Princes Risborough School?

Thanks take a chance - I thought that was the case, unfortunately.. as if moving house isn’t hard enough it is a minefield when factoring in school catchments! If my children are naturally bright then I don’t mind the idea of lightly nudging them into a grammar school but I don’t like the idea of putting any huge pressure on them so really keen to ensure we live within catchment of a good secondary

Almost certainly not into Lord William's- those in Haddenham, Wheatley are closer and Haddenham altjough just outside Thame, is also Bucks and not catchment, their catchment is Princes Risborough or Grammar.

The misbourne is also highly sought and the outskirts of High Wycombe are closer, such as Hazlemere.

Thank you so much Toadsinholes, I really appreciate your reply. We really like Thame but I’d prefer to be within walking distance of a train station. Do you know much about catchments for example if we did move to Princes Risborough would the children definitely not get into say Lord Williams or the Misbourne (great missenden)? Or is there every chance we could live out of catchment and still have those options?

The only thing I would suggest is if you go the Thame route you don’t have grammars to contend with, whereas in Bucks you do. It’s fine if your kids are 11+ material in Bucks but if they aren’t the options aren’t so good. I haven’t heard good things about PR secondary school (from a teacher friend who supplied there, she said it was horrific) - I don’t know about the ones south of Aylesbury but north are variable. The pp who liked the Fremantle in Winslow, it’s very full unless you live in the town & also is closing its 6th form after next year so that’s not such a strong option (also too far from you anyway)
If I were your position I’d head Thame way - nice town, good all round school, prettier countryside!

Anyone able to help with the above post?

Hello, I’m looking to move out of London and I like Princes Risborough- nice town and well connected to london where I will need to commute to at least three times a week. However I’m abit concerned about the schooling after reading this post and others on mumsnet. My children are 2 and 4 (son starts school this September) so I want a good primary school but am also thinking about secondaries. Is there anymore advice anyone can give re the schools in Princes Risborough? Does anyone have any positive experiences and what would the options for secondaries? Is it best to move to Thame/long crendon where schooling is good and in catchment for Lord Williams, or more towards great missenden? Any advice would be greatly appreciated :-)

Don't be put off by the size. 7-9 and 10-13 are on totally separate (car journey apart) sites so each one is more the size of a standard school. Lower School is compact and feels like a transition from Primary. Upper School is much bigger with open views over the Chilterns. Each year group has a non-teaching Pastoral Support Officer and a HOY with a reduced timetable. As the only school in the town they take their 'community' role very seriously and I would say try very hard to provide a good education for all children, whatever their educational, physical, emotional needs are. Obviously there are huge numbers in each year group, but then the teaching/support staff are commensurate with that. It's never going to be cosy though. Such big numbers do give a big pool for finding friends. And allow lots of options at GCSE and A Level with almost no timetable constraints.

Do have a look at the 11+ material, some of it might suit very well (although some may not!). PR is now in a Trust with Sir Henry Floyd, an Aylesbury Grammar. I don't know if/how this has changed things. Some students from PR transfer to Lord Williams's for VI Form (apart from anything else there is a wider range of subjects offered).

Definitely Lord Williams rather than Princes Risborough. I know families with children at Lord Williams and they rate it highly. I would move into its catchment area so that you know your child will go to a good school without the uncertainty of t he 11plus.
I know families who have moved to the edge of Oxfordshire instead of Buckinghamshire for that reason.
Don't be put off by the size of Lord Williams, it is very well organised and because it is on two sites does not feel overwhelming at all for the pupils.

I have lots of friends that have children there and seem very happy with it. I don't think I would have sent my children there though.

My nephew went to Princes Risborough , as have a few friends children and I know someone who taught there.

It was not over-subscribed this year; the only other school in the area that wasn't was Mandeville, make of that what you will.

It's OK from what I hear, not one I would have chosen though.

I live in Aylesbury so didn't stand much chance of Lord Williams (my daughter has just started Y7 so went through this last year, this year's Y7 was a high birth rate year).

I considered Cottesloe and Waddesdon (Waddesdon is incredibly to get into), if DD failed. My absolute favourite was Sir Thomas Fremantle in Winslow.

As it happens she did pass her 11+ so she went to a grammar school, so I agree it may be worth having a few hours with a tutor (we couldn't afford a tutor and then it was lockdown anyway).

Honestly, I'd take Lord Williams over PR, but PR is preferable to a lot of Aylesbury secondaries. Look at Sir Thomas Fremantle too.

The best thing to do is to look around schools, no amount of recommendations can beat the 'feel' when you look around a school and see if it's a good fit for you.

It sounds like a grammar might be a better fit for him if he has academic interests. It could be worth paying for a couple of sessions with an 11+ tutor so you can get an assessment about whether or not he'd be likely to pass.

You should also visit PR school to get a feel for it and to ask them what you've asked here.

House prices in Thame are fairly similar to Risborough so Lord Williams could be a less stressful option.