Secondary Schools in Burnham

[AskingMom]

Hi, we are considering buying a house near the train station in Burnham.

We are looking for good and diverse schools in the area. I saw there are several good primary schools.

However, I'm a bit concerned about the secondary schools. Apart from Burnham Grammar, do you know any other good secondary schools where there is ethnic diversity?

Thanks for any feedback!

If you are near the station you'll be in Slough - all the Slough schools are ethnically diverse. The two non-grammar schools you would need to look at are Westgate in Cippenham (very over-subscribed last I heard) or Beechwood on the Britwell (I have friends who've been very happy with it, but what I've heard is more mixed - no personal experience).

If grammar schools are your thing, you should also look at the Slough ones - different 11 plus - Herschel then Upton Court are closest.

Burnham is a secondary school black hole since they closed the non-grammar school a few years ago due to very few people sending their children there. That's one of the many, many downsides to living at the edge of a grammar school area - it's too easy to get on the train/coach to Maidenhead where there's a range of good comprehensives taking Burnham children. And don't forget that every year there are children who should be at grammar school who don't pass the 11 plus. From my son's class at primary school, there are now 6 of them who got first class degrees. One of those passed the 11 plus - the other 5 went to Maidenhead secondary schools.

Thanks toomuchicecream! We are not really into grammar schools. You mentioned that we could apply to secondary schools in Maidenhead? That would be the ideal option for us!

But will that be even possible considering the distance and the catchment areas? Do you know someone from Burnham (train station area) who is sending their children to secondary schools in Maidenhead?

Nearly everyone!! Genuinely none of my friends sent their child to the Burnham Park Academy, which is one of the reasons it closed.

If you have a boy then Desborough is right by Maidenhead station - that's where my son went. Both Cox Green and Altwood are mixed and have coaches that pick up in Burnham. How old is your child/children? I hear that new housing being built in Maidenhead might make it harder for Burnham children to get into Maidenhead schools in the future, but it certainly isn't an issue at the moment. As far as I know, the only Maidenhead schools you wouldn't have a chance of getting into are Furze Platt and Newlands (all girls). Plenty of diversity in Maidenhead schools too.

My older boy turned 6 in January. The younger one is nearly 2.

I know it's a long time till they reach secondary school. But it's something that we want to plan now. It sounds really encouraging that we would have a chance for the secondary schools in Maidenhead!

It's not a problem if we don't have a chance at Furze Platt. I heard very good things about the other schools that you mentioned. I'm really hoping they still accept children from Burnham.

We are now even making plans to move to Maidenhead in 5 years if the older one is not accepted there. Hopefully, it doesn't come to this as it's so expensive moving again. And I don't even want to start with how stressful and time-consuming it was dealing with these agents, and all these viewings, offers, etc...