Dr Challoner’s Grammar School
Stay ahead with exclusive tips on the Buckinghamshire 11+ exam for Dr Challoner’s Grammar School
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With a proven track record in preparing pupils for the 11 Plus, Marie Redmond MEd and her team of exceptional, fully qualified and experienced primary teachers (not ‘tutors’) provide specialist tuition focused on your child’s individual learning needs.
Our unique 11 Plus tuition courses in Amersham, Aylesbury, Beaconsfield, Chalfont St Peter, High Wycombe, Reading (Winnersh, Wokingham), Slough and Stoke Poges are structured to give children the confidence they need to sit and pass exams in a friendly, stress-free environment.
Introduction to the Buckinghamshire Transfer Test (Bucks 11 Plus)
To apply for a place at a Buckinghamshire grammar school (including Dr Challoner’s Grammar School), your child will need to pass the Buckinghamshire Transfer Test (11 Plus exam). The Buckinghamshire test is provided by GL Assessment and the pass mark is 121. Children born between 1st September 2011 and 31st August 2012 will take the exam on Thursday 15th September 2022* to secure a Buckinghamshire grammar place for September 2023.
* This date is currently provisional for children who do not attend a Buckinghamshire primary or partner school or who do not live in Bucks. The test date for these children will be confirmed later in the year.
FAQs
The GL exam consists of two papers, taken on the same day, each approximately 45 minutes in duration and testing three areas – verbal, mathematical and non-verbal reasoning skills. The first paper tests verbal skills, including comprehension, English technical and verbal reasoning. The second paper tests non-verbal reasoning, spatial reasoning and maths. All questions on both papers are multiple choice and pupils indicate their answers on a separate answer sheet.
A Familiarisation booklet, produced by GL Assessment, contains information about the content of the tests, some advice about taking the tests and a few sample questions. You can see the most recent booklet here >
You can also find example papers on the website of GL Assessment.
- You do not need to register your child if they attend a Buckinghamshire Local Authority primary school.
- If your child goes to a Partner School or a school in another Local Authority area, you will need to register on the Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Testing Registration Form.
- Registration for the 2022 exam (for children who attend partner schools and out of county schools), opened at 10am on 6th May 2022 and will close at 3pm on 17th June 2022.
- For more information about the Buckinghamshire 11 Plus, visit the Buckinghamshire Council website or The Buckingamshire Grammar Schools. You can also contact the Buckinghamshire Council Admissions team here.
What is required to pass the Bucks 11 Plus and help secure a place at Dr Challoner’s Grammar School?
Verbal skills (50% of the mark)
- Comprehension
- Verbal reasoning (the production of words, relationships between words, letters and numbers)
- Vocabulary
- Spelling
- Grammar
- Punctuation
Mathematical skills (25% of the mark)
- Basic skills (addition, multiplication, division and subtraction)
- Mental maths development
- Problem solving techniques
- Extracting information from graphs and tables
- Averages
- Foundation algebra concepts
- Fractions, decimals and percentages
- Ratio and proportion
- Area and volume
- 2d and 3d shapes
Non-verbal skills (25% of the mark)
- Spatial awareness
- Logical deduction skills
- Mathematical concepts such as symmetry, rotation and reflection
- Identifying relationships, similarities and differences between figures
- Identifying sequences between shapes
11+ Mock Exams With Marie Redmond 11+ Intelligent Video Learning®
Get exam ready with Marie Redmond Tuition® GL Assessment-style Buckinghamshire 11 Plus Mock Exams. Students who sat our Buckinghamshire mock exams in 2021 said they were very similar to the actual test, which made them feel prepared and confident when sitting the exam.
Marie Redmond's Superbrain® 11+ Resources
Our range of Marie Redmond’s Superbrain® Books are provided exclusively to Year 5 students and will be expanding to Year 4 from autumn 2022. Using the knowledge gained during her ten years of preparing students for the 11+ and independent school entrance exams, Marie Redmond MEd has written a number of instructional verbal reasoning and maths books. The verbal reasoning holiday course books are provided exclusively to students attending our 11+ Easter and 11+ summer holiday courses; the verbal reasoning and maths books are provided exclusively to students enrolled on our Year 5 term-time courses. Marie Redmond’s Superbrain® 11 Plus Flash Cards are given to all our term time students when they join, to supercharge their vocabulary skills.
Our Expanded Range of Marie Redmond’s Superbrain® Books for Year 5 Courses Starting in September 2022
The Marie Redmond Tuition® Book Club
Sharing our enjoyment of books is a fantastic way to encourage reading and therefore develop vocabulary and comprehension at home. The Marie Redmond Tuition® Book Club is an excellent platform for discussions about books, opportunities for creativity and promoting reading for pleasure. Discover our book of the month.
Our courses are led by qualified primary teachers and prepare pupils for all aspects of the Buckinghamshire 11 Plus
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