11 Plus Exams Forum

We currently live in Wiltshire and have a DD who is in year 4 and son in year 3. We have not started any prep except consolidating her basics purely because before visiting this wonderful site I didn't know much about GS.

I need help to decide on an area to relocate so that we can get her into a good GS. We as a family are prepared to take the biggest risk of our lives by moving to a new area only because of the choice of a good GS. My partner will commute weekly to Wilts whilst I will relocate with kids after leaving my job!!!!

our shortlisted areas are:

1. Reading ( although 2 GS, not sure about the area at all )

2. Slough ( Choice of GS, easier test, again not sure about the area to raise a family )

3. My dream area would be High Wycomb, but how to narrow down an area in a view of catchment??

Please excuse me as its my first ever and that too such a vague post. I would appreciate any advice from you all. Thanks Nikki

Can only talk about Reading myself.

Both Reading and Kendrick have a roughly 15 mile catchment. Both are superselectives.
This year 651 girls sat the Kendrick exam for 96 places.

Like any town, Reading has its good and bad places. Of course what you need to consider is your plan b, regardless of where you go, whether you look for a good comprehensive or indie school.

Admittedly I know nothing at all about Wiltshire schools apart from many moons ago I had a colleague who seemed to have done well at Hardenhuish, but do you not fancy South Wilts Girls Grammar in Salisbury? Or would it be more awkward for commuting?

Hi. I suggest you look and tand's thread just below yours on here: s/he had similar questions. I will only echo what I said there - surely the area you live in is rather lovelier than Slough or High Wycombe (no offence to residents of these places) and a school is only a school - a GS is not so very different from others, especially in an area without selective schools. Don't forget to consider the overall quality of life when considering relocation - the space and peace of the countryside are probably rather different in Wiltshire from Slough, for example. I have friends in Wiltshire who are very happy indeed with the local schools and their children are doing just as well as my lot at GS.

There are some rather nice villages in Berkshire and Buckinghamshire . But look very carefully at the non grammar options, they vary enormously - the Wycombe grammar schools are very good. Some of the Upper Schools are, ahem, not so well thought of. In some areas (and there may be some in Wycombe, I don't know) there are Upper Schools that are extremely good alternatives, and very popular.

scary mum wrote:There are some rather nice villages in Berkshire and Buckinghamshire .

I'm sure there are scary, I didn't mean to imply...only that to move from one lovely area to another (albeit also lovely) area just because you think the schools are going to be better and for no other reason is something potentially fraught with unforeseen issues.

OP, what's wrong with South Wilts? It has a very good reputation, I believe.

I am a Bucks boy born and bred but still I echo Amber's comments – Mrs Clark's family are in Wiltshire and it's pretty nice and as Scary says some of the non-GS options around Wycombe are not all that fabulous so you'd be taking a risk with no guarantees…

For Reading you would probably choose Wokingham district as there are some good comps as plan B.

If you are utterly set on moving to a selective area (for that reason) then do your research very carefully indeed. There are no guarantees and you may consider some of the high schools (non grammar) in selective areas worse than many of the schools you have in Wilts, which I'm assuming is fully comprehensive. It could be a very costly mistake and if your children were to know why you move, and then fail to get into your / their preferred grammar and end up at high school / secondary modern... Surely Wiltshire has good schools?

However, to answer your question and for you to consider, in Kent (fully selective), 25% of the cohort attend Grammar which is far more than many other counties which may have outstanding grammars but are only a partially selective area. You would need to consider things like this. What percentage of any cohort ultimately attend a GS in any given area? Not suggesting you come to Kent - horrendous commute - but moreover to consider what percentage of the cohort ultimately go to GS in the area you choose. It could be anything from 5% to 25%. Quite a difference!

As others have said, a school is a school, and relatives from fully comprehensive areas (e.g. Sussex) have performed far better than mine who went to GS (in Kent). And why shouldn't they? Relatives are brighter, had good teaching and worked hard!

There is far more to it than just the name or type of school!
Best wishes.

Wiltshire is quite a big county and as far as I know the only GS are in Salisbury which is at one edge of the county. maybe the OP is further away - some places are a long way from the GS ?? swindon maybe - almost easier to get to Reading than salisbury from there