11+ Tuition for John Hampden Grammar School
Specialist preparation for John Hampden Grammar from our High Wycombe centre, for the GL Assessment Bucks Secondary Transfer Test (TBGS).
John Hampden Grammar School is a boys’ grammar school in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire (ages 11–18). Its latest Ofsted outcome is Outstanding (2022). In 2024/25 it recorded a GCSE Attainment 8 of 72.3, with 97.8% of pupils achieving grade 5 or above in English and maths (Department for Education). About 180 pupils join Year 7 each year, selected through The Buckinghamshire Grammar Schools (qualifying score 121 (standardised)).
How do you get into John Hampden Grammar?
John Hampden Grammar School is a boys’ grammar school in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, for ages 11–18. Competition for places is strong: only 180 children are admitted to Year 7 each year, selected through the The Buckinghamshire Grammar Schools. Because places are decided mainly on the test score, focused preparation makes a real difference.
Think Smart Academy has been preparing children for the 11+ for over a decade. Our High Wycombe centre prepares John Hampden applicants for the Bucks Secondary Transfer Test. We teach Maths, English, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning in separate sessions rather than rushed combined lessons, and track progress with termly mock exams and parent reports. Classes are capped at eight students, and every child starts with a free diagnostic assessment so we can see where they need the most work.
John Hampden Grammar at a Glance
- Type
- Boys grammar, ages 11–18
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2022) (report)
- GCSE Attainment 8 (2024/25)
- 72.3 · DfE
- Grade 5+ in English & maths (2024/25)
- 97.8% · DfE
- A-level (2025)
- 75% at A*–B, 43% at A*–A (2025)
- Year 7 places
- 180
- Entrance test
- GL Assessment, Bucks Secondary Transfer Test (TBGS)
- Qualifying score
- 121 (standardised)
How does the John Hampden Grammar 11+ test work, and how are places allocated?
The Secondary Transfer Test (STT) assesses verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning and mathematics across two papers of about 60 minutes each, administered by Buckinghamshire Council for all Bucks grammar schools.
Qualifying score: A standardised Secondary Transfer Test Score of 121 or more automatically qualifies a child for a Buckinghamshire grammar school place.
How John Hampden Grammar allocates places: Selection is by the Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test (qualifying score 121). The school has Priority Areas A and B within its catchment, with remaining places offered in distance order.
September 2027 entry: key dates
- Registration
- Opens 10:00 on Fri 1 May 2026, deadline 15:00 on Tue 2 June 2026
- Test date
- 8 and 10 September 2026 (practice on the 8th, main test on the 10th)
A-level results at John Hampden Grammar (2025)
For families thinking beyond the 11+, here is how John Hampden Grammar performs at A-level.
- Grades at A*–A
- 43%
- Grades at A*–B
- 75%
- Average grade
- B+ · 42.23 pts
- AAB+ incl. facilitating (DfE)
- 31.4%
- A-level progress (DfE)
- Above average (+0.15)
A*–A (43%) and A*–B (75%) for 2025 are reported by the Good Schools Guide (the school publishes its own breakdown only in a non-public document). The average grade B+ (42.23 pts), AAB+ 31.4% and above-average progress are official DfE 2025 figures.
Source: The Good Schools Guide (with average grade, AAB+ and progress from the DfE) — view. Verified 22 May 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions: John Hampden Grammar 11+ Preparation
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Sources
School data on this page is taken from authoritative sources, last verified 22 May 2026: Ofsted (latest inspection report); the Department for Education’s Compare school and college performance service (GCSE 2024/25); and the school’s own admissions arrangements. A-level figures are from the Good Schools Guide (2025) plus official DfE measures (see the A-level section above for the exact source). Progress 8 is not shown because the DfE cannot calculate it for 2024/25 (no Key Stage 2 baseline after Covid-19).
