2027 11 Plus Exam for Upton Court Grammar School

Stay ahead with exclusive tips on the Slough 11+ exam for Upton Court Grammar School

We’re dedicated to your child’s success

With a proven track record in preparing pupils for the 11 Plus, Marie Redmond MEd and her team of exceptional, fully qualified and experienced primary teachers (not 'tutors') provide specialist tuition focused on your child’s individual learning needs.

Our unique 11 Plus tuition courses in Amersham, Aylesbury, Beaconsfield, Bushey, Gerrards Cross, High Wycombe, Maidenhead, Reading (Winnersh, Wokingham) and Stoke Poges are structured to give children the confidence they need to sit and pass exams in a friendly, stress-free environment.

Introduction to the Slough Consortium 11 Plus exam

To be eligible to apply for a place at a Slough grammar school (Herschel Grammar School, Langley Grammar School, St Bernard’s Catholic Grammar School and Upton Court Grammar School), your child will need to achieve the qualifying score in the Slough Consortium 11 Plus exam.

Children born between 1st September 2016 and 31st August 2017 will take the Slough Consortium 11+ exam in September 2027 to secure a place at a Slough grammar school for September 2028. The exact date has not yet been confirmed; the most recent exam took place on Saturday 19th September 2026.

The Consortium operates a shared 11 Plus testing process, with all four schools using the same test papers and common eligibility criteria for selection.

Over the years, the Slough Consortium has worked with a number of different assessment providers. Until 2022, the 11+ examination was provided by CEM Cambridge. Following CEM Cambridge's announcement in October 2022 that it would no longer provide paper-based 11+ examinations from September 2023, the Consortium appointed GL Assessment as its new provider for the September 2023 admissions round onwards.

As soon as the change was announced, we reviewed the new GL Assessment specification, updated our teaching materials and rewrote our mock examinations to reflect the new format. Our students were thoroughly prepared for the transition and continued to achieve excellent results.

The Slough Consortium used GL Assessment for the 11+ examinations held between 2023 and 2026.

Important Update: Slough 11+ Changes from September 2027

On 13th July 2026, the Slough Consortium announced that it had appointed Quest Assessments as its new test provider from September 2027. The first pupils to sit the new assessment will take the examination in September 2027 for entry to secondary school in September 2028. This change did not affect the September 2026 examination, which used GL Assessment.

The change was announced more than a year before the first Quest examination, giving parents plenty of time to understand the new assessment and support their child’s preparation.

While the assessment provider is changing, the four subject areas remain the same: English, Mathematics, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning. Preparation across these subjects therefore remains relevant, although the presentation, balance and style of questions may differ.

What Is the Format of the New Quest Assessment?

Quest Assessments has confirmed that the Slough Consortium 11+ will be a paper-based, multiple-choice examination, comprising two papers:

Paper 1: approximately 50 minutes
English Comprehension and Verbal Reasoning

Paper 2: approximately 50 minutes
Non-Verbal Reasoning and Mathematics

Both papers are taken in the same session, with a short supervised break between them. Additional time is allowed for instructions.

Pupils record their answers on separate answer sheets, marking their chosen answers with a horizontal line through the appropriate box.

Free familiarisation materials are now available on the Quest Assessments Slough Consortium guidance page, including sample questions and practice answer sheets.

How We Are Preparing for the New Assessment

We are creating five unique Slough mock examinations for 2027, based on the structure published by Quest Assessments for the Slough Consortium examination. Each mock will follow the confirmed subject pairings and approximate paper timings, giving your child practice in the format they will encounter.

Marie Redmond Tuition® has extensive experience preparing children for English, Verbal Reasoning, Mathematics and Non-Verbal Reasoning. These subjects have long been central to our teaching, and our experienced, fully qualified primary teachers understand how to develop the knowledge, accuracy and reasoning skills children need.

Our preparation combines this teaching experience with practice tailored to the published Quest format. Through our courses and mock examinations, we help children strengthen their understanding, apply their skills to different question styles and build confidence working under timed examination conditions.

We will continue to incorporate further guidance from Quest Assessments and the Slough Consortium. Following the first Slough Quest examination in September 2027, feedback from pupils who sit the test will help us refine our mock papers and teaching resources for subsequent examinations.

Eligibility and Admissions

The qualifying score remains 111 on a standardised scale, identifying approximately the top 35% of pupils sitting the examination as eligible for consideration for a grammar school place. Achieving the qualifying score does not guarantee a place; each school applies its own admissions criteria.

For the September 2027 examination, the Slough Consortium has its own contract with Quest Assessments, and scores will not be shared with schools outside the Consortium. Pupils applying to Slough and another grammar school area must therefore follow each area’s separate registration and entrance examination requirements.

What Do Our Slough 11+ Courses Cover

Every Relevant Subject, Every Week

Each of our courses is designed around the content of the specific 11+ examination for which children are preparing. We do not divide the year into separate subject blocks, with, for example, English taught in one term, maths in another and verbal or non-verbal reasoning in another, because we do not believe this provides effective preparation for the 11+.

Children need to practise every relevant subject regularly. If a subject is taught for one term and then set aside for several months, children will forget important knowledge and techniques before the examination. They also lose the opportunity to build steadily upon their understanding and develop their skills to the level required for 11+ success.

Instead, every lesson includes all the subject areas relevant to the examination your child is preparing for. For example, children preparing for the Slough 11+ exam study English, maths, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning every week. Where examination requirements differ, the teaching and materials are tailored accordingly. It is therefore important to indicate on the enrolment form which 11+ examination or examinations your child is preparing for. Previously taught skills are revisited regularly, while new knowledge and techniques are introduced progressively, enabling children to improve continuously throughout the course.

* Weighting is based on the GL Assessment examination. The Slough Consortium has confirmed that the Quest assessment will continue to assess English, Mathematics, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning. Weighting information will be updated if further details are published.

Equally, we do not believe that extremely small groups or one-to-one tuition are automatically better. Effective 11+ preparation requires a carefully structured programme that prepares for every area of the exam in a balanced and systematic way. Without that structure, there is a risk of focusing too heavily on isolated weaknesses, which can sometimes affect a child’s confidence and leave gaps elsewhere in their preparation. Children also benefit enormously from discussion, shared learning and working alongside motivated peers in a small academic group.

Discover the proven benefits of small class sizes.

11+ Mock Exams With Marie Redmond 11+ Intelligent Video Learning®

Get exam ready with Marie Redmond Tuition® 11 Plus Mock Exams for the Slough Consortium 11 Plus. Students who sat our mock exams in 2025 said they were very similar to the actual test, which made them feel prepared and confident when sitting the exam.

Students attending our Year 5 11+ Easter and 11+ summer holiday courses receive a Superbrain® English and verbal reasoning holiday course book for each week they attend, further reinforcing their skills. Plus, all term-time students receive Marie Redmond's Superbrain® 11 Plus Flash Cards upon joining—an interactive resource designed to supercharge their vocabulary and accelerate exam preparation.

Explore our full Superbrain® collection and discover how these exclusive resources support students on their journey to 11+ success.

Data-Led Approach With SuccessTrack® by Marie Redmond

In addition to weekly spelling tests, our term-time students undergo formal assessments twice per term—at half-term and at the end of the term—covering all topic areas. These assessments provide a valuable measure of progress over time, ensuring that we can track genuine improvements in attainment without being overly influenced by short-term fluctuations. Testing more frequently risks skewing results due to the occasional ‘off week,’ whereas our structured approach strikes the perfect balance between regular monitoring and meaningful insight.

Based on the initial assessment and your child's specific answers, we create a personalised tuition plan that sets individual targets for each subject area that is relevant to them, such as English, maths, verbal and non-verbal reasoning. Every lesson is designed to develop these areas. We continuously monitor progress, allowing us to refine tuition plans to ensure they suit your child's needs and challenges.

Parents are always welcome to contact us at any stage during their child's 11+ course for feedback on their development. They can speak with their child's teacher after lessons or contact Marie directly by phone or email for further insight. As a smaller provider, we take pride in our ability to offer tailored guidance and maintain a close, supportive relationship with families.

The Marie Redmond Tuition® Book Club

Sharing our enjoyment of books is a fantastic way to encourage reading and therefore develop vocabulary and comprehension at home. The Marie Redmond Tuition® Book Club is an excellent platform for discussions about books, opportunities for creativity and promoting reading for pleasure. Discover our book of the month.

The Marie Redmond Tuition® Creative Thinking Course

The virtual Creative Thinking Course is particularly useful for boys preparing for the latest format of the Reading School 11+ exam but is open to all our term-time students.

Students attend one creative thinking lesson per week on Zoom, which lasts for 45 minutes. Students are taught to use innovation and problem solving. They will become adept at approaching situations in different ways, using diverse strategies. Every lesson includes a fun thinking skills warm-up activity followed by the main focus of the lesson. Strategies like group discussions, questioning, mind mapping, and thinking 'outside the box' are employed to encourage creative learning approaches. Students learn various writing techniques and how to draft, review, and edit their work.

For further information, including fees, term dates and FAQ's, please visit our Creative Thinking Course page.