174 places, qualifying score 121, test date 10 September 2026 — north Bucks' only co-ed grammar, founded 1423
Book a Free ConsultationRoyal Latin School is a co-educational selective grammar school for students aged 11 to 18, located on Chandos Road in Buckingham, Buckinghamshire (MK18 1AX). It is the only grammar school in north Buckinghamshire and admits 174 students into Year 7 each year via the Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test (STT), administered by GL Assessment. Founded in 1423 during the reign of Henry V, it is one of England's oldest surviving schools and the county's only pre-Reformation grammar school. Entry requires achieving the qualifying standard on the STT; where the school is oversubscribed, catchment area and distance determine who receives a place. This guide covers the test format, 2026 key dates, catchment area, admissions criteria, and the school's distinctive features.
The Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test (STT) is the shared selective assessment used by all 13 Buckinghamshire grammar schools, administered by The Buckinghamshire Grammar Schools (TBGS) using GL Assessment materials. A child who passes the STT is eligible to apply to any of the 13 schools — there is no separate test for Royal Latin School. One test, one set of results, thirteen schools to choose from.
The test consists of two papers, each lasting approximately 60 minutes, with a short break between them. All questions are multiple-choice. Scores are age-standardised before being combined into a single Secondary Transfer Test Score (STTS). The weighting is: 50% verbal ability (Paper 1), 25% numerical ability (Paper 2), and 25% non-verbal reasoning (Paper 2). This weighting has a direct implication for preparation: verbal skills deserve at least half of your child's preparation time.
Paper 1 tests verbal skills across three distinct components. English comprehension requires reading an unseen passage and answering multiple-choice questions testing inference, vocabulary in context, and understanding of the author's purpose. Technical English covers grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure — question types that rarely appear in primary school assessments but are learnable with targeted practice. Verbal reasoning covers word codes, letter analogies, sequences, and pattern questions involving language. Paper 2 covers maths (Key Stage 2 curriculum, problem-solving emphasis) and non-verbal reasoning (spatial patterns, matrices, shape sequences, and abstract logic).
Results are age-standardised, meaning a child born in August is not disadvantaged relative to one born in September. The qualifying standard is typically a standardised score of 121, though this is not fixed and can vary slightly depending on cohort performance year to year. Approximately 37% of children sitting the STT achieve a score of 121 or above.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Year 7 places | 174 |
| School type | Co-educational selective grammar school (ages 11–18) |
| Founded | 1423 (oldest grammar school in Buckinghamshire) |
| Location | Chandos Road, Buckingham, MK18 1AX |
| Test | Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test (STT), GL Assessment |
| Test format | 2 papers ×60 min, multiple-choice, age-standardised |
| Paper 1 weighting | Verbal ability: comprehension, technical English, verbal reasoning (50%) |
| Paper 2 weighting | Maths 25% + non-verbal reasoning 25% |
| Qualifying score | 121 (standardised; may vary slightly year to year) |
| Practice test | Tuesday 8 September 2026 |
| Main test date | Thursday 10 September 2026 |
| Results | Thursday 9 October 2026 |
| CAF deadline | Saturday 31 October 2026 |
| Sixth form | Non-selective (open to all secondary school students) |
| Open Evening 2026 | Thursday 2 July 2026, 4:30pm–8:00pm |
Royal Latin School's position as north Buckinghamshire's only grammar school gives it a distinctive profile in the admissions landscape. While the cluster of grammars in Aylesbury and High Wycombe compete for the same catchment families — meaning oversubscription criteria are applied very sharply — Royal Latin draws from a large, relatively sparse geographic area where it is the clear first choice for families in Buckingham and the surrounding north Bucks towns.
Approximately 9,500 children sit the Buckinghamshire STT each year across the county, competing for around 1,900 places in 13 schools — a county-wide pass rate of roughly one in five. Royal Latin's 174 places represent about 9% of the total grammar school capacity in the county. Historically, the school has attracted fewer candidates per place than the Aylesbury or High Wycombe grammars, partly because of its more northerly location and partly because many STT candidates are based in central or southern Buckinghamshire. However, families from Northamptonshire, Oxfordshire, and even south-west England sometimes target Royal Latin precisely for this reason, and the school is by no means under-subscribed.
The practical implication remains the same as for every Bucks grammar: reaching 121 is necessary but not sufficient. Children in the catchment who score well above 121 are in the strongest position. Children outside the catchment need to score sufficiently well that their distance ranking places them inside the cut-off. The school's Open Evening on Thursday 2 July 2026 is the right moment to understand demand levels for the current cycle and to discuss catchment specifics with the admissions team directly.
Paper 1: Verbal Skills is worth 50% of the total score and has three components that many families conflate. English comprehension asks students to read an unseen passage — typically a narrative or non-fiction piece — and answer multiple-choice questions testing inference, vocabulary in context, and understanding of the author's purpose and technique. Comprehension benefits from wide, regular reading from Year 3 or 4 onwards; children who read a range of fiction and non-fiction develop the vocabulary stamina and analytical instinct that makes unseen passages feel manageable rather than daunting.
Technical English is the component most commonly underestimated in preparation. Questions cover: identifying grammatically incorrect sentences, selecting correctly punctuated versions, choosing the right word form (verb tense, adjective vs adverb), identifying clause types, and understanding how sentences are constructed. These question types do not feature prominently in KS2 assessments and therefore catch many children off-guard unless they have been specifically prepared. A child who has worked through GL Assessment-style technical English exercises from Year 4 onwards will find this section straightforward; one who has never encountered it before Year 6 will find it unexpectedly difficult.
Verbal reasoning uses a consistent set of GL Assessment question types: word codes (if CAT encodes to 3120, what does DOG encode to in the same rule?), word analogies, inserting missing letters, identifying the odd word out, and letter/number sequences. These formats are learnable and reward systematic exposure — children who have been taught each format explicitly, including the underlying logic and common traps, outperform children who have only guessed their way through practice papers.
Paper 2: Non-Verbal and Mathematical Skills begins with the maths section. The maths content covers the KS2 curriculum but with an emphasis on problem-solving: multi-step word problems, fractions, decimals, percentages, ratio, area, perimeter, angles, and data interpretation. The main differentiator between children with similar maths knowledge is timed fluency — children who practise regularly in timed conditions learn to work at the pace the test demands. Non-verbal reasoning tests spatial awareness and abstract logic: shape sequences, mirror images, matrices, rotations, and three-dimensional folding. The question formats are consistent across GL Assessment tests, making deliberate preparation very effective.
Most families whose children successfully enter Buckinghamshire grammar schools begin structured preparation in Year 4 or early Year 5 — roughly 12 to 18 months before the September test. This timeline is not about volume of work; it is about spacing and deliberate practice, so that the final weeks before the test are about refinement rather than frantic catch-up.
A well-structured programme for Royal Latin School typically runs in three phases. In the first phase (Year 4 to early Year 5), the focus is on building foundations: introducing all STT question types for the first time, addressing any gaps in the KS2 maths curriculum, and establishing a reading habit that supports comprehension and vocabulary development. No child needs to have seen verbal reasoning before starting preparation — these are teachable skills, not fixed abilities, and a child who starts in Year 4 has ample time to master every format before September of Year 6.
In the second phase (middle Year 5 to early Year 6), the focus shifts to timed practice. Children work through past papers and practice materials under realistic time constraints, learning to manage pace across both papers and to handle the transition between question types without losing momentum. A good tutor during this phase identifies which specific components are still fragile — often technical English or a specific verbal reasoning format — and addresses them directly rather than drilling what the child already does well.
In the third phase (June to September of Year 6), the work is about consolidation: mock tests under exam conditions, developing mental stamina for two hours of focused work, and managing test-day nerves. Children who enter September having followed this arc consistently are calm, confident, and performing close to their ceiling.
A practical note specific to north Bucks families: children attending Buckinghamshire state-funded primary schools are registered for the STT automatically, and parents who do not want their child to sit must actively withdraw before the deadline. Children at independent schools or schools outside Buckinghamshire must register manually between 1 May and 2 June 2026. Missing this window means the child cannot sit the test that year — it cannot be recovered.
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Our specialist tutors know the Bucks STT format in depth — including technical English and verbal reasoning, which many preparation programmes underweight. We are rated 4.8/5 on Trustpilot by parents whose children secured Buckinghamshire grammar school places. Book a free consultation or message us on WhatsApp.
Royal Latin School has a defined catchment area covering North Buckinghamshire, which includes the town of Buckingham and surrounding areas such as Steeple Claydon, Marsh Gibbon, and Winslow. A map of the catchment boundary is available for download from the school's admissions page and from Buckinghamshire Council's admissions guidance. Families should download the current-year admissions policy from the Royal Latin School website to confirm the most up-to-date catchment boundaries for 2027 entry.
When the school is oversubscribed with qualifying students (STTS of 121 or above), places are allocated in the following priority order: first, looked-after and previously looked-after children; second, children with exceptional medical or social need supported by written evidence; third, children with siblings currently at the school; fourth, children receiving Pupil Premium who live in the catchment area; fifth, all other qualifying students living in the catchment area, ranked by distance to school (straight-line measurement); sixth, qualifying students outside the catchment, ranked by distance to school.
The practical consequence is clear: catchment residency is a significant advantage when places are contested. A child scoring 125 who lives in Buckingham will be prioritised over a child scoring 130 who lives in, say, Northampton. Out-of-catchment applicants should not assume that a high standardised score automatically translates into a place — in competitive years, the offer cut-off for the sixth tier (out-of-catchment) may fall some distance above 121.
Families from the edges of north Buckinghamshire or from just across the county boundary in Northamptonshire or Oxfordshire should verify their catchment status early in the process. The distance measurement is straight-line (not road distance) from the child's home address to the school's main entrance. Distances in previous years can be requested from the school's admissions team as a guide, though these vary year to year.
Royal Latin School has several features that set it apart from other Buckinghamshire grammar schools, beyond its geography and age.
It is co-educational with a non-selective sixth form. Most Buckinghamshire grammar schools are single-sex at 11+ entry. Royal Latin is mixed from Year 7 and operates a non-selective sixth form open to students from any secondary school — comprehensive or grammar — who meet the academic entry requirements. This means the Year 12 and Year 13 cohort is broader and more diverse than at a typical grammar school sixth form. For families who value a co-educational environment throughout secondary school, Royal Latin is one of very few grammar options in the county. For families in north Bucks whose children attend comprehensive schools, the non-selective sixth form also opens a pathway into Royal Latin's academic environment at A-level even without an 11+ place.
It is the only grammar school in north Buckinghamshire. The nearest other grammar schools are in Aylesbury (approximately 14 miles south) or across the county boundary. This geographic reality means Royal Latin functions differently from the cluster of grammars in Aylesbury, where families can easily compare schools, visit multiple open evenings in the same week, and where competition for places from a dense urban population is very high. North Bucks families choosing Royal Latin are, in most cases, choosing the only realistic grammar option for daily travel — which gives the school a different character and community from the southern grammars.
It was founded in 1423. Very few schools in England — state or independent — have a documented continuous history of over 600 years. The pre-Reformation origin connects Royal Latin to a scholarly tradition that predates the modern grammar school concept by centuries. This history manifests in strong house systems, an active alumni network, and a particular sense of institutional identity that some families find meaningful alongside raw academic metrics.
Strong academic results. Royal Latin School consistently sends students to Russell Group universities, including Oxford and Cambridge. The school's academic programme is supported by specialist teachers and a broad A-level offer including sciences, humanities, languages, and arts subjects. The non-selective sixth form entry means A-level cohorts include a range of backgrounds, which the school views as an asset rather than a dilution of academic standards.
All 13 Buckinghamshire grammar schools use the same STT, so a child who qualifies is technically eligible to apply to any of them on the common application form. What determines where they attend is the preference order on that form and whether they meet the oversubscription criteria for each school listed. Families in north Buckinghamshire most commonly compare Royal Latin with schools further south, though in practice daily travel time limits realistic options for many families in the Buckingham area.
The closest other grammar schools to Royal Latin are Aylesbury Grammar School (boys-only, ~14 miles south), Aylesbury High School (girls-only), and Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School (mixed, ~14 miles south). These are practical options only for families with reliable transport or those willing to factor a daily commute of around 30–40 minutes each way into their planning. For families in Buckingham itself, Royal Latin is the clear primary choice.
For a comprehensive overview of all 13 Buckinghamshire grammar schools — including places, catchment areas, and oversubscription criteria — see our Buckinghamshire grammar schools guide 2026. For a full explanation of the test format, paper structure, and scoring, see our Buckinghamshire 11+ format guide 2026.
There is no qualifying score specific to Royal Latin School — all 13 Buckinghamshire grammar schools use the same Secondary Transfer Test, and the qualifying standard is a standardised score of 121. Reaching this standard makes a child eligible to apply to Royal Latin School, but does not guarantee a place if the school is oversubscribed. Where more qualifying students apply than places are available, the school's oversubscription criteria — including catchment area residency and distance to school — determine who receives an offer. Scoring well above 121 significantly strengthens a student's position, particularly for out-of-catchment applicants.
For 2027 Year 7 entry, the registration window runs from Friday 1st May 2026 to Tuesday 2nd June 2026. Students at Buckinghamshire state-funded primary schools are registered automatically; those at independent schools or schools outside Buckinghamshire must register manually during this window. The practice test is Tuesday 8th September 2026 and the main test is Thursday 10th September 2026. Results are emailed on Thursday 9th October 2026. The common application form must be submitted to your home local authority by Saturday 31st October 2026.
Yes. Royal Latin School has a defined catchment area covering North Buckinghamshire, including Buckingham, Steeple Claydon, Marsh Gibbon, and Winslow. When the school is oversubscribed, students living in the catchment area are prioritised over out-of-catchment applicants at an equivalent qualifying score. Catchment priority is applied after higher-priority criteria — looked-after children, Pupil Premium, siblings, and exceptional medical or social need — have been considered. Students outside the catchment can still secure places but must score sufficiently well that their position in the final tier falls within the offer cut-off for that year.
Royal Latin School operates a non-selective sixth form, meaning students from comprehensive schools, independent schools, or any secondary school can join in Year 12, provided they meet the academic entry requirements (typically strong GCSE grades). This is unusual among Buckinghamshire grammar schools. The non-selective sixth form broadens the school community significantly from Year 12 onwards and means families evaluating Royal Latin for its sixth form should not assume a purely grammar-school intake. It also makes Royal Latin a practical destination for students in north Buckinghamshire who attended comprehensive secondary schools but wish to pursue A-levels in a high-attaining environment.
Royal Latin School is the only grammar school in north Buckinghamshire, so families in Buckingham and surrounding north Bucks towns often have no comparable selective alternative within daily travel distance. It is co-educational with a non-selective sixth form — making it the only mixed grammar in this part of the county. Founded in 1423, it is the oldest grammar school in Buckinghamshire and one of England's oldest surviving schools. Unlike the cluster of grammars in Aylesbury or High Wycombe, Royal Latin serves a large, sparsely populated catchment where it functions as the sole local selective option for the entire north of the county.
Leading Tuition provides specialist 11+ preparation for Royal Latin School and all Buckinghamshire grammar schools. Our tutors are experienced with the STT's specific format — including the verbal skills paper's comprehension, technical English, and verbal reasoning components — and we structure preparation around the 50/25/25 weighting to make every session count. We work with students from Year 4 upwards, tailoring programmes to each child's starting level. We are rated 4.8/5 on Trustpilot by parents whose children have secured places across Buckinghamshire grammar schools. To discuss preparation, book a free consultation or message us on WhatsApp.
Leading Tuition prepares students for Royal Latin School and all Buckinghamshire grammar schools. We understand the STT's 50/25/25 weighting and tailor every session accordingly. Rated 4.8/5 on Trustpilot.
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