Potential Grammar schools to apply for

[ThisSunnyAzureStork]

Hello, my son will be going to Y4 this September and I've started some research on the potential Grammar schools that we could apply to, assuming that he passes the 11+ exams in various counties.
We currently live in Berkshire and would prefer to not move out as our younger DD is well settled in school. Therefore, apart from the Slough consortium of schools, what are the other grammar schools where there is no catchment area as admission criteria, or have some postcodes of Slough as a priority area for admissions?
Here are a broad set of counties:

1. Berkshire - Slough - would be eligible
2. Berkshire - Reading - looks like he won't be eligible for Reading Grammar school?
3. Bucks - looks like the only school he may get is Burnham Grammar school?
4. London boroughs - the only non catchment school that I know is QE Barnet for Boys.

Any input on other schools he could potentially look at will be very helpful.

You have to prioritise which ones are within an acceptable commuting distance. Some parents subject their kids to absolutely punishing daily journeys and that’s not fair.

I agree with @Jellycats4life that a reasonable commute is essential.

If you don’t intend to move house, you should create a list of all grammar schools within a sensible commute from your home (remember that some further away schools might have an easy commute, whereas some closer ones might be fiddly to get to/from.)

Then check the admissions criteria for each one and eliminate any for which you wouldn’t qualify.

Then look at the remaining grammars and eliminate any you don’t like.

Also, don’t forget your local comprehensive schools. Grammar schools aren’t always the best option!

Which Grammars in Slough are you interested in? Because it has 4 Grammars and they all have their own admissions criteria. You may not qualify for all of them.

My advice: Open up each school’s admissions criteria and read them back to front. Figure out what priority areas you’re in or how far your house is from the school as the schools do different things. You could either have zero chance (even if your child passes) or have a high chance (if your child passes).

Edit: If you get into QE be prepared to move. The commute from Slough to Barnet is long and not doable in the long term. Keep this in mind if you don’t want to move as you say your DD is settled.

Why is there such an obsession with grammar schools? Slough already has several grammar schools, so what’s the point of looking so far afield if moving isn’t the best option

Echoing what everyone else has said. If your child is making a ridiculous length commute to get to their school this will negate any (possibly only perceived) benefits of going to said school. Decide where you are going to live and pick schools accordingly. Grammar is not the be all and and end all (and do you have a plan B in case of failing the 11+?)

Wilson, Wallington and Queen Elisabeth don't have catchment

People assume that if it is selective then it must be a good school. Despite of many grammar schools just as comprehensive were downgraded from Outstanding to Good, even for teaching criterion, they still believe it means nothing and that the grammar schools are the best.
I understand that push in areas in the country where there is a choice of grammar or comprehensive with bad GCSE results. However, pushing for grammar in the locations where there are excellent comprehensive schools suggest that people don't understand how the educational system works.

Recently I have met a woman who said that comprehensive schools are for future physical labour, and grammar for those who aspire to continue education. For a moment I thought that I was in Back to the Future movie.😄

My son goes to Reading School and has an hour commute, you say that he won’t be eligible is that because of catchment, because it’s a pretty wide one?

I honestly couldn’t speak more highly of it and he absolutely loves it and has never complained about the commute once, I have never seen him do happy in school with so many friends.

He was not tutored to pass the exam and is still towards the top academically, I imagine it might be a slightly different experience for children who find it a stretch.