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Original poster

Aylesbury Grammar Schools

34 replies

Berry364 · 08/08/2021 14:28

Hi! DH, DD and I are planning to move to Buckinghamshire for DH's work and I'm looking at schools for DD. We're completely new to the area so we don't have any experience of the grammar school system. My concern is that if DD doesn't pass the 11+ the local comprehensives don't have good Ofsted ratings. Looking at the stats for a couple of the primary schools in the areas we're looking, less than 5 got the required score to be admitted to the grammars, which doesn't look great, even though they're rated Good by Ofsted. I'd be really grateful for any insights into experiences of the 11+ and the grammars themselves.

OP posts:
xyzandabc · 17/03/2022 15:38

There is no point in looking at 'most grammar schools' bring single sex. Have a look at the ones you will be near.

There are 3 in Aylesbury. AGS is boys. AHS is girls. Sir Henry Floyd is mixed.
AGS and AHS used to be one school and split in to girls and boys 60 years ago. They are next door to each other, work closely together, putting in joint shows for music, drama etc. They also count together under the sibling rule for admissions.

Grammars Vs LWS. They are all good schools. Grammars are obviously more academic but LWS is a proper comprehensive, which the secondary moderns in bucks are not. LWS takes all ability pupils, the vast vast majority of those in its catchment go there so it caters for high, middle and low ability academically. Most that live in Thame don't even enter the 11+ as they are happy with LWS. It is a local school for local students.
The grammars do appear to have better facilities, and are more multicultural as they take from a much wider area. Your child may have school friends that live 15/20 miles away. The journey to school is much longer, out of the house approx 7.30am - 5pm. Less behaviour issues at the grammars and more extra curricular offerings

thing47 · 17/03/2022 17:35

The grammars do appear to have better facilities, and are more multicultural as they take from a much wider area. Your child may have school friends that live 15/20 miles away. The journey to school is much longer, out of the house approx 7.30am - 5pm.

These points may be true of the 3 Aylesbury grammar schools, but they certainly are not true of the whole county. The grammar schools in the south of Bucks are far less multicultural than the secondary moderns. They are also very local schools, the two Dr Challoner's schools are right in the towns/villages and Chesham Grammar is not far out of it. There would only be a very small percentage of pupils who are anything like 15 miles away.

xyzandabc · 17/03/2022 19:10

The latest poster was asking about Aylesbury grammar schools and the thread is titled Aylesbury grammar schools. So yes, my reply was relating to the grammar schools in Aylesbury. I couldn't comment on others as I don't know them.

xyzandabc · 17/03/2022 19:12

The multicultural comment was in response to the specific question about Aylesbury grammars Vs Lord Williams which is the question the poster had asked.

Kate675 · 17/03/2022 20:23

Thankyou for all this explanation, it’s extremely helpful. I hope all local mums will be as friendly and happy to help!

CarlMcCoy · 21/03/2022 06:54

To give you some idea of just how normal it is to go to LWS, however bright your child; there were nearly 90 in DS's year at Primary. Only two didn't go to LWS, one returned abroad and the other went to a school their parents had moved nearer to in Y5. Five sat the 11+ and although four passed they all went to LWS.

GentfromGhent · 21/03/2022 08:04

Lord Williams's doesn't exactly advertise it much, but they do have setting in KS4 which can give a 'grammar stream' experience in core subjects if that is what you are after. KS3 is basically mixed, apart from Maths, PE and those that need extra support. At KS4 there are top sets in English and Science (in addition to finely graded setting in Maths) and the English sets determine the RS classes too. Languages also have two levels. Other subjects are mixed.
Being a big school does allow them to offer a good range of options at GCSE and A Level, and they write the timetables around the choices students make rather than the other way round.

Onesipmore · 24/03/2022 06:50

I have several friends whose children went to Ashfold and mine went to Lord Williams. Ashfold is absolutely lovely.Gorgeous setting, very sporty, great facilities and I have a feeling there is a new drama studio being created? Lord Williams is fabulous. Chinnor is not in catchment for the Aylesbury Grammars. You could look at Haddenham which depending on where you live in the village is fine for both the Grammar and Lord Bills. Long Crendon also fine for both.
Have a look at www.muddystilettos.co.uk in their Best Places to Live Guide and also their schools section.Ashfold along with others are covered in quite a bit of detail. I still think Thame is a fab place to live and also quite handy for Oxford schools if looking in that direction.

EKSK · 16/02/2023 11:57

The post about being out at 7:30 and home by 5pm if you opt for grammar. It maybe be true for some but we don’t live in Aylesbury and that’s not been the case for my DD. She’s home a lot earlier than that. Plus the bus is very sociable.
Having friends 15/20 miles away hasn’t been the case for my DD. Her friends are a lot more local.
And yes they are more multi cultural but that’s a positive thing. I think it makes children more broad minded and well rounded.

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