Areas with great primary and secondary schools with grammar option

[CuriousMe2]

DS is in Year 1 and doing academically well with Outstanding grades so far from school. We are planning to buy a house within commutable to London within an hour and a half max. With grammar schools and good secondary school options as fallback plans.
Our budget is max 550k and looking for 3bhk semi or detached but new builds only.We are from Indian background in our early 40s.and comparatively new to this country currently in Maidenhead but no new builds in that range here and no options for grammars.
We are looking at Chesham, Rugby, Watford areas but I'm not sure where else to look at?
How are guildford areas for state schools?
APPRECIATE ALL YOUR HELP.

Kent.

What about Sutton, they have grammar’s & some excellent comps. Bromley/Kent borders

Also coming on to suggest Bromley

Thanks, what schools would be best there for boys /mixed would you know?
(I've no clue about most of the places that side so will need to do more research) and missed to mention that DS loves cycling so countryparks or similar within 20-30minutes would be great.We are looking for somewhere like a quieter and not like Reading,Slough or London areas.

Just wanted to mention that there is several grammars near Maidenhead - have you checked the catchments?

Upton Court Grammar
Burnham Grammar
Herschel Grammar
Langley Grammar
St Bernard Catholic Grammar
Sir William Borlase (Marlow)
John Hampden (Wycombe)

We are renting and these does not come in the catchment, either ways we are planning to buy a house and cannot see any new builds in that price range here unfortunately .

Richmond/ Twickenham/ Teddington

Thanks but our budget would not cover the London areas for a family home! Does anyone have any idea about Essex what schools are best or Herts/Kent?
What are the similarities /differences and where can i check to get all information?.

Tonbridge \Tunbridge Wells
Judd
Skinners
TW Boys Grammar
Bennett
St Greg’s
Skinners Kent Academy
First three are grammar schools
Next 2 are church schools
Last School Academy

Or stuff the grammars and go for Hants.

If your budget doesn't cover a house in the Slough grammar catchment then I'm not sure you'll find anywhere at a lower price point....

@CuriousMe2 you would get a house in budget for the Sutton grammars & Tiffin in Kingston. You wouldn't get detached though but maybe semi but I don't know enough about the areas to know how many houses are new builds. I have friends who moved to Sutton & Bromley specifically to target grammars.

This is useful to find out about schools, you can search by area & it will give you the info re single sex etc

www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/schools-by-type?step=default&table=schools&region=319&geographic=la&for=secondary

southend in Essex has 4 grammars (single sex) westcliff high, Southend high (both have a boys school and girls school). There is Sir Thomas Moore which is catholic (boys only).

Think Chelmsford has some grammars as well. Both places have trains in to London. Southend area has 2 mainlines to London about 40mins/1hr each. Lots of good secondary’s around.

I think Tonbridge would suit you in terms of proximity to London, schools and green spaces with cycling opportunities. No idea about new builds there though.

There is Reading boys which isn’t far from Maidenhead. People go there from all over the country. And Kendrick for girls.

@CuriousMe2 You certainly can get a decent enough house in a grammar school area. There are several options in Bucks. Mid Bucks costs more than North Bucks. If you are willing to compromise you might find something in and around Chesham or Wendover. Chesham gives access to Chesham Grammar or the Dr Challoners Grammar. Wendover gives access to John Colet secondary and the 2 Grammars, Sir Henry Floyd and Aylesbury Grammar. Aylesbury has lots of new and mature estates and obviously in catchment for the above schools. Secondaries are not as good so consider catchment for John Colet if grammar is looking less likely. Wendover has great primary schools and most areas around Aylesbury are the same. Finding ones with spaces is the bigger issue!

If you are willing to go further north, Buckingham has the Royal Latin School with a big catchment so Winslow is possible or pleasant villages. If you live in Waddesdon CofE secondary catchment you have a fantastic secondary too. You might not want the religious bit though.

Bucks is a county wide system and none of the grammars are super selective. All dc sit the same exams. Two days in Sept. worth a look and your budget is fine if you are canny.

Yes Chelmsford has a boys and girls grammar but they are harder to get into than the Southend grammars.

@TizerorFizz Thanks so much, Chesham is something we have been wanting to do more research on.

When you say Berks is county wide exam, is there no concept of catchment then and would anyone with a qualifying score get in? .Als9 any idea about primaries there and if they have in year places?

Those who get a qualifying score in Bucks(not Berks as in your post) are eligible for places, usually allocated primarily on distance from the school - look at the Buckinghamshire council website for details. Some distances are very small.
Why does it have to be a new build? I imagine it will limit you quite a lot.
Also this website might be useful: www.elevenplusexams.co.uk
There are sub forums for the various 11 plus areas.

Ilkley would be perfect for your school requirements. But it’s in West Yorkshire so sadly out of the question.

Bromley: only one boys' and one girls' grammar school (St Olave's and Newstead Woods). For St Olave's, 124 boys a year, 1537 applicants for places in 2024. It's a wonderful school, but small; and there is no actual catchment area now. It used to accommodate the catchment for Southwark Cathedral, because it is the cathedral grammar school, founded in 1571.
There are other good all-ability schools in Bromley, but for grammars you might do better in Bexley.

@CuriousMe2 Although the grammars are all academies, the admissions are administers by Bucks CC. You do not sit a separate exam at each school. Every child is entered for the exam, unless they withdraw. So everyone sits the exams on the school days allocated.

You are advised to live in catchment for your preferred school but some catchments overlap. Bigger catchments around Aylesbury and Buckingham grammars.

Chiltern Hills Academy in Chesham is not the best secondary (non grammar) in the area. You would need to look at The Misbourne catchment . It’s easy to get caught up in the grammar frenzy but planning where to live to be in catchment for a better non grammar is important. GCSE results give a steer here! Most are ofsted rated good though. Wendover and Great missenden have better primary schools and don’t discount Great Kingshill. Many village schools are great but some town schools are iffy. So do your homework!

Reading Boys you need to check whether your postcode qualifies, Kendrick and Reading having bought down their catchment in the past few years. Newbury - St Barts catchment might suit you? I think you can still get into Reading Boys from there and St Barts is an excellent school and quite a few parents will prefer it.

Guildford doesn’t have grammar schools or any access to them but has some excellent state options. Move into the catchment of a school like Guildford County then you’re sorted and no pressure on exams or the hassle of tutoring. You could look at Winchester - any catchment of the three comps there- they’re all great and then you have Peter Symonds for sixth form.

The reality is that most of the country doesn’t have access to grammar schools and you still can get top grades and go to top universities. It’s harder in places like Kent to find good back up options as the 20% have gone to grammar schools. Not impossible though!

Can I ask why you are keen on grammar schools? There are plenty of comprehensive schools which allow for academic children to flourish, as well as less academic pupils. Grammar schools perpetuate inequality as they favour children from more affluent backgrounds whose parents can afford tuition for the 11+ exam.