Henrietta Barnett vs Dr Challoners school

[NKT0912]

Hello everyone,
My daughter has secured Band A in HBS and also has cleared the Buckinghamshire exam targetting Dr Challoners school.
We have recently moved to Northwood just in 7.5miles from Dr Challoners.
We are ready to move to Harrow/Pinner if required to make travel easier for HBs.
My question is what is great about HBs from a GCSE result perspective?
What is great amongst the 2?
We need to fill up the CAF form by the 31st, hence need help.

Do you have any younger children? Which does your DD prefer?

I would put whichever you like the best first on your CAF. Band A is a fantastic result for HBS but still not 100 percent guaranteed a place given the reported experiences from last year. So, whilst it's good to be prepared to move if needs be, I wouldn't be making definite plans to move until after March 1st.

Good luck - they are both excellent schools.

Pick the nearest school. Even if you move (again!) to Pinner, your DD will be travelling an hour by private coach which rules out plays, sports, clubs..

I think that you'd be nuts to send her to HBS from Harrow or Pinner, the journey will be horrible and make it a very long day and why would you move twice? Dr Challoner is a great school and easy to get to, make your life easy.

Assuming you are in Northwood, Herts, then you are out of catchment for Challoners and borderline whether or not your daughter would get a place based on admissions distances in previous years. I know plenty of girls do use the Met Line to get to school BUT if you have a year where lots of girls pass the 11+ then you might not get in based on living 7.5 miles away and outside Bucks?

Both schools are in high demand and your daughter deserves a huge pat on the back, although just passing the exam is no guarantee of a place. My friends found out the hard way. In Bucks, in catchment - first choice was their closest grammar school. School oversubscribed and no place allocated. They went to appeal and got a place at another grammar miles away but thankfully on his dad's driving route to work. Not everybody has the ability to do that though. Just warning you that the element of choice may not be available to you (but I hope it is as your daughter sounds very worthy of a place).

Why would you move again? If your DD is going to do well she will do well anywhere. The only reason HBS gets "better" results is that they select more highly in the first place.

Thanks for your respinse

Congratulations to your daughter.
We don't know your full circumstances, such as any other children to consider. As HBS had no catchment and I'm unsure if you'd get Dr C, I'd be more inclined to list HBS first, as you say you could move. Pinner is still a distance away though and the traffic would be horrid. However my son has nearly an hours commute to school in the coach and after the lunch, I think it's his best part of the day and does also catch a late 6pm coach in the evening.
Where do you think your daughter would fit best? What's the families (and of course her) preference. I don't have a daughter, but if I did HBS is a fantastic school ( I know very little of Dr C) and I would list it first. Good luck x

They are different "lists". Bucks has central admissions and there is no harm trying to get into DrCH but, I too, think it is a long shot. HBS is not in Bucks so will not be on their "list". It is a separate admissions process. There is nothing to stop you going for HBS as well and accepting a place if you are offered one. Both schools do well with bright girls. Move closer to DrCH if you really want it and ditto HBS.

I don't understand your post BubblesBuddy. All applications are made on one CAF through the local council. No-one would get offered 2 schools.

Hi..thx for your response.
I have a 7 yr old son too. But my decision is based on what is good for my daughter. She can fit in any school ; her criteria is to go to any grammar school.
Thx for the insight on travel time.

Thx camcam!

Yes, no one will get offered 2 places as the same time.
Once the offer is placed for any school selected in CAF form, we have to accept or reject that offer in 10days. The whole selection process is based of "Equal preference system". Hence, if you reject the 01st offer given, you go in a different waiting list which is not advisable.
Better to not play with the process and system under normal circumstances.

My DD got band A on HBS but we live in bucks, catchment of Dr C.
Our priority is HBS and second priority is Dr C.
I am extremely worried since not all girls with band A result are guatented space at HBS. Worst thing is HBS had added that priority will be given to those living within 3 miles area at the time of an application (does it mean time that we applied for entrance exam or the time we will be applying on CAF)

If I put HBS as first choice and Dr Challoner as second choice, and my daughter could not secure a space at HBS on 2nd of March, will she be given space at Dr. C (providing she secures 121 at Bucks result tomorrow)

Or would she miss the chance on both?

I am now extremely confused with the system as I cannot afford for my DD to miss the chance in both of them.

Thank you in advance

Leaving aside that this is an old thread...

No, listing HBS first will not disqualify your daughter from a place at Challoner's. If she doesn't get HBS but does qualify for Challoner's then then she will be offered that school. As the original OP said, it's the Equal Preference System.

BUT if you live in the Chalfont/Amersham area you would be absolutely crazy to send your daughter all the way to Hampstead Garden Suburb to school when you have a really excellent alternative on your doorstep. Please reconsider putting your daughter through that horrible journey twice a day for seven years. Henrietta Barnett is not a better school than Dr Challoner's, it's just much more competitive, because of the lack of catchment/distance criteria, and therefore even more selective.

You are in the right area for one of the best schools in the country (have you seen the latest KS4 figures for 2019, released today?), a school where your daughter would make local friends and have a community around her. I am baffled as to why you would choose an arduous commute over that superb option. As I'm sure you're aware, the Challoners schools are a prime reason for many people moving to the area in the first place.

Any FWIW, the local factor is why the 3 mile "priority" area for girls who pass the HBS exam is generally considered to be a good thing...

Agree with @Zinnia My dd was at HBS from Years 7-11 and chose to go somewhere else for Sixth Form as the range of A Levels HBS offer is quite narrow.

HBS, or indeed any school, is not worth travelling a long journey for. At the end of the day, it is just a school albeit with excellent results, but that is a function of the nature of the girls rather than the teaching. Dd did have some excellent teachers, she also had some who were average at best.

Please don't make your 11 year old child endure a long journey in all weathers, day in day out, sometimes weighed down with heavy bags/sports kit/musical instruments.