Upton Court Grammar School 11 plus guide

About Upton Court Grammar School

Upton Court Grammar School is a mixed grammar school in Slough, Berkshire for ages 11 to 18. The school's mission is to ensure all students fulfilled their academic and personal aspirations and thrived as successful and engaged citizens.

Upton Court values unity, curiosity, growth, and service – all of which can be seen in the school's culture, routines, behaviours and relationships. Students are encouraged to work together, gain new perspectives, take risks and learn from experiences, and use newfound knowledge to improve their communities.

In addition to an extensive curriculum (rated 'outstanding' by Ofsted), Upton Court Grammar School offers a wide range of co-curricular activities to enable students to broaden their skills and discover new interests. Opportunities include the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme, sports, chess, philosophy, cooking and creative arts.

• Address: Upton Court Grammar School, Lascelles Road, Slough, Berkshire SL3 7PR

• Local authority: Slough Borough Council

• School type: mixed grammar

• Headteacher: Mark Pritchard

• Number of pupils: 1,000+

• National rank (Sunday Times Parent Power): 142

• A level results: 73% A*–B

• GCSE results: 67% A*/A/9/8/7

Key info for Year 7 admissions

• Admissions contact: [email protected], 01753 522892

• Number of places in Year 7: 165

• Open events: 3rd July, 5th July and 12th July 2023. Book a place online

• 11 plus registration opens: Thursday 27th April 2023

• 11 plus registration closes: Monday 12th June 2023 at 10am

• 11 plus exam date: Saturday 16th September 2023

• 11 plus exam type: Slough Consortium 11 plus – GL Assessment

• Common application form (CAF) deadline: 31st October 2023

• National school offer day: 1st March 2024

How to apply to Upton Court Grammar School

1. Register for the Slough Consortium 11 plus

Upton Court Grammar School is a member of the Slough Consortium, along with three other grammar schools in the Slough area. If your child is applying for any of the grammar schools within the Consortium, they will only need to take the 11 plus exam once.

You will need to register your child to take the Slough Consortium 11 plus test through the portal, accessed via any of the grammar school websites within the consortium. Registration will be open from Thursday 27th April 2023 to 10am on Monday 12th June 2023.

2. Apply for a school place

You will receive your child's results in the Slough 11 plus in mid-October 2023. If your child has achieved the pass mark, they will be eligible for a grammar school place. You can then name Upton Court Grammar School as one of your preferred schools on your common application form.

Before listing the school as a preference on your form, check its admissions policy and make sure your child is eligible. Passing the 11 plus will not be a guarantee of a place as more children reach the qualifying standard each year than there are places available.

The application form must be submitted to your home local council by 31st October 2023. The form must be completed for your home local authority – i.e. if Slough Borough Council is your local authority, you will need to complete the common application form on the Slough Council website. If you live in a different local authority, make sure to apply through the relevant website for that council.

What is the pass mark for Upton Court Grammar School?

Your child's answer booklets will be marked by computer and their 'raw' scores will be provided. These raw scores are then standardised to even out any age disadvantage for children born later in the year. A total score is calculated for each child, and these are ranked in order. All marking and standardisation are carried out by GL Assessment.

Children will need a standardised mark of 111 to be eligible for a grammar school in Slough. This represents approximately the top 35% of the cohort.

However, achieving a particular score won't guarantee a place at a grammar school, as schools are usually oversubscribed with qualified candidates. We always recommend researching the admission policies for your target schools, looking at their oversubscription criteria and their catchment area. We've included the admission criteria for Upton Court Grammar School below.

Upton Court Grammar School admission criteria

There are 162 places available in Year 7 at Langley Grammar School. Children who have met the pass mark and have a Statement of Special Educational Needs or an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) which names the school will automatically be allocated a place. The number of remaining places will then be reduced accordingly.

If the number of children who have qualified for Upton Court Grammar School exceeds the number of places available, the school will prioritise places in the following order:

1. Looked after and previously looked after children

2. Up to 20 places will be offered to children who are eligible for the pupil premium. If more than 20 children are eligible, places will be offered according to rank order in the Slough 11 plus exam, and then the distance of the child's home address from the school

3. Children of staff working at the Pioneer Educational Trust

4. Children attending the feeder schools Foxborough Primary School or Trevelyan Middle School

5. Up to 120 places will be allocated according to rank order in the 11 plus test

6. If there are any remaining places, these will be offered based on the child's proximity to the school

Upton Court Grammar School catchment area

Upton Court Grammar School does not have a designated catchment area. However, there are two feeder schools – Foxborough Primary School and Trevelyan Middle School – which means that children who are attending either of these schools at the time of the 11 plus exam will be prioritised for places.

Personalised 11 plus prep for your child

Wondering how to make sure your child covers the depth and breadth of the entire 11 plus curriculum, stays on track with their progress, and gets help when they're stuck? Online learning is a particularly efficient, cost-effective (and fun) way to do this!

Atom Nucleus is the award-winning online 11 plus practice platform that gives your child everything they need to prepare for grammar school exams.

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Atom's algorithm keeps children on their ideal learning path, tailored to their unique learning style and pace to keep them challenged and motivated.