Princes Risborough School?

[BedknobandBroomsticks]

Hello,

I'd really like to get some insight into Princes Risborough School, considering a move to Risborough with DS who is 9. Not sure if he'd cope with the pressure of 11+ although it's slightly complicated as he's actually very bright but has ADHD and autism. He talks like a little professor and has very academic interests, picks things up very quickly (if we can get him to focus!) but is quite vulnerable socially and struggles with things like handwriting and focusing enough to actually produce work. I've looked at the Risborough school website and see they've become an academy and don't have a current OFSTED rating but were judged inadequate some years ago. However I have no idea if this is a reflection on the school as it is currently and if it would be a good fit for an academically able but quirky and very scatterbrained child! Anyone know much about the school? It's either that or try and get him through the 11+, or possibly move within catchment of Lord Williams in Thame but we'd struggle to afford the latter.
Thanks in advance.

Bumping in case anyone can answer.

Another bump. Anyone?

It sounds like a grammar might be a better fit for him if he has academic interests. It could be worth paying for a couple of sessions with an 11+ tutor so you can get an assessment about whether or not he'd be likely to pass.

You should also visit PR school to get a feel for it and to ask them what you've asked here.

House prices in Thame are fairly similar to Risborough so Lord Williams could be a less stressful option.

My nephew went to Princes Risborough , as have a few friends children and I know someone who taught there.

It was not over-subscribed this year; the only other school in the area that wasn't was Mandeville, make of that what you will.

It's OK from what I hear, not one I would have chosen though.

I live in Aylesbury so didn't stand much chance of Lord Williams (my daughter has just started Y7 so went through this last year, this year's Y7 was a high birth rate year).

I considered Cottesloe and Waddesdon (Waddesdon is incredibly to get into), if DD failed. My absolute favourite was Sir Thomas Fremantle in Winslow.

As it happens she did pass her 11+ so she went to a grammar school, so I agree it may be worth having a few hours with a tutor (we couldn't afford a tutor and then it was lockdown anyway).

Honestly, I'd take Lord Williams over PR, but PR is preferable to a lot of Aylesbury secondaries. Look at Sir Thomas Fremantle too.

The best thing to do is to look around schools, no amount of recommendations can beat the 'feel' when you look around a school and see if it's a good fit for you.

I have lots of friends that have children there and seem very happy with it. I don't think I would have sent my children there though.

Definitely Lord Williams rather than Princes Risborough. I know families with children at Lord Williams and they rate it highly. I would move into its catchment area so that you know your child will go to a good school without the uncertainty of t he 11plus.
I know families who have moved to the edge of Oxfordshire instead of Buckinghamshire for that reason.
Don't be put off by the size of Lord Williams, it is very well organised and because it is on two sites does not feel overwhelming at all for the pupils.

Do have a look at the 11+ material, some of it might suit very well (although some may not!). PR is now in a Trust with Sir Henry Floyd, an Aylesbury Grammar. I don't know if/how this has changed things. Some students from PR transfer to Lord Williams's for VI Form (apart from anything else there is a wider range of subjects offered).

Thanks for the replies. I don't think we will move to Risborough, I'm just not convinced DS would pass the 11+ as it's so difficult to get him to focus on things if he's not inherently interested. If it was an exam on obscure historical topics he'd ace it! But I don't want to put too much pressure on him. I have a feeling he'll be a late bloomer and needs to be somewhere supportive, I can imagine him hitting his stride when he's matured more and is able focus on subjects he's passionate about. And I think grammar schools tend to expect a lot in terms of personal organisation and independence and again I think he's going to take a bit of time to get there.
Currently leaning much more towards Thame and Lord William's as it's a proper comprehensive rather than a second choice school. Just a bit stunned by its size - 12 form entry! Would that be a bit overwhelming? Does anyone know how good they are in terms of pastoral care and SEN support? I know they have a good reputation but would be great to hear from people who have personal knowledge of the school.

Don't be put off by the size. 7-9 and 10-13 are on totally separate (car journey apart) sites so each one is more the size of a standard school. Lower School is compact and feels like a transition from Primary. Upper School is much bigger with open views over the Chilterns. Each year group has a non-teaching Pastoral Support Officer and a HOY with a reduced timetable. As the only school in the town they take their 'community' role very seriously and I would say try very hard to provide a good education for all children, whatever their educational, physical, emotional needs are. Obviously there are huge numbers in each year group, but then the teaching/support staff are commensurate with that. It's never going to be cosy though. Such big numbers do give a big pool for finding friends. And allow lots of options at GCSE and A Level with almost no timetable constraints.

Hello, I’m looking to move out of London and I like Princes Risborough- nice town and well connected to london where I will need to commute to at least three times a week. However I’m abit concerned about the schooling after reading this post and others on mumsnet. My children are 2 and 4 (son starts school this September) so I want a good primary school but am also thinking about secondaries. Is there anymore advice anyone can give re the schools in Princes Risborough? Does anyone have any positive experiences and what would the options for secondaries? Is it best to move to Thame/long crendon where schooling is good and in catchment for Lord Williams, or more towards great missenden? Any advice would be greatly appreciated :-)

Anyone able to help with the above post?

The only thing I would suggest is if you go the Thame route you don’t have grammars to contend with, whereas in Bucks you do. It’s fine if your kids are 11+ material in Bucks but if they aren’t the options aren’t so good. I haven’t heard good things about PR secondary school (from a teacher friend who supplied there, she said it was horrific) - I don’t know about the ones south of Aylesbury but north are variable. The pp who liked the Fremantle in Winslow, it’s very full unless you live in the town & also is closing its 6th form after next year so that’s not such a strong option (also too far from you anyway)
If I were your position I’d head Thame way - nice town, good all round school, prettier countryside!

Thank you so much Toadsinholes, I really appreciate your reply. We really like Thame but I’d prefer to be within walking distance of a train station. Do you know much about catchments for example if we did move to Princes Risborough would the children definitely not get into say Lord Williams or the Misbourne (great missenden)? Or is there every chance we could live out of catchment and still have those options?

Almost certainly not into Lord William's- those in Haddenham, Wheatley are closer and Haddenham altjough just outside Thame, is also Bucks and not catchment, their catchment is Princes Risborough or Grammar.

The misbourne is also highly sought and the outskirts of High Wycombe are closer, such as Hazlemere.

Thanks take a chance - I thought that was the case, unfortunately.. as if moving house isn’t hard enough it is a minefield when factoring in school catchments! If my children are naturally bright then I don’t mind the idea of lightly nudging them into a grammar school but I don’t like the idea of putting any huge pressure on them so really keen to ensure we live within catchment of a good secondary

What about Wendover? Close to Princes Risborough with a railway station close to the High Street, and the non grammar secondary school John Colet has a good reputation. It's in catchment for the 3 grammar schools in Aylesbury if they do pass the 11+.

Thanks GRW! Wendover is lovely but I would worry about the impact of HS2 there. Even if there won’t be a station there or the property immediately next to the line it is the disturbance caused by the constructing of the line there, diverted traffic etc. Do you know much about the level of impact of the HS2 in Wendover and Great Missenden?

There are road closures and diversions between Wendover and Great Missenden. The other side of the village doesn't seem to be effected too much so far, and houses are still selling.

Does anyone live in Princes Risborough and if so where do your children go to school (interested in primary and secondary responses) and are you happy with the schools?

How about Marlow then you have two excellent options in SWBGS and GMS.

Lord Williams's has an autism base and lots of experience with autism and ADHD. Though I believe you can only get a place in the autism base through an echp, the school has a lot of experience with SEN as a whole. It is 12 form entry now but years 7,8 and 9 are at one end of town with years 10-13 at the other end of town. So as far as the students are concerned it's like 2 separate schools that just happen to share teachers.

Risborough didn't used to have a good reputation but I've heard that it is improving. I'm not sure about more recently but house prices in Risborough used to be higher than Thame because Risborough has the train station for commuting.

To the more recent poster. From Risborough you will definitely not get a place at Lord Williams's. Thame has 3 good/excellent primary schools as well as lord williams. If your children are academic, you can also opt to take the Bucks 11+ as an out of county entry and several children from Thame each year do go to the grammars in Aylesbury.

I would choose Thame over Long Crendon purely on size, there are more facilities and things going on. Long Crendon is lovely but very villagey and you will spend half your life driving to Thame for kids activities!

Thank you both for your replies. The issue with Thame and long crendon is they don’t have a station and marlow is two changes to london

@Peanutbutterandjams

Thank you both for your replies. The issue with Thame and long crendon is they don’t have a station and marlow is two changes to london

Marlow - drive to High Wycombe and it’s non stop into London - that’s what most people do!

@Peanutbutterandjams my nephew went there and enjoyed it and did well.

It has a poor reputation, though I'm not entirely sure why. I live in Aylesbury and know some mums who chose Mandeville over PR, which is bizarre to me.

I know nothing of the primary, my nephew went to Little Kimble for infants, then Cuddington for juniors.

I think that the emphasis on primaries is slightly exaggerated. My own DD went to a school in special measures in Aylesbury, but now goes to AHS -without tutoring, so a poor primary doesn't lead to a poor secondary.

I'd have been happy with PR for a secondary if either of my two had failed (I actually looked around it for my DS, but he passed the 11+), as all the secondaries (non-grammars), in Aylesbury are pretty poor.

My DS has autism. It wasn't diagnosed until later in his teens. I didn't think he stood a hope of passing and sounds quite like your DS. I didn't have him tutored either (I'm sadly too poor for that), but he pulled it out of the bag, so your DS may surprise you!

There is also Waddesdon? That has an excellent reputation, but you'd need to live very near to Waddesdon, which isn't near to where you want to go.

Thank you player456 that’s interesting to hear your nephew had a good experience there and also that your son passed the 11+ without tutoring :-) did you like the feel of the school (PR) when you looked around it?