State schools in Aylesbury

[Archana2906]

Can anybody please suggest how are state schools in Aylesbury(Non-grammar). We are planning to move to Kingsbrook Aylesbury area in June. My son got Good rated state school in Hounslow, so we're planning to move to Aylesbury as we are looking forward to buy a house and my daughter is in year 4, so in future her option for grammar school will be open. Can anyone suggest how are state schools in Aylesbury also does it makes any difference to be in good rated London school or outside London. Does it really makes any difference? Please suggest

Good grammars.

Great grammars, comps not very well regarded at all.

@TheFlis there's never been a comprehensive in Bucks, only grammars and secondaries.

@Archana2906 my DD goes to a grammar, but my friend's children go to secondaries.

My bed friend's son goes to AVA, which has improved significantly, he is flying there. Other parents are happy with it too.

There's a newish Catholic school (St Michael's), which was out first choice If DD didn't pass. It's appalling, really bad. No one I know is happy with it and a teacher friend said it is the worst in Aylesbury ( taking the crown from Mandeville).

Mandeville isn't great, not as bad as St Michael's it seems, but it's pretty close. Never oversubscribed, which tells you all you need to know.

The Grange hasn't got a great Ofsted report, but it's not as bad as it's reputation, it was our second choice.

Waddesdon is just outside Aylesbury, and is excellent, but unless you live on it's doorstep or go to church very regularly (and for years, not just a couple), you can forget it.

Other people I know in Aylesbury send thei children to schools just outside - Cottesloe in Wing and John Colet in Wendover. People I know love Cottesloe, but either love or hate John Colet.

@Archana2906 I'm afraid I don't know what the schools in Milton Keynes are like, but I believe they have comprehensives as they don't have the 11+, so theoretically they should be better as they will have higher attaining students as they don't have grammars to cream off the top ability pupils.

Milton Keynes does not come under Bucks, but some pupils do apply to sit the 11+ and then apply to Buckinghamshire Council.

I don't agree with it, as it puts Bucks pupils at a disadvantage as it pushes up the amount a child has to get right to attain a pass, if they stopped out of county pupils applying, more children in Bucks would be able to attend grammar schools, but it's worth thinking about, although MK schools may be dire.

Friends have kids at AVA and they really like it. Not sure about the others sorry

Thankyou so much for this detailed reply, I am specifically asking about Aylesbury not MK. MK indeed is a different story to understand.

@whichspidermummy We are on the very edge of Hertfordshire but our closest secondary school is a Bucks grammar. I feel it would be very unfair to block places for children in these situations. I do agree that people who live miles away with no chance of getting a place be stopped from taking it though, especially those who use it as a Free practice test!!!!!!

@Archana2906 Agreed that the secondary moderns in Aylesbury aren’t that great.

@whichspidermummy I went to an Aylesbury grammar and we all collectively referred to the non grammars as ‘the comps’ and I still here people locally refer to them as that today, even if it isn’t technically the right term.

@TheFlis I've lived in Aylesbury all my life (54 years), I went to a secondary school, no one I know called them comps, it may be different outside, I live in a 'rubbish' estate in Aylesbury! I do know one woman who calls them comps (and high school - which made me congratulate her DD for passing her 11+ as she had her heart set on Aylesbury High School, when she got The Grange)!

It would be better to have comps I suppose, but I think it would disadvantage children like DD and DS, as I can't afford to move near a 'good' school, so passing the 11+ was their only way of getting a good education (and no neither of them were tutored....I couldn't afford it - but my secondary school gave a secondary education experience I'm glad they avoided).

@Archana2906 not sure whether you saw my post above my one on MK? I knew you specifically wanted views on Aylesbury schools :)

@DibbleDooDah A lot do get in out of area. I didn't realise that some take it as a practice paper!

I know children from Dunstable going to grammars in Aylesbury. I don't blame the parents, but I do feel for children in Aylesbury who have to score higher and higher, due to the tutored children pushing the scores up.

Is 6th form entry still possible? It's how my brother and I got in without having ever sat the 12 plus (as I think it was then) because we were just on the wrong side of the county line. I don't think we'd have gone to decent universities if we hadn't changed schools.

@whichspidermummy There’s an enormous amount of tutoring within Bucks itself!!!!!!! My DD was the only one in her class who DIDN’T have a tutor.

@whichspidermummy I’m from one of the villages a few miles from Aylesbury, I didn’t realise the terminology would be so different!

I didn’t even realise there was actually a difference between comps and secondaries to be honest, I assumed they were both just generic terms for non-selective schools. Though having gone to ‘The’ High School I do find it a little strange when people refer to a random secondary as a high school!

I think people must be using 'secondaries' as shorthand for 'secondary modern schools'? 'Grammar schools' and Secondary Modern schools' being two of the three types of secondary school (the generic term for the phase following on from primary schools - and yes, I know some areas did / still do have first / middle/ high school systems, but that's getting a bit too complicated) in the Tripartite system brought in under the 1944 Education Act.

Eta, sorry, OP, can't help with schools in Bucks, though, I'm afraid. Friends living there are not in Aylesbury and either have no current school aged children, or any at all.

There is a new primary and secondary school on kingsbrook estate. The secondary only currently has year 7s and 8s as opened last year so can't comment on their exam success yet.

My son is at the Grange and doing fine. It seems to be run well, but clearly is not in the same league academically as the grammar schools (because the more academic kids go there instead of the secondary moderns).

It really depends what your child will need from a school, grammar wouldn't have been right for my ds, but I do wish there were smaller options available as all the secondaries are so big and busy, not helped by the funding crisis in education limiting resources in staff and equipment. (Again the grammars tend to have better resources, maybe due to fundraising and alumni donations?)

Thanks for your reply, yes you are right Kingsbrook is new so not sure how good is it doing academically. Around that area there is none outstanding state school, few are with good and requirements improvement Ofsted ratings. So actually wanted to get feedback of those good rated schools.

@DibbleDooDah I know there is, not so much when my DD went to primary (she went to a primary where for several years no one passed and the primary itself went into special measures when DD was there). DD wasn't tutored, though I think a couple of kids in her class were. I imagine in Bedgrove and the villages the amount of tutoring would be far higher. It's unfair, but luckily both mine passed without tutoring as I've never been able to afford it.

Have sent you a pm

Avoid Kingsbrook. They are desperate for pupils to make up numbers, will take anyone, are full of children no other school will take. Bullying is rife. I feel sorry for the staff, but definitely a school to avoid.

For the love of god himself, do not send your child to Kingsbrook school. As someone else has said, it is full of vile students which no other school would be willing to take. There is an appalling amount of supply teachers, which they are called according to my daughter - they are deprived of staff, and half of them refuse to come into school. Alongside this, the fact which hardly any of the supplies can speak a word of English. A majority of the higher echelon staff's attitude is disgusting, utterly awful in particular; in addition to the horrendous management of the school overall, leading to poor staff communication, and leaving students extremely unheard. This stresses both me, likely the teachers, and my child especially. Please - do not work here, nor enroll your child here. There are literal supply teachers whom have left midday from how awful the students were, in reference to how incompetent other teachers were trying to assist them, disregarding their pleas for assistance. allowing the class to continuously do whatever they want for the entire hour. Truly, the most undeveloped school I have ever seen, and I would genuinely do anything just to go back in time, and have my child in a different school - your best option for Aylesbury would be the Grange, unfortunately. It's not a great school; but if you'd like your child to recieve a genuinely decent education, consider it.

Hope I'm not too late to this discussion, regardless however; I hope this helps someone around or in Aylesbury trying to pick a school. I quote again - if you want your child a good education, Kingsbrook should not even be contemplated.

@iguessyoullneverknow I've heard really good things about AVA, could you move there?

@Foxesandsquirrels

Unfortunately, my child has been declined from it, as we enrolled her later than others did - aswell as that we assumed the new school (TKS) would be better. However, a few of my friends children attend AVA, everyone has said positive things about the school to what Ive seen.

Declined? As in it's outside of your catchment and it's oversubscribed? Can you put them on the waiting list?

How strange they are over subscribed for year 7 September 2025 my grandson could not get in and is on waiting list