South Bucks - best schools if you dont pass the 11 plus?

[Butwhereto]

I am thinking of moving to near Amersham or Gerrards Cross but am concerned about the schools available if my 3 children didn't pass the 11 plus. We would partly be moving for schools so don't want to end up with a school worse than the comprehensives where we are now. We would consider private if necessary but they all seem selective as well. Is there anywhere that people would recommend?

Also, on the grammars - what happens if you live in the official catchment but outside the distance allocation that year. Where would you end up being sent?

[GRW]

Every Bucks resident child who passes the 11+ is guaranteed a grammar school place, but it may not be your first choice. Chesham Grammar school is not usually oversubscribed, so you may be offered that one if you are too far away from Challoners.
There are no true comprehensive schools in Bucks, as it is a wholly selective county, but some kids who don't pass the 11+ go to comprehensive schools in neighbouring counties like Hertfordshire.
Amersham school is a non selective upper school with a very good reputation.

[MrsMot]

GRW has it spot on for state schools. Catchment's the key for most of the grammar schools, Chesham and Burnham usually go further out - Chesham has the better results.

As for the upper schools, ie. non-selective, you'd need to compare the results with your current comps. Their levels are very respectable and improving - Amersham and Chalfont Community College would be the two to look at.

For private, Gerrards Cross has two smaller schools which cover KS3/4, St Marys for girls and Thorpe House for boys. Otherwise you're looking further afield although all have buses.

All have some degree of selection but some are more rigorous than others. Also depends if boys/girls. Berkhamsted can accommodate both although in separate schools on adjacent sites.

Otherwise for girls - Royal Masonic in Rickmansworth, Pipers Corner in Great Kingshill, the North London schools such as St Helen's and if super-academic Wycombe Abbey. Heading over towards Windsor there are other options too.

For boys the day school choice is more limited, Merchant Taylors is certainly a good option.

If you wanted to move to a nearby area with good schools look at Chorleywood - St Clement Danes is an excellent comp with a degree of selection (music and academic). Look into the South West Herts consortium for more info.

HTH!

[LittleSiouxieSue]

Dr Challoners Boys and Dr Challoners Girls are the top grammar schools in the area you intend to live. I would go for these above all others but catchment is key so make sure you are in the right location. Chalfonts CC or The Amersham School would be the secondary schools so you can compare results but obviously they have the top 30% missing so are not directly comparable. Boys independents are thin on the ground. You do have to go a lot further afield. There are two boys grammar schools in High Wycombe as well. Girls independents are as described by others. About 30% get the 11+ in Bucks but working at level 5 does not guarantee success.