5%).
Ours are super-selective. Their normal intake is Year 7. They take less than a handful in Year 8 where the Y7 also-ran are invited to sit another test. Very occasionally they take children at other times but they are truly exceptional as evidenced by their stories in the paper eg arrived as a refugee, speaking not a word of English, and only three years later got 12 A* GCSE. There is much more movement at sixth form level.

DS's school has a Yr9 entrance test to allow for those moving from Prep schools. They have 110 boys in Yr7&8, rising to 120 in Yr9. Anyone joining after yr 7 has to do a harder exam involving a language paper to ensure they can keep up with those already there.

There is also a 12+, taken by pupils in Y7 who want to move across. I can only say, my son is in y11 and only one place has become availbale in 4 years (due to a pupil moving elsewhere)

I think there was more movement in the past, but these days, with grammar places so sought after, and people moving to the area specifically for the schools, the chances of gaining a place are slim.

I looked at one top grammar school's policy and, as CustardCake said, all interested parties can take the test. Applicants must exceed a certain score, and then it goes on distance from the school. I reckoned to be in with a chance my ds would have to be a genius and we would have to be living in the caretaker's hut.

We moved house when DS1 was 13.
He was at a Grammar school in Kent and we applied for a place in Glos to start in yr 9.

Amazingly they had several places available and he ended up being one of 5 new boys that September. He didn't need to take a test as he was already at a Grammar, just needed approval of the Governors.
Not sure of the circumstances of most of the other new boys, but one had come from a local comp and took a test prior to entry (unfortunately he didn't settle and left after a year to return to his comp).

Yes my son joined in Y10 for GCSE's but it was a bit of a palaver, they wanted grades, cats scores etc. but I don't think its the norm. As gramercy says lots of people move to the area to try and gain a place and so are reluctant to move once a place is secured. However, there seems to be much move movement in the 6th form and many more join the grammar schools, although they usually ask for higher grades at GCSEs

I think it depends on the school. I was at a super selective grammar (only 3 years since I left) and in the 7 years I was there 1 person joined the school in year 8. That was it, no one else joined (apart from the Y7 intake) or left at all. Because it was literally the only girls grammar for miles around once someone was in they did not leave. There were parents who turned down job offers etc to ensure girls stayed in the school.

In other areas where there are more grammar schools the intake might be far more fluid.

If you pass the test and it's distance that was the problem then places do come up later - we got offered one on the first day of term which we didn't take (child settled in by then elsewhere) and there were a number of places available at that point.

Later on, it actually gets more difficult as people sit the 12+ and new people move in to the area. We've been on the waiting list for another grammar school for four years (I left us on the list as was curious as to whether we'd ever get in) - my child is now in Year 10 and we've actually gone DOWN the waiting list rather than up it over the years mainly due to people moving into the area.