Is Gateway school a waste of money?

[Winterchild77]

Hi, we’re moving out of London and are thinking of Gateway school, York House or Chesham Prep as possible schools for our children. Someone said the local school in Great Missenden is better than Gateway and that it would be a waste of money. Any opinions?

I would suggest visiting both to see. Children move from one to the other occasionally in both directions. It would be hard to get school age children a place in the state primary school if you missed the usual application round so Gateway may be a better option

Thank you. Do you happen to know if most children at Gateway live locally?

Not as local as the kids at the state primary in GM but some live in GM, others in villages around, a few come from High Wycombe or Aylesbury I imagine

Also kids from 3 feeder village infant schools join from year 3 to make an extra 2 classes

My last post re the 3 feeder schools is regarding the state primary

Gt Missenden School has always been a great village school. Still is. Unless you want to hot house for the 11 plus, it’s better to save your money. The Gateway has its limitations and is known as a bit of an 11 plus crammer in that DC don’t stay to 13 and go to boarding senior schools. If you want that, it’s Godstowe for girls (which is easily the premier prep for girls in the area) or The Beacon at Chesham Bois for boys.

GM School won’t just have spare places. They are popular. Be careful about expecting places to be available, they probably won’t be unless you move pre
YR.

Thank you both! My preference would be local school but well aware of the difficulties to get a place... That’s one of the reasons we’re thinking of independent schools.

Do you know anything about York House school or Chesham Prep? We’re thinking it’s best to start with schools, before looking at houses!

I do not know York House as it is miles away and not in Bucks. I have neighbours whose DC have been to Chesham Prep and the prep attached to Berkhamsted School in Hertfordshire. I have a DD who went to Godstowe and have friends who used The Beacon too.

You really need to consider what your post 11 aim is. Overwhelmingly, The Gateway School is geared to leaving at 11 and getting a Bucks grammar school place. I do not know a single parent whose DC has gone there that wanted anything else! I am very local! So do you want to enter the Bucks Grammar School madhouse? Or do you want independent all the way through? How deep are your pockets?

If you think your DC may not get a place at a Bucks Grammar (and be realistic), then you need to position yourself, in terms of house, for the best Bucks secondary moderns. Some are way better than others. You need to decide if you want independent all the way through, and therefore where the schools actually are, or not. What type of school do you want or aspire to? Bucks is poorly served for boys senior schools. Girls have got Pipers Corner, which also has a prep. Many boys try for Berkhamsted if they do not get a grammar school place and live close enough.

Hertfordshire is largely comprehensive and, again, has some great schools so live in cachment for them is my advice if you decide on Hertfordshire. Alternatively, they have selective schools too. Parmiters at Watford is sought after for example and there are the Grammar Schools in Watford. Aldenham would be an alternative co-ed independent senior school in south Hertfordshire. There is the previously mentioned Berkhamsted in west Hertfordshire. There is also Lockers Park in Hemel Hempsted which is a great boys prep if you want to prepare for somewhere more swish and The Beacon will achieve this too.

It's not easy, is it?

Forgot to say, neighbours were happy with Chesham Prep. Their children transferred to Aylesbury Grammar and Berkhamsted.

Chesham Prep has a much larger site and therefore more facilities than Gateway and more emphasis on sports. It’s next door to a farm so there are horses alongside the play area! They do prepare for the Bucks 11+ but children can stay there until the end of year 8. Children do attend from GM and there’s a school bus, but think that more of the intake lives in Berkhamsted and Chesham/surroundings like Chartridge and Bellingdon.

Agree with Bubbles that getting a place at GM school will be tricky if not applying in catchment for a year R place. Bucks county council has good information on their website about who was admitted to each (state) school and from how far away

It might be worth noting that they are currently recruiting for a new Head at Great Missenden school, so could be about to go through a bit of instability....

Thank you- it is indeed complicated!

I guess GM school isn’t an option for us.

Do you know anything about Chesham Prep? Would that be a better option than the Gateway school?

I hear there is a school bus from CP going to Great Missenden, so some children must live in that area.

Hi Winterchild
I know it’s been a while since you posted, just interested where you ended up with schools and what the overall conclusion was on gateway (looking at gateway myself)
Thanks!

Hey - what did you go for in the end? My kids have been at Gateway for years (one is currently in the last year, year 6 there) and i'd been so happy with it but really really unhappy with the new head who joined during covid, so thinking about transferring my younger one to Chesham Prep and interested to hear any experiences about that if you had any?

Hi, I’m currently looking at both Gateway and Chesham prep for my child. Can I ask what you don’t like about the new head at Gateway please?