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Took him to see SWBGS and he now puts that as equal with JH so we will be putting SWBGS first. Checking admissions policies and past allocations it looks he has a high chance of being allocated any one of them but I want to be happy with the second choice too.
Have you double checked the diatnaces? Are you in catchment for SWBGS? Last year it went to 1.739 miles in March 1st, and 1.76 miles in the second allocation round. BCC don't publish later rounds, but I doubt it moved very much.
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Burnham grammar is our closest but we haven't seen it for about 8 years, somehow I'd managed to forget all about it. We're going to go and take a look next week. Not sure about the traffic at peak times as it always looks bad in that direction from us, but know in the past there was a school bus so may well still be one.
I struggle to think of somewhere where BGS is closest but you would still get SWBGS, but I'm more than happy to be proved wrong.
BGS has increased in poularity enormously in the last few years. I suspect this is partly the natural waxing & waning of popularity, partly a better reputation (they had plenty of unfilled spaces a few years ago), and partly the huge enthusiasm for grammar schools that seems to get more frantic each year. BGS has a reputation for being a little shabby, but, as you will see when you visit, there are plans for a complete re-build. Mind you, DS1 was promised this when he was in year 8. He is now in his last year at university. Having said that, it really seems to be going ahead now!
To be honest, traffic is horrible at peak periods wherever you go (JHGS probably worse than Burnham).
My DCs all attended BGS and it is a good school. I have friends with children at JHGS and they have all been happy with the school. 10 years ago JHGS was much harder to get in to than it is now, as mentioned above, probably the natural waxing & waning of popularity.
I know nothing about Furze Platt, I'm afraid, other than that it has a good reputation. If it is the easiest to get to, I would be inlcined to go for that. I do think that parents have to have the major say in a school, children can't comprehend the practicalities, and will be attracted by the strangest things.As I have often mentioned on here, one of my DSs wanted to go to a particular school because the snacks served in the food tech department were delicious!