Milton Keynes options?

[WhereDidTheYearsAllGo]

We moved to MK last year, so still learning the area, while we've picked up bits and pieces of local knowledge I'm aware there's a lot we don't know.

DS is in Year 5 and we're starting to think about secondary schools. His school have arranged some sessions at Herbert Leon Academy - which he'll go to, and we'll take a chance to look around (though I've already heard a bit about that one, it would be good to hear more opinions).

I don't think we're going to attempt to grammar school route, I'm not sure it'd be quite right for DS. He gets ok grades, but don't know that he'd get the grades to get into grammar anyway.

My biggest concern is that if he goes to a rougher school he'll be a target for bullies, he's shorter than most and has speech issues (including a stammer). So far it's not been an issue, he's a friendly social child, but we've also been lucky with schools.

Any recommendations? Places to absolutely avoid? I'm utterly unprepared, so any advice would be so welcome.

Where do you live? MK secondaries have Priority Admissions Areas and sometimes feeder primaries so your address usually determines which secondary you go to.

Fenny, so we're in the catchment for Herbert Leon. Unfortunately.

You might be able to get into Walton High from there, these days. The original (Walnut Tree) campus now has an aging local population and it's losing some of its potential students to Kents Hill Park (which might also be worth a punt in terms of getting in). This might constrain you to driving every day though.
Have you checked last year's admissions in terms of who got into out of catchment schools?

I didn't realise you could check that, I'll have a look.

The plan is to get DS using buses to get to school tbh, as DD will still be in primary school.

www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2022-03/Allocation%20Profile%201%20March%202022AA.pdf

this shows allocations for this year - Walton High went out to 2.246m from Walnut Tree campus.