Herschel Grammar School

Herschel Grammar School is a selective state school for boys and girls, founded in 1952 in Slough, Berkshire. It has consistently been awarded ‘outstanding’ Ofsted ratings, citing “pupils’ behaviour and attitude to learning” as real strengths.

The curriculum at Herschel Grammar School is characterised by a depth of knowledge and understanding, equipping students with the skills to learn independently. There is a range of traditional and contemporary subjects available, including business, computer science, food preparation and nutrition, government and politics, media studies, and psychology.

Pupils at Herschel Grammar School are encouraged to take responsibility for their own behaviour and develop strong emotional intelligence and empathy. As a result, students leave as responsible and active citizens ready for the next stage of their lives, be it university or the workplace.

• Address: Herschel Grammar School, Northampton Avenue, Slough, Berkshire SL1 3BW
• Local authority: Slough Borough Council
• School type: mixed grammar
• Headteacher: Joanne Rockall
• Number of pupils: 1,000+
• National rank (Sunday Times Parent Power): 106
• A level results: 72% A*–B
• GCSE results: 79% A*/A/9/8/7

1. Register for the Slough Consortium 11 plus

Herschel 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 Herschel 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.

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 Herschel Grammar School below.

There are 150 places available in Year 7 at Herschel Grammar School. Children who have qualified for entry and have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) naming Herschel Grammar School will be allocated a place as a priority, and the number of places reduced accordingly.

If there are more children who have qualified for Herschel Grammar School than the school has places available, places will be allocated in the following order:

1. Looked after and previously looked after children

2. Children living within the school catchment area

3. Up to a further 10 places will be offered to eligible children who live within 10 miles of the school and qualify for pupil premium

4. Children of staff working at Herschel Grammar School

5. All remaining places will be allocated according to children's rank order of performance in the 11 plus exam

The catchment area for Herschel Grammar School is defined as the area spanning 4 miles from the school address in any direction. A map indicating this 4-mile radius is available in the school admission policy.