11 Plus Exams Forum

I am anxiously awaiting daughter's 11 plus results and she is currently at an independent school. We live in catchment for WH and just outside catchment for BH and realize that we may not get in to the latter but any thoughts on either schools would be greatly appreciated.

What did your daughter think when she went round?

They are both good schools; go with which is easier travel-wise if there is nothing else to choose betwen them.

My daughter preferred BH as it is a smaller school and she seemed overwhelmed by the size of WH in comparison.

I have heard much better views on Wycombe High. Their pastoral care us highly praised and a couple of girls from our school last year have been very unhappy at Beaconsfield. They feel it is very clicky with many athletics places etc only for children who pay to attend such sports privately. I looked around both schools but found teachers more friendly at Wycombe even though we are Beaconsfield catchment .

We are in catchment for both schools, and both DD and I felt BHS was the right choice for her. It felt that bit smaller and less intimidating. She started last month and loves it.

However, in all honesty, if we hadn't had a choice we'd probably be very happy with WHS. Both are v good schools, and they are both equally popular where we live. I'd just visit both and go with which feels best- not forgetting the trump card of which is most easy to get to!!

Here is my two penny's worth from our recent open day visits to both Beaconsfield High and Wycombe High.

Our daughter certainly liked Becky High, but she fell totally in love with Wycombe High (the full-on party atmosphere of the packed-out open evening there might have helped too... as opposed to the surprisingly low-key open morning at Becky High where barely a handful of parents attended).

From my parental viewpoint I liked the headmistress of Becky High more - authoritative, to the point, genuinely wanting the best for the girls, but not too "old-school".

The facilities at Becky High seemed more dated and limited than Wycombe, but this can be explained by the stingy funding from the LEA (?). When you actually compare the academic results, including the numbers of girls who go on to Oxbridge, they're pretty much exactly evenly matched (though Beaconsfield might just be ahead, by a whisker..)

Becky High seemed a welcoming place and the girls who showed us around were very friendly, but the Wycombe girls seemed particularly confident and happy at their school. As an example, we met the history teachers and their students seemed keen and happy to exchange views with them - no shyness or hesitancy as far as we could see.

In short, both great schools - we'd be happy for our daughter to go to either.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again - check out what subjects are available/compulsory at each level. Though for many it may be too early to tell, if you know in your heart that little Jilly really doesn't ever want to study Serbo Croat, then you don't want to send her somewhere she'll be required to do it. If she's got a passion for Welsh Country Dancing, you might want to see which school offers it. And then check out what 'extras' they are required to do - not all kids can cope with the pressure. Some schools will be more willing to exempt than others. Speaking from bitter and painful experience.

The facilities at Becky High seemed more dated and limited than Wycombe, but this can be explained by the stingy funding from the LEA (?)

Errr - no - a previous HT overspent by several millions without permission ...

http://www.bucksfreepress.co.uk/news/lo ... g_project/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Errr - no - a previous HT overspent by several millions without permission ...

http://www.bucksfreepress.co.uk/news/lo ... g_project/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Errr - yeah - it still seemed more dated. You have to go to both schools and see it by yourself.

Dd has just started in year 7 at WHS. She has settled in well, made lots of friends & is very happy there.

Regards comparing the facilities between BHS & WHS, I cannot speak personally for BHS, but I think the key difference is that WHS have a development director in post. The school's fundraising campaigns are pretty impressive when you see all that they have achieved over the past few years. The new music centre, due for completion next spring, is the most recent project, having raised £1.3 m in eighteen months.