Good state schools in MK?, advice regarding relocation from North

[Kelum]

Dear all,
I'm a father of two children. We live in East Yorkshire. My 13 year old son going to a good grammar school and 10 year old son is preparing for 11+ to go to the same.
We came to this area from SW London 6 years ago for my job commitments and really keen to go back near to London.
I don't think that we have enough time to get into the grammar school catchment area in Buckinghamshire.
We are so keen to settle in the MK area.
I need your advice please, regarding
taking children to a new area without a realistic possibility to get them to a grammar school in Buckinghamshire.
are there really good/outstanding secondary schools near MK( none grammar)
Actually the only thing keeping us here is children education.
Please advice.
Very difficult to think what is right for us.
Thank you.

MK has a genuinely comprehensive education system so schools cater for the full range of abilities and a cross section of the social demographic. So you won't find the stellar results (if that's how you categorise "good") that you do in grammar schools or in schools where everyone comes from a leafy middle class suburb.

That said, most of the schools in MK do well by their students, so it's down a lot to personal preference and where in MK you would like to live.

I think the issue will be your 13 year old. All the "better" schools are likely to be full in his year group, so you would be reliant on a place coming up via waiting list (and as MK has a reasonable amount of churn, that's not a dreadful chance as long as you live near enough the school to be top of the list). If he's currently in Year 9, you should be aware that several schools start studying GCSEs in Year 9, so you would probably want to avoid one of those as it may be hard for him to catch up. Obviously not a consideration if he is in Year 8.

The schools people tend to avoid are Milton Keynes Academy and Leon. Stantonbury is also probably on that list although some people love it - it's a bit of a marmite school. I would say all the other schools have good points and bad points and it's hard to come up with an "order". Perhaps you could explain what makes a school "good" in your eyes?

Thank you very much for your reply. My 13 yr one in year 8 now. Hope he will have some time to adjust.
He likes to do biology for A level.
Which schools are best for AL biology please.

Many thanks for your time.

Children come to the Aylesbury grammars from near MK, you can register your youngest by mid June and then need to move before the end of October.

Have you contacted the grammars to see if they would accept your oldest based on current grammar attendance? This may also be on their admissions criteria on the web. Spaces do sometimes come up although best to live near the schools.

Thank you for the great advice. I will contact the school by Monday.
Thanks.

@Kelum, off topic here but I'm puzzled by your assertion that your eldest is at a 'good grammar school'. East Yorkshire isn't a grammar school county; there is no 11+ system. Beverley Grammar calls itself a grammar school for historical reasons, just like Tadcaster Grammar in North Yorkshire, but there is no entrance exam for either of them.

More on-topic, asking which schools are best for A level biology when your son is in Y8 is a bit pointless. Staff can move / retire / get pregnant in the next few years. Much better to get that info when your son is in Y11 and move him for A levels if necessary.

Thanks, you are correct . he is going to a grammar school in Lincolnshire.