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Applying to a grammar school outside your local authority

The short answer

You can apply to a grammar school in a different council area from where you live. You register for that area's test directly, usually by an early deadline, and then name the school on your own council's application. Your child is treated fairly as an out-of-area applicant, but many grammar schools give priority to children living in a catchment area or nearby, so check whether offers have reached homes like yours.

What to do next

  1. Step 1: Register for that area’s test

    Register directly with the other area, usually by an early deadline.

    Key dates by area

  2. Step 2: Name the school on your own council’s application

    By31 OctoberSchool place applications close (common application form, CAF)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against GOV.UK.The source says: You must apply for a secondary school place by 31 October.View the official source

    You apply through your home council, even for schools in another area.

  3. Step 3: Check how far offers have reached

    Many grammar schools give priority to children who live in a catchment area or nearby.

Is it allowed?

Yes. The School Admissions Code says a parent can apply for any state-funded school in any areaYou can apply to schools in any council areaChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Department for Education (GOV.UK).The source says: a parent can apply for a place for their child at any state-funded school in any area.View the official source. It also refers to case law: children must not be treated less favourably simply because they live outside the council area where the school is (the "Greenwich judgment")Fair treatment for children from other areasChecked 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.

That doesn't mean every school treats everyone the same: schools can still give priority by catchment or distance. But the council boundary on its own should not count against you.

What are the steps?

  1. Find the test and registration deadline. Out-of-area children usually have to register for the test themselves, often months before the test. In Buckinghamshire, for example, children at state-funded Bucks primary schools are entered automatically, and parents can choose to withdraw themBuckinghamshire: Children who live in the countyChecked 9 Oct 2026 against The Bucks Grammar Schools (TBGS).The source says: If your child attends a state-funded Buckinghamshire primary school they will automatically sit the test unless parents withdraw them from testing.View the official source; everyone else must register, and for 2027 entry registration closed on 2 June 2026Buckinghamshire 2027 entry: Registration closesChecked 9 Oct 2026 against The Bucks Grammar Schools (TBGS).The source says: 2June 2026, 3pm - registration closesView the official source.
  2. Sit the test at the venue the area or school gives you, which may not be your child's own school.
  3. Apply through your home council. you apply through your own local council, even for schools in another council areaWho you apply throughChecked 9 Oct 2026 against GOV.UK.The source says: You apply through your local council even if you’re applying for schools in another council area or you’ve just moved to England.View the official source. Name the out-of-area school on your own council's application by 31 OctoberSchool place applications close (common application form, CAF)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against GOV.UK.The source says: You must apply for a secondary school place by 31 October.View the official source (check your council's exact closing time).
  4. Send any school-specific forms, such as a supplementary form or pupil premium evidence, directly to the school by its deadline.

Will living outside the area affect your chances?

It depends on each school's admission rules:

  • Catchment schools may offer few or no places to children outside the catchment in a typical year. The Code says catchments must be reasonable and clearly defined; living outside one does not stop you applyingRules for catchment areasChecked 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.
  • Distance-based schools fill their last places with the children living closest, so it depends how far offers reach.
  • Score-order schools may admit high scorers from further away, but some limit how far applicants can live.

Our school pages show past allocations where councils publish them. They describe past years only, but they give a realistic picture.

What practical things should you think about?

  • The journey every day for seven years, in all weathers and at school times.
  • Friendships if your child moves away from their local peer group.
  • Your local options: your home council will offer a local school if none of your named schools can offer a place, so choose your other preferences with care.

What if you are moving into the area?

Check each school's address cut-off date and evidence requirements; see moving house for a grammar school. If you miss the main registration window, see late applications and late tests.

Sources

Facts on this page come from the School Admissions Code 2021 and GOV.UK school admissions guidance, archived on 9 October 2026, and our verified Buckinghamshire records.

ExamKind is independent and is not connected with any school or council. How we make our content.

Facts used in this guidesources in each row
FactDetailSource
You can apply to schools in any council areaa parent can apply for any state-funded school in any areaSource: Department for Education (GOV.UK), checked
Fair treatment for children from other areaschildren must not be treated less favourably simply because they live outside the council area where the school is (the "Greenwich judgment")Source: Department for Education (GOV.UK), checked
Buckinghamshire: Children who live in the countyparents can choose to withdraw themSource: The Bucks Grammar Schools (TBGS), checked
Buckinghamshire 2027 entry: Registration closes2 June 2026Source: The Bucks Grammar Schools (TBGS), checked
Who you apply throughyou apply through your own local council, even for schools in another council areaSource: GOV.UK, checked
School place applications close (common application form, CAF)31 OctoberSource: GOV.UK, checked
Rules for catchment areascatchments must be reasonable and clearly defined; living outside one does not stop you applyingSource: Department for Education (GOV.UK), checked

Written and checked by the ExamKind Editorial Team. Every fact on this page links to its official source. ExamKind is independent: no test provider, school or council owns us, and we have no ads. Spotted a mistake? Report an error on this page, or see every correction we have made.