11 Plus Exams Forum

My son is 8 yrs old. I would like him to go to a grammar school in future. We are therefore planning to relocate to an area where we can have the maximum option for grammar schools. However, we work in London, so this area should be at a commutable distance to London as well, with obviously lower house prices.

Can you suggest which place we should relocate to?

Hi ranmis

I see you have also asked the question on Kent and Berks, so I'll mainly stick to Bucks.

For commuting to London a good bet would be Amersham. It has good rail services, and a first class school - Dr Challoners GS (boys) and a good second choice GS, Chesham High School (mixed).

Another option would be the Berks/Bucks border - Marlow, and that would give you access to both the Bucks schools and the Grammars in Berks, although that would mean a lot of preparation for the 11 plus, as it is different in the two counties.

Beware the alternative though! If your son does not pass the 11+ the alternative Upper Schools can be really dreadful. Private schools are few and far between (unless you count Eton!) in South Bucks, simply because the Grammars are so good.

Probably the best Upper School in South Bucks is Chalfonts Community College, and you would almost certainly be within reach of a place there if you lived in Amersham, although it is getting more popular every year.

Hope that helps. If you register on the Forum then people may PM you with more detail from personal experience.

Sally-Anne

Ranmis,

Do you have a vision of exactly where you want to end up (e.g. town/suburbia/the sticks) and what sort of house you want?

Do you have any other younger children (girls) to consider?

Also what is your definition of "obviously lower house prices" ?

Would you consider going private ?

Are you particularly attracted to single sex schools ?

Do you expect to commute to London using the train ?

When you say the "maximum option for grammar schools", what do you specifically mean (choice of two; a co-ed and an all-boys; etc) ?

Answer these, and we might be able to collectively come up with some perfect locations !

Anonymous wrote:Also what is your definition of "obviously lower house prices" ?

Yes, that could be an interesting challenge in leafy Bucks! I think we can rule out Gerrards X, don't you Guest?

Sorry, twas I. Haven't mastered this "logging in" malarky yet !

Next time you log on, just check the box that says "log me in every time". Easy peasy really.

I keep moving PCs so a bit more complex than that I'm afraid.

Hi Guest,

Thanks a lot for your response. Answers to your questions -

Q. Do you have a vision of exactly where you want to end up (e.g. town/suburbia/the sticks) and what sort of house you want?
Ans. Anywhere, with at least a 4 bed detached house within 400K and commute to london not taking more than an hour, whether by car or train

Q. Do you have any other younger children (girls) to consider?
Ans. No

Q. Would you consider going private ?
Ans. Yes, if he doesnt get into any grammar school, only as a last resort. 1st option is grammar school

Q. Are you particularly attracted to single gender schools ?
Ans. No, could be mixed or for boys only, dont really care about that

Q. Do you expect to commute to London using the train ?
Ans. Open to any, train or car

Q. When you say the "maximum option for grammar schools", what do you specifically mean (choice of two; a co-ed and an all-boys; etc) ?
Ans. I mean schools at a reasonable distance

at least a 4 bed detached house within 400K

And therein lies your first problem, I suspect. Have you looked at property prices in this area? I'm not an expert but 4-beds are generally over £400K (and over £500K).

You may be limited to Wycombe...

What is wrong with Wycombe?!!!!