Secondary Independents nr Marlow

[Steff1912]

Children are currently year 7 and 9 and we are moving from Hong Kong to the area. Possible place at SWBGS for DD Yr 9 but we need another back up option as she may not get in. Year 7 is full for my son so he will n end a year elsewhere and then take their test.

I would prefer a mixed independent school but they look thin on the ground in this area. Due to come and look around in March but opinions appreciated. Shiplake have space for DS and no news yet for Pipers Corner for my DD. Have also written to St Mary's.

Anybody have an idea on these schools or others we should consider.

Thank you

Any reason that WHS, JH and RGS aren’t an option? WHS is much closer than PC, for example.
Obviously going to Borlase would be much better also in terms of walking to school, social life etc.

Thanks, I will look at those schools too. I just don't know the area so still looking for advice. I am not against a good state either but I can't apply until I ahem a postcode which is a huge issue. We don't move until June.

You might want to join Marlow Parents on Facebook.

Thank you

The difficulty with WHS is there is no bus from Marlow, at least with Pipers you have a Marlow bus. The admissions lady at Pipers often needs a bit of badgering, persistence is needed as it's become a really popular school.
Queen Anne's is another school to look at again it has a bus from Marlow.

Many thanks. I still haven’t heard from Pipers and most of the grammars are full at least for my son. We are on a budget so QA isn’t an option. I’ll call the admissions lady today. Really appreciate the help!

Have you considered the Chalfonts Inedependent Grammar school in High Wycombe? It is co educational but I don't have any personal experience of it.

Have you considered the Chalfonts Inedependent Grammar school in High Wycombe? It is co educational but I don't have any personal experience of it.

Just to say that it's actually on the edge of Chalfont St Giles rather than in High Wycombe, so would be quite a schlep over from Marlow. Beware of the name if considering it - it isn't actually a grammar school, which is confusing when Bucks's state sector is a 100% grammar schools/upper schools county.

Hi my 2 children are at SWBGS happy to answer any questions.

There are many public busses from Marlow to WHS / JHGS. If you don’t qualify for Grammar GMS is excellent.

Independent schools.

Girls: Pipers, claire’s Court, St Anne’s, The Abbey, Cranford House, Wycombe Abbey, Headington

Boys: Blue Coats, Shiplake, Moulsford (prep till 13) Claire’s Court, Abingdon

All of the above (except maybe The Abbey) have transport from Marlow.

Co-Ed Teddies in Oxford, St Joseph’s (Reading)

Meant to add there is a definite hierarchy in terms of academics etc with all the indies - Bluecoats definitely seems preferred to Shiplake.

Pipers traditionally was the school for nice girls who didn’t qualify for grammar although that definitely seems to be changing. Claire’s Court has generally been seen as 2nd tier but I know many who have thrived there.

Pipers is now for nice girls who did pass for a grammar but are too delicate for a grammar! Or they do not like the ethnic mix of Wycome High! I'll leave it at that. You have to be pretty bright to get in there now but not as bright as Wycombe Abbey!

Bubbles I’m not casting aspersions on Pipers re academics. Many always held it (and Bluecoats) as their backup if didn’t qualify.

St Anne’s Queen Annes obv not St Annes

Sorry still me!

Is your dd looking to join SWBGS in year 10? They don’t generally admit in year 10 (although I know of 1 who did). They take the extra 25 into year 9. Borlase has a 3 year KS4 so they will have chosen/ started options in year 9.

Gillotts (state) in Henley is also worth considering- public bus + walk from Marlow.

I didn’t think you were casting aspersions! Pipers has changed a lot. It’s far more aspirational now. All the old girls I know wouldn’t have hacked it at a grammar but Pipers served them well as it did lots of cookery and art! Times have changed!

Interesting- DH went to Borlase many many years ago, didn't realise they now had a three year ks4, have things slipped academically there? I think it used to be pretty well regarded, is that still the case?

Pumpkintopf a 3?year KS4 is the norm in the Bucks grammars. Why would you think it had slipped academically? It’s still massively oversubscribed and produces outstanding results and was the highest ranking of the Bucks grammars I the last set of national League tables.

Kitty just asking as round here the Grammars do a two year ks4, it's the secondary moderns that go for a three year version which leads to kids choosing options and narrowing down choices earlier, which made me wonder if they were doing it as results were slipping. Evidently not!

SWBGS do a two year KS3 don’t they? So if your child sits the exam for the year 9 entry they will need to know the whole KS3 syllabus. This won’t have been covered by those applying from a regular state school so you probably have to tutor. And you have to give evidence that your child hits the standard before they’re even allowed to sit the exams.
Amazing results there, but when you cream off the brightest/most tutored children it’s perhaps a done deal.
Queen Anne’s give out lots of generous scholarships and bursaries by the way.

You can sit the exams and pass for y9 but if they don’t have space, they don’t have to admit.

In the league table released just a few hours ago, they are not the overall best in Bucks but are the best co Ed. There are several Bucks girls’ Grammar schools that get higher progress scores so are higher up in the tables.