School advice - Gerards Cross/Chalfont St Peter/Chalfont St Giles

[JD1911]

Hi, we are currently looking to move house. We really love the Chalfonts and also Gerards Cross, but we really don't know where to start in terms of really good Primary and Second Schools within those areas. I just wondered if anyone could offer any advice or point us in the right direction? Or if any of you are currently living in those areas and can offer feedback? Thanks so much.

It’s a grammar school area and the secondary school is The Chalfonts for those locations. The primary schools are largely very good but don’t expect in year places in the same school. You might get lucky. The best place to check for these is the Bucks County Council web site. There are less popular schools that tend to have places but it would be up you regarding whether you like them and whether you are prepared to travel to them. Getting into one of the sought after schools is not easy unless you apply at the appropriate time and live in catchment.

www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/find-a-school-in-england

This website will give you a list of all the local schools and their stats.

If you’re not applying for Reception on Y7, then as Bubbles says you’ll need to contact the council to see where the vacancies are.

This area is full of people who know a good school when they see one and there are few schools that are not good. However there are differences in school catchment areas which lead to less good outcomes for one or two schools. These might have spaces. Many parents can buy houses to guarantee places at the sought after schools and do so pre school age. It’s not easy at all to get into the sought after schools at any other time than standard application dates. I would be as flexible as you can be regarding where DC go.

Getting a grammar place is down to taking the 11 plus very early in y6. You need to register and Bucks CC has all the info. Getting a grammar place mid way through isn’t easy and depends again on spaces. Check on the Bucks CC web site for catchment areas and where you need to live for which grammar.