How do grammar school admissions work?

Which rules apply to grammar school admissions?

The rules come from the School Admissions Code 2021, in force since 1 September 2021Source for School admissions in England: Code editionSchool admissions in England: Code editionCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Department for Education (GOV.UK).The source says: Following public consultation and the Parliamentary process, a new school admissions code came into force on 1 September 2021.View the official source. The Code is statutory guidance from the Department for Education. It sets out what every admission authority must, must not and may do.

The admission authority is the body that sets a school's admission rules. For academies, foundation schools and voluntary aided schools, it is usually the school itself or its trust. For community and voluntary controlled schools, it is usually the local council. Many grammar schools are academies, so they set their own rules, which is why two grammar schools in the same area can use quite different criteria.

Each year, the admission authority "determines" its admission arrangements for a future entry year and publishes them. This document is usually called the admission policy. It is the single most important thing to read for any school you are considering.

What is a PAN?

PAN stands for published admission number. It is the number of places a school intends to offer in its normal entry year, which for grammar schools is usually Year 7. A school must admit up to its PAN if enough eligible children apply, and it may choose to admit above it.

A PAN on its own tells you little about your chances. What matters is how many eligible children want those places. For example, Torbay Council's figures for September 2026 entry show that Torquay Girls' Grammar School had an admission number of 192Source for Torbay 2026 entry: Admission numberTorbay 2026 entry: Admission numberCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Torbay Council.The source says: Admission number | 192View the official source, received 353Source for Torbay 2026 entry: ApplicationsTorbay 2026 entry: ApplicationsCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Torbay Council.The source says: Total number of preferences for places | 353View the official source applications and made 192Source for Torbay 2026 entry: OffersTorbay 2026 entry: OffersCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Torbay Council.The source says: All remaining places will be offered up to the 188th place. | 12 | | Total | 192View the official source offers. Not every applicant necessarily reached the required standard, so the number of applications is not the same as the number of children competing for places.

What happens when a school is oversubscribed?

A school is oversubscribed when more eligible children apply than it has places. It then goes through its oversubscription criteria in the published order, filling places group by group until none are left. When a group cannot all be offered places, a tie-breaker decides between them, often distance from home and sometimes random allocation.

Most policies follow a similar shape, though the details are each school's own:

1. Children with an education, health and care (EHC) plan naming the school. These children are admitted before the criteria are applied, because a school named in a child’s EHC plan must admit the childSource for A school named in an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) must admit the childA school named in an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) must admit the childCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Department for Education (GOV.UK).The source says: All children whose Education, Health and Care Plan names the school must be admitted.View the official source.
2. Looked-after and previously looked-after children. In general, children who are in care, or have been in care, get top prioritySource for Top priority for children in careTop priority for children in careCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Department for Education (GOV.UK).The source says: All state-funded schools must give top priority to admitting children who:View the official source.
3. Other priority groups, where a school chooses to use them. For example, schools may (but do not have to) prioritise children eligible for the pupil premium or service premiumSource for Priority for children eligible for the pupil premiumPriority for children eligible for the pupil premiumCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Department for Education (GOV.UK).The source says: Admission authorities may give priority in their oversubscription criteria to ... children eligible for the early years pupil premium , the pupil premium and also ... children eligible for the service premium .View the official source. Some schools also prioritise siblings or children of staff.
4. Where children live, through catchment areas, priority areas or distance.
5. A final tie-breaker for the last place.

Because schools choose their own criteria and order within the Code, always check the actual policy. Our guide to pupil premium priority and the 11+ covers how one of these priority groups works.

What is different about a grammar school?

A grammar school uses the same framework, with an extra step at the start: only children who meet the academic standard are considered. The Code says:

• only designated grammar schools may select all their pupils by ability, and they can leave places emptySource for Which schools may select every pupil by abilityWhich schools may select every pupil by abilityCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Department for Education (GOV.UK).The source says: Only designated grammar schools are permitted to select their entire ... intake on the basis of high academic ability . They do not have to fill all of their places if applicants have not reached the required standard.View the official source. So a grammar school may have fewer pupils than its PAN if not enough children reach the standard.
• selective schools must publish their entry requirements and selection processSource for What selective schools must publishWhat selective schools must publishCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Department for Education (GOV.UK).The source says: The admission authorities for all selective schools must publish the entry requirements for a selective place and the process for such selection in their admission arrangements.View the official source. The policy will explain the test, the standard and how the score is used.
• Tests must be clear, objective and an accurate reflection of the child’s ability, whatever their sex, race or disabilitySource for Tests must be clear and objectiveTests must be clear and objectiveCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Department for Education (GOV.UK).The source says: Tests for all forms of selection must be clear, objective, and give an accurate reflection of the child’s ability or aptitude, irrespective of sex, race, or disability.View the official source.
• test scores cannot be adjusted for things like having a sibling at the schoolSource for Test scores are not adjusted for admission rulesTest scores are not adjusted for admission rulesCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Department for Education (GOV.UK).The source says: Admission authorities must not adjust the score achieved by any child in a test to take account of oversubscription criteria, such as having a sibling at the school.View the official source. Priority groups decide the order among eligible children; they do not add marks.
• On children in care, at grammar schools that set a pass mark, looked-after and previously looked-after children who reach the standard get prioritySource for Children in care and grammar school placesChildren in care and grammar school placesCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Department for Education (GOV.UK).The source says: Where admission arrangements are not based solely on highest scores in a selection test, the admission authority must give priority in its oversubscription criteria to all looked after children and previously looked after children who meet the pre-set standards of the ability test.View the official source.

After that, schools differ. Some offer places in rank order of score; others treat all children who reach the standard as equal and then apply criteria such as distance. Our guide to super-selective and county grammar schools explains these two patterns.

On timing, the Code says admission authorities must take all reasonable steps to tell you the test outcome before 31 October, and must make clear that the outcome does not by itself mean a selective placeSource for Test results before the application deadlineTest results before the application deadlineCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Department for Education (GOV.UK).The source says: take all reasonable steps to inform parents of the outcome of ... selection tests before the closing date for secondary applications on 31 October so as to allow parents time to make an informed choice of school - while making clear that this does not equate to a guarantee of a selective place.View the official source.

What must schools not do?

Some protections in the Code matter a lot to families applying to grammar schools:

• No first-preference advantage. schools must not give extra priority because of the order in which you rank themSource for No extra priority for naming a school firstNo extra priority for naming a school firstCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Department for Education (GOV.UK).The source says: give extra priority to children whose parents rank preferred schools in a particular order, including ‘first preference first’ arrangements;View the official source. Our guide on how to rank your school preferences explains what this means for your form.
• No penalty for living in another council area. children must not be treated less favourably simply because they live outside the council area where the school is (the "Greenwich judgment")Source for Fair treatment for children from other areasFair treatment for children from other areasCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Department for Education (GOV.UK).The source says: held that pupils should not be discriminated against in relation to ... admission to the school simply because they reside outside the local authority area in which the ... school is situated.View the official source. A school can still use catchment or distance rules, but it cannot favour children simply because they live in its own council area.
• Clear rules on where you live. each school must say exactly how it measures distance and decides your home addressSource for How schools must explain distanceHow schools must explain distanceCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Department for Education (GOV.UK).The source says: Admission authorities must clearly set out how distance from home to the school and/or any nodal points used in the arrangements will be measured.View the official source, and catchments must be reasonable and clearly defined; living outside one does not stop you applyingSource for Rules for catchment areasRules for catchment areasCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Department for Education (GOV.UK).The source says: Catchment areas do not prevent parents who live outside the catchment of a particular school from expressing a preference for the school.View the official source. See grammar school catchment areas explained for how to check these.

What happens after offers are made?

Children who are not offered a place can usually ask to go on the school's waiting list. Under the Code, admission authorities must keep a waiting list until at least 31 December of the year of admissionSource for Waiting lists are kept until at leastWaiting lists are kept until at leastCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Department for Education (GOV.UK).The source says: Each admission authority must maintain a clear, fair, and objective waiting list until at least 31 December of each school year of admission,View the official source. Waiting lists are ranked by the same oversubscription criteria, not by when you joined. Our guide to grammar school waiting lists covers the details.

You can also appeal against a refusal. Appeals are heard by an independent panel; see our guide to 11+ appeals.

What if you think a school's admission rules are unfair?

Anyone can object to a school's admission arrangements, for example if a rule seems unclear or against the Code. Objections go to the Schools Adjudicator, an independent office. GOV.UK says the deadline is 15 May of the year before the year you are applying forSource for School admissions in England: Adjudicator deadlineSchool admissions in England: Adjudicator deadlineCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Department for Education (GOV.UK).The source says: You need to complain by 15 May of the year before you’re applying for a place.View the official source. This is a way to challenge the rules for future entry, not a way to get a place for your own child this year.

How should you read a grammar school's admission policy?

Find the determined policy for your child's entry year, usually on the school's website, and work through these questions:

1. What is the PAN? How many places are there?
2. What is the test, and what standard is needed? Is there a qualifying score, or are places given in score order?
3. Who has priority among eligible children, and in what order? Look at every numbered criterion.
4. Is there a catchment, priority area or distance limit? How is distance measured?
5. What is the tie-breaker?
6. Are extra forms or evidence needed, such as a supplementary form or pupil premium evidence, and by when?
7. What do past allocation figures show, where published? They describe past years only.

If anything is unclear, contact the school or your council's admissions team. They answer these questions every year.

Related pages

• What is a grammar school?
• How to choose a grammar school
• Secondary school applications (the CAF) explained
• Applying to a grammar school outside your local authority
• How hard is the 11+?

Sources

Facts on this page come from archived official sources checked on 9 October 2026: the School Admissions Code 2021 and GOV.UK school admissions guidance (Department for Education), and Torbay Council.

ExamKind is independent, is not connected with any school or council, and takes no position on whether selection by ability is right or wrong. How we make our content.