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Original poster

Grammar Schools within 1hr15 drive of Milton Keynes

37 replies

Rococo01 · 13/08/2023 23:55

Hi !

We’d like to relocate to get ourselves into catchment for Grammar Schools. We do need to be within 1h15m drive of Milton Keynes. We have both a daughter and a son.

The house move is purely for education reasons so we want to be as sure as we can be that we’re doing the right thing. I will be going to open days come September even though we’re a few years off applying. In an ideal situation we’d like to have a good non-grammar, state secondary school back-up option.

We’re primarily looking at the Aylesbury schools but also toying with High Wycombe / Buckingham. Are there any other places we should have on our list ?

Where would you move to and why?

Any opinions on the schools in the areas mentioned ?

I guess our major worry is we end up moving somewhere for schools and then they’re not what we thought they’d be or one child doesn’t get in and there’s no back up.

Keen to hear opinions and thoughts.

Thanks,
R

OP posts:
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DibbleDooDah · 30/01/2024 07:20

Amersham or Waddesdon. Both have excellent secondary moderns in the event the 11+ doesn’t go to plan.

cheechaboo · 30/01/2024 03:47

You are right it isn’t. Historically, as it is a large school, out of catchment got in but huge expansion of housing in Thame and nearby haddenham have put paid to that. If a child has SEN they’d get in.

Pinkpinkplonk · 29/01/2024 21:49

As far as I’m aware Aylesbury isn’t in catchment for Lord Williams in Thame

cheechaboo · 29/01/2024 21:44

Ok-All the Aylesbury grammars are good. Good state secondaries -Waddesdon (CofE so need to be in catchment or church goer as heavily oversubscribed), Lord williams in Thame (easy bus from Aylesbury). I don’t know about schools between Aylesbury and MK though

CuteCillian · 20/08/2023 01:41

Not grammar obvs, but if you live in the Woburn area you are in the doorstep of MK and go to the Leighton Buzzard schools - which are good.

questionersquestion · 20/08/2023 01:28

@miniaturepixieonacid whilst I take on what you say about parents choosing to send their children to Waddesdon, even if their DC had passed the 11+, I must state that Waddesdon is not a comprehensive, it is a secondary.

As for SHFGS being easier, that is certainly not the case now. The score of 121 in the 11+ is the magic number, and it's automatic entry to any of the grammars ( depending on distance, etc). In fact my DD has lots of girls in her class (AHS), from MK and even Dunstable, so the old days of pupils from further afield going to SHFGS have passed.

Incidentally, SHFGS seems to be more heavily subscribed now.

I was also going to say the same as the poster above, that Sit Thomas Fremantle no longer has a sixth form.

OP if you do look at schools in Aylesbury, I agree that Waddesdon is generally the best (but you'd have to live very near, or be a regular and committed church goer. There is also a new Catholic school in Aylesbury, St Michael's, but it has quite mixed reviews. AVA is apparently good, but if your child fails the 11+ , the best schools are outside of the town.

Toomuchrubbishonnetflix · 18/08/2023 20:20

The Thomas Fremantle in Winslow has no 6th form anymore, and a lot of the decent teachers are leaving because of this. I wouldn’t recommend it.

miniaturepixieonacid · 18/08/2023 12:47

Winslow is another option as it is convenient for Royal Latin Grammar but also has Sir Thomas Fremantle as a good secondary school if the children don't pass the 11+.

miniaturepixieonacid · 18/08/2023 12:46

Waddesdon.

In catchment (I think) for both Aylesbury and Buckingham grammars but also has an outstanding comprehensive that people move to get into. So you'd have all bases covered.

I know people who have chosen Waddesdon secondary in favour of the grammars, even when the child would most likely have passed the 11+

Of the grammars:
Aylesbury High (girls) and Aylesbury Grammar (boys) both fabulous schools but high pressure and (obv) single sex.
Royal Latin (mixed) is the Buckingham grammar. Very good school. Not sure if it's as highly regarded as those two Aylesbury ones.
Henry Floyd (mixed) is the third Aylesbury grammar school. Traditionally seen as easier to get into but not sure how true that is.

Definitely wouldn't say Milton Keynes is a bad place to live and go to school though. Obviously there are very challenging areas but there are also lovely ones. Oakgrove, Walton High and St Pauls (Catholic) are the most popular secondaries, I think.

swanriver30 · 17/08/2023 23:25

(It’s not in Bedfordshire as another poster has stated)

swanriver30 · 17/08/2023 23:23

Cottesloe School is an Upper school in Bucks (Upper is the term used in Bucks for schools that are non selective ‘secondary moderns’

Hbh17 · 17/08/2023 15:32

Buckingham is a pretty nice small town, and much nicer than Aylesbury.

Wenfy · 17/08/2023 15:25

MK has a massive drug and gang problem within schools and kids living centrally will be exposed to it. Unlike other cities where you can escape to an area without - as MK is so small pretty much all the central areas are affected. It’s got to the point where even Furzton and Loughton and the Shenleys are pretty rough. My friends didn’t let their children walk home alone.

CatMattress · 17/08/2023 15:24

Rococo01 · 14/08/2023 00:31

Thank you for your reply.

Yes, it’s not our intention to move to Milton Keynes but we need to be able to get there for work.

Unfortunately private wouldn’t be an option for us in any way so that’s why we want to tread carefully.

I think Bedford has some great schools but they’re all private if my research serves me correctly.

Cottesloe is a state school in Beds, but on the border with Bucks. It's an excellent school if the Bucks or Aylesbury grammar schools don't work out.

Wenfy · 17/08/2023 15:21

Mumdiva99 · 14/08/2023 06:37

"MK has a huge gang problem in some of it’s state secondaries with turf wars etc"
🙄😂
@Wenfy where has your information come from???

There are amazing schools in Milton Keynes. I've not heard of any turf wars going down in schools. (And I have friends that teach in different schools).

I have kids at a comp here. When we were at the awards assembly there are amazing achievements by many many of the pupils. Both those just leaving and those already working.

Stop being snobby about comprehensives.

I lived there for 15 years moved a couple of years ago. Lots of stabbings and drug related crime in my area which was in the catchment of three of the ‘best’ secondaries. But I appreciate this isn’t something white people living in the leafier suburbs are aware of.

The truth is in MK people of colour feel compelled to try and get kids into private as the secondaries or out into Leicestershire / Northamptonshire / Bedfordshire or Buckinghamshire proper where state provision is better.

Mumdiva99 · 17/08/2023 13:16

Oops the bold is where the 4 A stars and the two A stars made text bold rather than show the grades correctly.

Mumdiva99 · 17/08/2023 13:15

"Congratulations to #### who achieved AAAA and is going to study medicine at Cambridge and to #### who achieved AAA and is off to Sheffield to study Computer science"
And this today from a terrible gang ridden comp in MK!!

redskytwonight · 14/08/2023 09:50

There is a growing problem with gangs and knife crime in a lot of the UK - Milton Keynes is hardly unique!

ChocFondant · 14/08/2023 09:42

Not to derail the thread but there are definitely gangs in MK and a growing problem with knife crime. This doesn't mean all the comps are terrible - there are great schools with great teachers but I know through work that this is a growing issue.

bluechameleon · 14/08/2023 09:33

Some children in Central Beds attend Bucks grammars. You'd probably want to avoid Dunstable because the Secondary options aren't great, but Leighton Buzzard middle and upper schools are all pretty decent.

redskytwonight · 14/08/2023 09:20

Other than Buckingham/Aylesbury I would think a lot of these suggestions run the risk of the commute being longer than 1h15 in rush hour. Unless planning to leave very early and/or living the right side of the residency area and/or going somewhere near the motorway in MK.

PettsWoodParadise · 14/08/2023 09:07

Ah! Thanks for clarification @Takeachance18 missed thet bit!

PensionPuzzle · 14/08/2023 08:49

Another one coming to say Rugby/Warwickshire, just check which other options are nearest as some non-selectives in Rugby are superb and others are not...

Takeachance18 · 14/08/2023 08:43

PettsWoodParadise · 14/08/2023 08:33

A young person able to get themselves to and from school is something not to be underestimated. If they are reliant on you driving them that can be very cloying especially if the majority of their school mates are using public transport.

The parents are going to do the driving to MK and children attend a school local to where they chhose to live, so hopefully wont require parents driving them

PettsWoodParadise · 14/08/2023 08:33

A young person able to get themselves to and from school is something not to be underestimated. If they are reliant on you driving them that can be very cloying especially if the majority of their school mates are using public transport.