Relocating to bucks-advice needed!
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Relocating to bucks-advice needed!
Hello,
I have got a 2 year old and one on the way. We currently live in London but we're hoping to relocate to bucks (within reach of pinewood studios for work), ideally to near a good school.
I have been looking into 11+ results and Ofsted reports but it appears all the really good schools are in incredibly expensive areas.
If anyone has got any advice, recommendations or even just a starting point for me I would be very grateful!
I have got a 2 year old and one on the way. We currently live in London but we're hoping to relocate to bucks (within reach of pinewood studios for work), ideally to near a good school.
I have been looking into 11+ results and Ofsted reports but it appears all the really good schools are in incredibly expensive areas.
If anyone has got any advice, recommendations or even just a starting point for me I would be very grateful!
Re: Relocating to bucks-advice needed!
i dont know where the pine studios are but i live in bucks and there are some school which are good . it depend s where you are planning to live . and any way its not that expensive then living in london .
Re: Relocating to bucks-advice needed!
Hi abc1234,
Pinewood Studios is in a funny bit of Bucks in that it is in the far corner without any Bucks senior schools in the immediate vicinity. I'm not sure about how good the primary schools are there, I don't think they particularly get many through the 11 plus, but I could be wrong about that. Plenty of places within easy reach of Pinewood have very good primary schools - Gerrards Cross (££££), the Chalfonts, Stoke Poges, Farnham Common. At Pinewood I think you would be in catchment for Chalfont Community College (a well thought of Upper School - ie one for children who didn't pass the 11plus) and I think Burnham Grammar, I'm not sure about the other grammar schools. Of course in the next 10+ years schools could change dramatically as could catchment areas, and even the 11plus. If you look on the Bucks County Council website you will be able to see the catchment area for both primary and secondary schools. My advice would be to concentrate on somewhere with good primary schools, but also be aware of the senior school options at the same time, bearing in mind that it would be best to be as near as possible to a decent grammar (or grammars if you have a girl and a boys and want single sex schools) as well as a decent upper school.
When you are looking at particular areas I'm sure people will have advice about particular schools' pros and cons. People often move to Bucks "for the grammar schools" only to find that their DCs don't qualify and they are left with a less than ideal choice of upper school. Happy hunting!
Pinewood Studios is in a funny bit of Bucks in that it is in the far corner without any Bucks senior schools in the immediate vicinity. I'm not sure about how good the primary schools are there, I don't think they particularly get many through the 11 plus, but I could be wrong about that. Plenty of places within easy reach of Pinewood have very good primary schools - Gerrards Cross (££££), the Chalfonts, Stoke Poges, Farnham Common. At Pinewood I think you would be in catchment for Chalfont Community College (a well thought of Upper School - ie one for children who didn't pass the 11plus) and I think Burnham Grammar, I'm not sure about the other grammar schools. Of course in the next 10+ years schools could change dramatically as could catchment areas, and even the 11plus. If you look on the Bucks County Council website you will be able to see the catchment area for both primary and secondary schools. My advice would be to concentrate on somewhere with good primary schools, but also be aware of the senior school options at the same time, bearing in mind that it would be best to be as near as possible to a decent grammar (or grammars if you have a girl and a boys and want single sex schools) as well as a decent upper school.
When you are looking at particular areas I'm sure people will have advice about particular schools' pros and cons. People often move to Bucks "for the grammar schools" only to find that their DCs don't qualify and they are left with a less than ideal choice of upper school. Happy hunting!
scary mum
Re: Relocating to bucks-advice needed!
For Iver the catchment schools would be BGS and Chalfont Community College (also BHS for girls)
Iver Heath primary used to be better than Iver village for getting pupils into BGS
Stoke Poges is probably better
Neither primary in the Farnhams has tended to be good for 11+ passes and Farnham Royal is currently in special measures.
but the catchment US is either BSS or BUS (in special measures) while the catchment grammars are the same.
another thing to note is that in much of Bucks the primary schools are small 1 or 2 forms per year.
Iver Heath primary used to be better than Iver village for getting pupils into BGS
Stoke Poges is probably better
Neither primary in the Farnhams has tended to be good for 11+ passes and Farnham Royal is currently in special measures.
but the catchment US is either BSS or BUS (in special measures) while the catchment grammars are the same.
another thing to note is that in much of Bucks the primary schools are small 1 or 2 forms per year.
Re: Relocating to bucks-advice needed!
I think Farnham Common Junior School is very well thought of (as good as or better then Stoke Poges) and gets good 11 plus results, but not the Farnham Royal school. The Gerrards Cross and Chalfont primary schools are extremely good, I understand. The Beaconsfield School (BSS) was very poor a few years ago but has improved enormously lately.
scary mum
Re: Relocating to bucks-advice needed!
Thank you for your advice!
