Private preps, state primaries and grammar schools gloucesteshire- advice needed!

[Beatrix100]

I have a few different queries in one - so apologies for the long post - if you get to the end and can help- thank you in advance!

We are moving to the cirencester area in the next few months with our 3 children and are really struggling with decisions about schooling. Our children are 8, 4 and 2. Currently the elder 2 attend a private school and so we are considering local prep schools-namely Prior Park and Beaudesert Park. Does anyone have any knowledge or guidance about these schools? We are visiting both soon. My concern about BPS is that it may be a bit posh for us - but I do like the fact that when children leave they go to a wide range of schools. With PP it seems possibly a bit more down to earth but it looks from the website that most of the kids go to the senior school in Bath after- that is good in one way as the fees are reasonable but it does perhaps mean options are more limited and I have no idea right now if PP's own senior school will suit my kids when they get to that age!

So can anyone give my any ideas about the type of parents at each school - notably is the posh school tag a fair one to give to BPS ? What are PP school parents like? Also does anyone have any knowledge of where the kids go to to at the end of each school? Eg does PP help parents who don't want to send their kids to their own senior school in Bath?

Also we cannot afford the fees at the Cheltenham private schools for all 3 kids - £ 22+k per child is a bit eye watering! So we are considering the grammar schools as well. Does anyone know anything about how easy/ hard it is to get into these? Would the prep schools help our children prepare for the entry tests?

Also probably a dim question but does where you live in the county have any impact on admissions to the grammar schools or is purely down to the entry tests?

Finally - any knowledge of the local state primaries? We are looking at moving to villages around cirencester - possibly POulton, Ampney Crucis but not decided at all yet. Do the state primaries help children get into the grammar schools?

Sorry for all the questions but any advice would be MUCH appreciated!

Thank you

I cant help with prep or primary schools in the area but I do know something about the grammars.

There are seven grammars in the area, three are boys, three are girls and one is mixed.

You take one test and the results are shared with all of the schools you tell them you are interested in.

There is no catchment, pupils can and do apply from different countries. Although there is a pass mark for most of the schools they take the top 120. This means that competition is high.

Hth.

Thanks little drummer girl - that is good to know!

Hi Beatrix100, in Glos there 7 grammars with no catchment restriction so people come from many other counties to take the test. Some will travel a long way and I know someone who only moved to live in the area once their dc obtained a place. So competition is high and more and more intense year after year. In Gloucester there are 2 boys schools and 2girls schools, 1 girls and 1 boys schools in Stroud and 1 super selective Cheltenham. I don't know what the public transport situation is to travel between Cirencester and all of these schools.

I am not a fan for grammar schools but that's another thread for another day.

Good luck