For children moving to secondary school in September 2028, Buckinghamshire has published an outline of the Secondary Transfer Test timetable. These dates concern the 2028 admission year, with testing in 2027.

Who is in this entry cohort?

Buckinghamshire Council lists children born between 1 September 2016 and 31 August 2017 as the normal age cohort starting Year 7 in September 2028. If your child is outside this cohort, ask the authority about an out-of-normal-age-group application rather than assuming the process is identical.

Confirmed or indicative milestones

According to Buckinghamshire Council’s published 2028 timeline:

  • May–June 2027: Secondary Transfer Test registration period. The council’s guidance describes this as early May to early June; check for exact dates when available.
  • Early September 2027: practice and transfer tests.
  • 1 September 2027: home-address cut-off for the main allocation at most Buckinghamshire grammar schools. Some individual policies may use an earlier date.
  • Mid-October 2027: transfer test results are expected.
  • 31 October 2027: general secondary-school application deadline; use the council’s official application guidance when the 2028 window opens.
  • 1 March 2028: normally the secondary-school offer date.

Do not treat broad windows such as “early September” as a confirmed appointment date.

Who must register?

The council says children attending state-funded primary schools in Buckinghamshire are generally entered for the test automatically. Families with children attending schools elsewhere, including Milton Keynes, should check the registration rules and register when required. Do not assume that being near the county border means automatic registration.

Why a qualifying score is not a place

Schools also apply their own oversubscription criteria to qualified pupils, including possible catchment and other priorities. The 1 September address statement is explicitly for most schools, not all; look up your chosen grammar school’s actual 2028 policy. Also apply for secondary school through your home local authority after the test process.

Simple family actions

Bookmark the Buckinghamshire timeline and each target grammar school’s admission arrangements. Add reminders to check registration and school applications. Use a balanced Year 5 preparation routine; avoid making a child complete full mock papers too frequently before building core skills.