Can you move to a grammar school in a year different to year 7

[Luna9]

Just that really . If you didn't sit the 11plus is there a chance you can move to a grammar school in year 8, 9, etc.

Yes but it depends on a variety of things- you would need to check the schools admissions policy.

My children’s school admits around 25 children in year 9 (basically an extra class) as do a number of others. All schools will admit into KS3 if they have a space (late transfer).

Once in KS4 policies vary.

Forgot to say to sit any transfer tests (after 11+) you will need to show eligibility for testing (basically high SATs)

Yes if you pass the test and there is room.

Each school is different, and has different policies. There is usually another sitting if the entrance exam for newcomers in our authority, and if your child passes, they can go on the waiting list for the school(s) you want....but our grammars are super-selective, so waiting list is purely in order of score on the exam. Just passing isn't enough, and you may spend the entire five years of secondary school somewhere around No. 143 on the list...

Transfer in at 6th form is more usual, btw, as there is then a verifiable standard of attainment.

Where are you Luna9?

My daughter has had a few new girls at her Grammar in Y8 and Y9 - they sat the 12+

Forgot to add - they joined as other girls left - so dependant on spaces being available

OP, are you looking for a co-ed, or single sex? The Bexley grammars do take a few in years 8+. You need to sit the 12+ exam, so speak to Bexley Council direct as I never found anything on their website re 12+. Newstead has movement at times, up to year 10, but generally not St Olave's which is very oversubscribed.

Few state grammars have a formal entrance at a stage other than Y7 or sixth form, as others have said it is more about if there are places. After the usual entrance round there is often a test for all those who want the very few places that come up. One school however does have a formal entrance at Y9, Cranbrook in Kent. It is a bit of an outlier and has recently moved to have some places allocated at Y7 but it still has quite a number of extra places at Y9.

Bucks has a process that the LA administers tests for y7 and y8 for around half of the Grammars. Some places might get offered but this wholly depends on vacancies. The other Grammars administer their own y8 and y9 entrance tests and their admissions are not on the LAs web site.

One grammar, Burnham, took quite a few into Y8 last year and Beaconsfield High took 20 into Y9. Therefore the picture is mixed. It is not clear whether a grammar school would find a place for an ultra bright child though. The information obviously does not tell you how bright the applicants were.

Many will recruit directly into their 6th forms though.

With my daughters its the 11 plus then sixth form if you've got pretty much straight As at GCSE elsewhere. I don't think there is another way in before that and very low drop out rates.

It does vary by school though but from what I can see in a super selective grammar area its incredibly difficult to even move from one grammar school to another. I have heard of grammars where they make say all 20 kids on the waiting list sit a test each time a place comes up and top one gets in but that's like finding a needle in a haystack. Look on websites of schools concerned.

My daughter was at a prep school (to year 8) in a grammar area. Some transferred out at yr 7 to the grammars. Of those who didn't, the boys almost never got to the grammar as there was never space, but it was common for a few spaces to be available for girls and the year she finished 2 or 3 got into the grammar. They had to pass an entrance test, and the places went to those at the top of the ranked list I believe. (only some of the year were sufficiently local to consider the grammar schools btw).

I have heard of grammars where they make say all 20 kids on the waiting list sit a test each time a place comes up and top one gets in

Yes, that's what the girls' grammar local to us does. The original test-based waiting list runs until December of y7, then after that you put your name on an "interested" list. Dd had her name on the list and we had a letter 3 or 4 times before the end of y9. (She decided not to try for it each time, but liked keeping her options open!) Once y10 has started they don't take any newcomers. I don't know what the boys' grammar do. But all the relevant information should be on the school websites.

Thank you.

We are looking at the Bexley grammars. Will check the school admissions and research the 12plus

Some areas will say that if you took the 11+ and didn't get in, you can't apply again until 6th form or even then (Only QE as far as I know doesn't even admit into 6th form). So any extra places created by people moving, tend to go to people moving to the area or the few who passed 11+ and chose to go elsewhere for whatever reason. I am talking here about schools without a 12+ intake and the super selectives.

Has your DC previously sat 11+ or is his the first time you're thinking about selective ed. Does the child have fab SATs to support their case?

There is a whole 11 plus forum which gave me very good advice a few years ago. Google "eleven plus forum". It has sections for each area.

There is a whole 11 plus forum here:

www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/forum/11plus/viewforum.php?f=64