Grammar schools and selective admissions: what buyers need to know

Where grammar schools exist

There are around 163 grammar schools in England, concentrated in specific areas. No new grammar schools have been opened since 1998. The counties and areas with significant grammar school provision include:

• Kent — the only fully selective county in England
• Buckinghamshire — fully selective
• Lincolnshire, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire — partially selective
• Parts of Greater London — several grammar schools in Barnet, Sutton, Kingston
• Trafford, Wirral, Slough, Reading — pockets of selective provision

Outside these areas, grammar schools don't exist as state schools. Private selective schools (independent schools) operate everywhere but charge fees.

How grammar school admissions work

Children sit the 11-plus (or equivalent test) in Year 6, typically in September. If they pass — achieving above the qualifying score — they become eligible to apply. Being eligible doesn't guarantee a place; if the school is oversubscribed among eligible children, it then uses tiebreakers.

Those tiebreakers vary by school but commonly include:

• Looked-after children
• Siblings of existing pupils
• Distance from the school — proximity matters here, but only among eligible children
• Some schools give priority to children from specific feeder primary schools

This means proximity to a grammar school affects your chances only if your child passes the test. Living on the doorstep of a grammar school with a child who doesn't pass the 11-plus does not help.

What buying near a grammar school actually means

The property premium near grammar schools is real — research consistently shows 5–15% higher prices within typical travel distances. But unlike non-selective school premiums, this premium doesn't come from catchment access. It comes from:

• Association and aspiration — desirable areas attract higher prices regardless of whether residents access the school
• A distance tiebreaker advantage — among eligible children, being closer helps when the school is oversubscribed
• Area quality effects — grammar school areas tend to have better non-selective provision too

If your child passes the 11-plus, proximity improves but doesn't guarantee access. If your child doesn't pass, the premium provides no school access benefit.

The non-selective secondary in a grammar area

In fully selective areas like Kent and Buckinghamshire, children who don't pass the 11-plus attend “secondary modern” schools (often now called upper schools or academies). These schools take the full non-selective cohort. Their Ofsted ratings and performance data should be checked separately — the presence of grammar schools in an area concentrates higher-attaining pupils in selective schools, which affects outcomes at non-selective schools in the same area.

If you're buying in a selective area and your child doesn't sit or doesn't pass the 11-plus, the relevant school is the local non-selective secondary — not the grammar school. Check its Ofsted rating, results, and admissions separately.

Checking grammar schools near a property

Search any address on movegrid to see the schools nearest to a property, including whether they are selective. For admissions details — test registration deadlines, qualifying scores, and tiebreaker criteria — go directly to the school's admissions page or the local authority prospectus.