11 September 2026
The 11-plus season is now in full swing, but the entrance test is only one part of the secondary school timetable. Applications for September 2027 Year 7 places opened on 1 September 2026, and the national Common Application Form deadline is 31 October 2026. National Offer Day is 1 March 2027. The Sun reported the autumn admissions timetable on 8 September, and GOV.UK provides the national admissions framework. For families managing grammar school tests this month, the practical priority is to keep the test dates and the school application deadline as two separate items in the calendar. Sitting an 11-plus test does not make the 31 October application deadline disappear.
Several major 11-plus tests fall in this fortnight
A concentrated run of 2027-entry 11-plus testing is taking place around the middle of September. The Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test was held on 10 September. The Kent Test was also held on 10 September for in-county pupils, with out-of-county testing on 12 and 13 September. Lincolnshire verbal reasoning testing falls on 11 and 12 September. Queen Elizabeth's Barnet has tests on 16 and 17 September, Redbridge on 18 September, and the Essex CSSE test on 19 September. These dates are drawn from the Lincolnshire Consortium and 11-plus.info information for the 2027-entry cycle. For parents, that means the next several days are busy, but they are still only one stage in the wider admissions process.
Keep 31 October separate from the exam result
The most important administrative date is 31 October 2026, the national Common Application Form deadline for September 2027 secondary places. Parents can easily become focused on test day, results and school preferences, but the application timetable continues regardless. GOV.UK is the core national reference, and Wales has moved to a 31 October deadline this year. The simplest planning approach is to treat 31 October as a fixed family deadline now, not as something to revisit after every test event. Put it in the calendar, check the local authority process that applies to your home address, and keep any grammar school test information alongside rather than instead of the main secondary application task.
National Offer Day is 1 March 2027
For on-time applications, National Offer Day is 1 March 2027. That date can feel a long way off while families are dealing with September entrance tests, but it is the next major national milestone after the autumn application period. Keeping the whole sequence visible can reduce confusion. September brings the main run of 11-plus tests and the opening of Year 7 applications. October brings the 31 October Common Application Form deadline. March brings National Offer Day. This simple timeline is more useful than treating each test as a separate admissions system.
The new school term makes the timing feel especially compressed
Autumn term in England and Wales generally began on 1 September 2026, the same date given for the opening of September 2027 Year 7 applications. That means families are handling the return to school, 11-plus preparation and secondary applications in the same part of the calendar. There is no need to turn every evening into an admissions session. A practical approach is to keep one simple list of fixed dates and deal with each task in order. The Department for Education also updated the academies planning calendar for 2026-27 on 9 September 2026, according to GOV.UK, another reminder that the school system itself is moving into its new annual cycle at the same time as families.
A simple plan for the next seven weeks
For families with an 11-plus test still ahead, focus first on the correct test date and the information issued for that test. For families whose child has already sat Buckinghamshire or the in-county Kent Test, the next task is not to keep replaying exam day but to keep the secondary application moving. All families applying for September 2027 Year 7 should keep 31 October 2026 visible as the national Common Application Form deadline, with 1 March 2027 marked as National Offer Day. Use the Lincolnshire Consortium and 11-plus.info for the test dates covered here, and use GOV.UK and your local admissions information for the application process. The best practical safeguard is simply not to let the 11-plus timetable crowd out the secondary school application timetable.
Quick answers for parents
What is the secondary school application deadline for September 2027? The national Common Application Form deadline is 31 October 2026.
When is National Offer Day for September 2027 Year 7 places? National Offer Day is 1 March 2027.
Which 11-plus tests are taking place in mid-September 2026? Lincolnshire verbal reasoning on 11 and 12 September, Kent out-of-county testing on 12 and 13 September, Queen Elizabeth's Barnet on 16 and 17 September, Redbridge on 18 September and the Essex CSSE test on 19 September. Buckinghamshire and the in-county Kent Test were held on 10 September.
Support through the transfer year
If your child is preparing for an entrance test this autumn, or you simply want the transfer year to feel more manageable, our 11-plus tutoring team supports families across Birmingham and the West Midlands with structured preparation and calm, practical guidance — and you can book a tutor whenever you are ready.
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