School Address

Contact Information

Email Address enquiries@swbgs.com

Telephone (Main Office) 01628 816500

Website Address https://www.swbgs.com

Parking in the school

There is no parking on the school site for visitors. Parking near the school can be found below, all within a 10 minute walk.

• West Street Parking, 71 West Street, Marlow SL7 2BS (Opening Times – Mon-Sun All Day)
• Pound Lane Parking, Pound Lane, Marlow SL7 2UE (Opening Times – Mon-Sun All Day)
• Riley Road Parking, Riley Road, Marlow, SL7 2NL  (Opening Times – Mon-Sun All Day)

The STT: Overview

There are four key components to the STT, which is overseen and marked by the GL Exam Board, making it a GL 11 Plus Exam. The STT will assess candidates competency in English, Verbal Reasoning (VR), Non-verbal Reasoning (NVR) and Maths. For an in depth breakdown of the GL 11 Plus in Buckinghamshire, please visit our article ‘Selective Tests in Buckinghamshire – The GL 11 Plus Test’.

Overview:

The test consists of two exam papers, each taking approximately 60 minutes in length.

• Paper One: Verbal Reasoning (VR) & English: VR and English each have their own section.

• Paper Two: Non-verbal Reasoning (NVR) & Mathematics: NVR will include Spatial Reasoning (SR) too, and will have its own section. Maths will have its own section.

TBGS GL 11 Plus Test: Pass Criteria

Test scores are received by October for the following year of entry.  It is notable that younger children are not penalised for their age, the results are statistically standardised to compare any child’s score average to the average score of their school year. Further, there is no ‘pass mark’, for the STT; instead, admission is based on whether a candidate has met a ‘qualifying score’. This is the minimum aggregate score received upon sitting the STT that a child must receive in order to be eligible for admission to Sir William Borlase’s Grammar School. However, the ‘qualifying mark’ can vary from year to year. Although the qualifying mark cannot be predicted, it is estimated that the top 25% of students will achieve the qualifying mark 

Catchment Area

Sir William Borlase’s Grammar School uses a catchment area in its eligibility and oversubscription criteria. This catchment area can be found on the school website at https://www.swbgs.com/attachments/download.asp?file=9&type=pdf ; it is used within the school’s oversubscription criteria, as children living in this catchment area will be prioritised.

Oversubscription criteria:

Where the number of eligible admissions exceeds the number of places at Dr Challoner’s School, offers for a place at the school are made on a tiered basis. As a general rule, the prerequisite to meet the “qualifying score” still must be met, or the child must qualify for the school through a Selection Review. A summarised version of the oversubscription criteria is below. However, it is advisable that you read the whole oversubscription criteria, found in the 2023 Admissions Policy at https://www.swbgs.com/attachments/download.asp?file=1089&type=pdf 

1. A Looked After or Previously Looked After* child who has received a score of at least 110 in the STT (children falling into this category therefore don’t have to meet the prerequisite score of 121);
2. Up to a maximum of 10 places for children attracting the Pupil Premium**, living in the catchment area, who scored between 110 and 120 on the STT (children falling into this category do not have to meet the prerequisite standard of 121). In the event that more than 10 children fall into this category, priority is given to children who live closest to the school;
3. Children eligible for Free School Meals, who score 121 on the STT or qualify to the school through a Selection Review;
4. A maximum of 15 places for children who live in the school’s Priority Admissions area (outlined in the catchment map) and who have lived there since October of the preceding year of entry;
5. Eligible children of staff where the member of staff has been employed there for 2 or more years, or the member of staff has been employed to fill a vacant post for which there is a demonstrable skill shortage;
6. Children living in the catchment area of the school on October of the preceding year of entry;
7. Siblings of children in years 7 to 12 who are on roll of the school at the time allocations are made and who are expected to be on the roll of the school at the time of proposed admission;
8. Children who have exceptional medical or social needs which can only be met at the school;
9. Once the above rules have been applied, any further places are offered in distance order;

Additional Eligibilities:

• 10 of the 150 places in Year 7 are prioritised to students who are eligible for the Pupil Premium** and who are living in the schools catchment area of October of the preceding year of entry, whose score would not otherwise qualify them for admission.
• The score must be an aggregate score of at least 110 on the STT. 
• These places must be applied for by October of the preceding year of entry for first priority. If they’re not applied for, they will be allocated using the rules, in their order of priority, in the oversubscription criteria.

*A Looked After or Previously Looked After boy is one who is in or has previously been in state authority care.

**A child eligible for free school meals must be eligible for them from 31st October of the preceding year of entry, and must remain eligible at the date of entry.

For a full and detailed breakdown of the admissions process and to understand which category your child falls into, please visit the school’s 2023 admissions policy at https://swbgs.com/attachments/download.asp?file=1089&type=pdf