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Original poster

Info on Marlow, Henley, Thame, Chalfonts

356 replies

Spanielmad · 19/08/2017 22:38

Hello, we are thinking of moving into South Buckinghamshire for DH's work. Been looking at the impossible school situation already and earmarked a few areas with good (but oversubscribed) secondary schools.
Before I drive over to visit the area (we are a few hours away) I need to narrow down which towns we might like, as I can't visit them all in a day or two.

We like to be near or on the outskirts of a small town with stuff for my kids (young teen boys) such as a leisure centre, sports clubs, we like hiking in the hills/woods, I'd like a nice town with boutique shops, cafes, art galleries, art clubs etc. Low crime and peaceful would be good too- goes without saying.

Can anyone tell me anything about these towns? What are they like? I already know most of them are pricey- but would like to know more about atmosphere, crime, shops etc....
I have only done online research so far.

Henley,
Shiplake,
Marlow (my fav at the moment but hard to find a house),
Chalfont St Peter,
Chesham,
Thame.

Any thoughts very welcome!! Thank you

OP posts:
ShaneBitchy · 23/08/2017 09:30

In DD's YR6 just gone, 2 pupils left for new schools mid year so spaces do randomly come up.

WhatInTheWorldIsGoingOn · 23/08/2017 09:24

If your boys are very bright then I would be gunning for ANY grammar school. If there's doubt then I wouldn't move to Bucks if you paid me.

WhatInTheWorldIsGoingOn · 23/08/2017 09:22

It's such a silly system but I don't know what the answer is. We have family that have moved after the school application deadline and ended up not getting their new local school and driving miles to the only one offered.

In primary County hold the places and there's nothing a school can do about it. Obviously children in care or excluded children are bumped up the lists though. In my experience good primaries are full with a waiting list. It will be luck that gets you a year 6 place because obviously it is less likely that a child will change schools for year 6.

Original poster
Spanielmad · 23/08/2017 09:17

Y8 next week. Yes I think the testing works like that. I'll have to call them but I am getting the feeling it's a crazy lottery.

What's the point of publishing which schools have places (don't they have waiting lists?) if we can't reserve a place and then move. By the time we have moved the place will be filled and we'll have to see if there's anything free at that time. If we can only find a place 15 miles away it will feel like we've moved to the wrong area. Hopefully the schools can give me some more reassurances over the phone but I don't have high hopes.

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poisonedbypen · 23/08/2017 09:07

I think you are correct, for secondary at least you apply directly to the school. Maybe they would then provide an in year sitting of the 11 plus. In your older son going into year 8 now? Or year 9? I think you will just have to get on to the schools when they are back, but it's a nightmare, to be sure.

Original poster
Spanielmad · 23/08/2017 09:01

Actually I am not sure you can put 6 schools down- that might only apply to secondary transfer, not for a mid year place.
Although they will publish spaces I have little idea yet how it works so will email council again.

Penstemon, mmm yes that would suggest there is some flexibility. I was told we can apply for a school place 6 weeks before our move (with proof of exchange of contracts etc). If refused, we can appeal but since 6 weeks is really short I am not sure how it works. Would we have to find a free place by sheer coincidence? Who knows.
We're moving from Gloucestershire and so used to the housing stock - not used to the house prices being doubled....;)

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penstemon · 23/08/2017 08:11

Spaniel anecdotal tales here of children in DC's PRIMARY schools getting places is that they all join at a natural point rather (is after a holiday, whether half term or full term). A boy left DD's class at Easter & there is a new child joining in Sept and they have known who this child is for a while as he has come in & met them etc. Meanwhile, there are other children on the waiting list. This suggests that someone in the system is a bit more sympathetic than in some areas I know of where, as soon as you are offered a school, you have to go there.

Where are you moving from? When we moved here, I found all of the housing stock really odd as each house is different. House hunting in London was much easier as, if you looked at one house on a street, you had a good feel for all of them. Yes people could extend them and knock down walls but it wouldn't be a fundamentally different house.

poisonedbypen · 23/08/2017 07:15

And yes, they will have waiting lists, allocated by distance from the school (& have to have passed 11/12 plus etc).

poisonedbypen · 23/08/2017 07:14

I think you are placing too much emphasis on Ofsted, to be honest. Testing for grammars for year 8 is February (or March?) of next year, with results a few weeks later & entry the following September. Burnham Grammar takes an extra class in year 8. You might find an in year place there but would have to phone the school. I'm not sure how in year places work but I think it says on the Bucks website. As I said above, if all 6 schools are full (primary &/or secondary) they will allocate you wherever has a place, which will almost certainly be a poor school. Suggest you look in Stoke Poges (good primary, catchment for Chalfont & Burnham, maybe others, Farnham Common (good primary, catchment for Burnham). The primaries are likely to be full though.

Original poster
Spanielmad · 23/08/2017 03:37

Bucks is not publishing the school vacancies lust during the break so eagerly awaiting the update in mid September. Still , if I see a space how do I take it? Can't move that fast! LOL Also, won't they have waiting lists so spaces are filled even if published?

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Original poster
Spanielmad · 23/08/2017 03:33

Thanks Bubbles! It is so tricky. I will not want let my kids change schools twice. So if they find a place somewhere it will have to be good enough to stay. Y6 primary place doesn't have to be an epic school as it's only for

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BubblesBuddy · 23/08/2017 01:11

I think people are being very fussy about not liking Chalfonts CC. Yes it's big but it's never had a bad Ofsted and Ofsted are not rushing back because it's doing a good job with progress of the children. It's not a grammar but by taking the place, you would at least get a toe hold. You can then do the exams required by any grammar that has a space (or doesn't have a space). You will find decent primary schools are mostly full. So you will have to be flexible on that.

If you are a late entry for the 11 plus, I have a feeling you go to the back of the queue - behind the children who take the test at the correct time. Therefore I'm not sure sibling preference will come into it if all the places at the school you want are taken by on time successful children. They won't keep a space for you. You will have to be flexible and you really need to accept any grammar school if you get offered a place. Not just a co-ed. you are really cutting down your options with that policy.

Theme is better than Princes Risborough and I really like it. There are new houses in your price bracket going in opposite Lord Williams and as I said before, Haddenhsm and Long Crendon are popular nearby larger villages but just in Bucks. You could also consider Chinnor which is much neaerer the M40. I don't know if the primary schools have vacancies in any of these villages or Thame but Lord Williams is a proper comprehensive. Few children from Thame go to the Aylesbury Grammars so it has academic children.

If schools have no spaces, you could list 26 and still be disappointed. You can easily find you will not a primary school place in Amersham. The ones near Amersham with places are ones you just will not want. You can check Bucks school vacancies on line. Y6 spaces will be pretty accurate.

Burnham Beeches is smart and Taplow. They are near to Stoke Poges. People do actually like Stoke Poges. There is also nothing wrong with the villages around Chesham. Chesham Bois is popular and so is the school. You could also look at Penn or Penn Street but it's expensive. Good links to Beaconsfield though as does Seer Green and Jordans.

Original poster
Spanielmad · 22/08/2017 23:57

see that's the thing. If we can't find a place for our kids, what are our options? Not many I think.Put them in a rubbish school and move them again when they surface on the waiting list? I don't want to do that. - too many school changes.

So if I can't get my eldest in (assuming a primary place would be easier as we're less fussy as it's his last year anyway and SATS don't mean anything anymore these days) somewhere, we can move. If I can't get my eldest in somewhere....well I don't know. I will call the schools but if they all say 'no' - do we dare move and hope for a space to open up by the time we have moved? That is such a risk. Do we take the space they have now? Even though we're not ready to move? ffff this is insane.

Have been told Chalfonts Comm College might have a space though. Not really in the Marlow area but it might be something at least.

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WhatInTheWorldIsGoingOn · 22/08/2017 23:31

Also due to the grammar school system it's not unusual for children to attend different schools. I have two siblings and all 3 of us went to different secondaries.

WhatInTheWorldIsGoingOn · 22/08/2017 23:29

I'm afraid that if it's a good school it's highly unlikely to have a place. Competition for schools is fierce around here with lots of appeals. I'm never really sure what the answer is but there are some really bad secondary schools in this area.

Primary is the same.

KatyBerry · 22/08/2017 23:27

Have you looked at Stoke Poges itself? WIndsor for the shopping / culture you're after and close enough to the C st P / Amersham / Beaconsfield schools (with transport). Sports centres / Stoke Park Club / golf courses / tennis clubs all over the place, and definitely peaceful. Houses sigificantly less expensive than (horrid) GX and (madly expensive) Beaconsfield

Original poster
Spanielmad · 22/08/2017 23:21

Surely there would be a place in one of the 6 schools? sigh.. :( If not, then indeed Bourne End is not an option as the academy there is not rated apparently. I don't think there is ANY school in this area that is not oversubscribed and we'd 'definitely get'.

But I figure our best way is to call around asking for a Y8 place and if a school says yes, we'd try to be in that catchment at least. If they all say no...we would have to decide to either try elsewhere, or crawl into a corner and cry. Shock Grin If we get a Y8 place for my eldest, surely there will be a primary place for my youngest and despite him being a late applicant for secondary, the fact that his brother is already there will hopefully get him in too. So it all depends on the Y8 place....

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Original poster
Spanielmad · 22/08/2017 23:15

If and when we move I feel like giving a house party to thank you all! Fingers crossed.

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Original poster
Spanielmad · 22/08/2017 23:15

Bourne End doesn't have a well rated school.
Although now I am wondering if we could live there and just not write it down as a school preference. If I can come up with 6 better schools the chance we'd end up in the local Bourne End Academy surely is small...
Flood risk rather large there too, I believe.

I will visit these places, but since we are far away and have opportunity (kids, dog, work) we will never have enough time. Hope to drive/walk through some of it soon. Then in September hopefully visit some schools.

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poisonedbypen · 22/08/2017 23:14

Harpenden would be madness! You also need to have one school on the list that you will definitely get & would be happy with, otherwise they will allocate you somewhere that has spaces which could be an awful school miles away. They aren't obliged to give you one of the 6 if there are no places.
Getting into schools is going to be a BIG problem, but they told you that on the other forum.

AliceLutherNeeMorgan · 22/08/2017 23:07

You really need to visit all these places - spend some time walking (and driving) around, as they all have completely different characters and facilities and you won't get it until you see it. Also, distances for schools you need to check out by car etc as traffic makes all the difference. THEN do your rightmove searchs, with the maps in front of you

FWIW in your situation I'd probably go for Bourne End or one of the villages north of Marlow

ItsNotLit · 22/08/2017 23:02

I can't see anything much in Henley or Shiplake that would be big enough. Sad

What's on your house wish list OP?

Zodlebud · 22/08/2017 23:01

Harpenden to Stoke Poges would be bonkers as a commute. Beautiful place but too far away from where you need to be IMO.

Ollycat · 22/08/2017 22:59

Yes Frieth is lovely (also look at Skirmett Fingest Turville Hambleden).

Lane End is on a busy road, much bigger and had a large estate. The favoured side is the bit from the main road going down to Frieth - some great houses there!

Original poster
Spanielmad · 22/08/2017 22:55

also on my list, Ollycat! Small and we could afford more, but lovely looking house. I understand Frieth is nice - much nicer than Lane End (it all looks the same on a map Grin )

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