Chesham Grammar School

Eleven Plus (11+) in Buckinghamshire (Bucks)

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strictlyfriends
Posts: 44
Joined: Thu Oct 04, 2012 9:10 am

Chesham Grammar School

Post by strictlyfriends »

Hi, does anyone have any experience or knowledge about Chesham Grammar School. IF my dd passes test it is likely she will be offered a place there. Now I think she is reasonably intelligent but not super bright. My fear is that if she passes the test she may struggle with the work there. Does anyone know if the school has a nurturing environment, are the children happy there? I did go to the open day and I felt it had a nice feel to it. DD wants to go because it has horses!! Any views greatly appreciated.
strictlyfriends
Posts: 44
Joined: Thu Oct 04, 2012 9:10 am

Re: Chesham Grammar School

Post by strictlyfriends »

Anyone??
asdguest
Posts: 144
Joined: Thu Jan 10, 2008 9:06 pm

Re: Chesham Grammar School

Post by asdguest »

My son is at the school, his reply is:

He likes the school, thinks the teaching is good, emphasis on exam results, mixed ability range of children, the school has improved under new headmaster, matron is nice.
Etienne
Posts: 8978
Joined: Mon Dec 12, 2005 6:26 pm

Re: Chesham Grammar School

Post by Etienne »

I think that comments about CGS on the forum have always been positive.

The school tends to be undersubscribed in years 7-8 not least because of its location.
Sally-Anne wrote:Chesham Grammar rarely has spaces beyond Years 7 & 8. It is in quite a rural area, and right on the edge of the County, so awareness of the school fades as you get in to Hertfordshire and Greater London. Transport links from the north and east are very poor, so parents have to drive their children to school
The head is very well-regarded, and good progress has been made under his leadership.

Bucks is lucky to have a range of excellent grammar schools - co-educational as well as single s e x.
Etienne
Caryn
Posts: 21
Joined: Thu Feb 11, 2010 8:06 pm

Re: Chesham Grammar School

Post by Caryn »

I have 2 DS there, both very happy. It's a friendly school, fair amount of homework but manageable, impressed with head.
ChilledDad
Posts: 27
Joined: Sat Oct 13, 2012 8:33 pm

Re: Chesham Grammar School

Post by ChilledDad »

I don't know what it is like now. I was there 1980 to 1986. I achieved despite the school, not because of it. I hear things have improved academically since I was there, but other schools have raised the bar higher. Whilst it was a grammar school it always lost sports matches to dcgs, rgshw, ags etc, its music was pretty much non existent with little peripatetic support/encouragement to take up an instrument, exam results were generally much below other gs etc. if I looking at it now I would want a full understanding of all these to see how good it really is. They have also changed the houses since I was there: RIP Kelvin, Scott and Wren.
instantsunshine
Posts: 73
Joined: Sat Sep 15, 2012 10:41 am

Re: Chesham Grammar School

Post by instantsunshine »

It used to be called Chesham High School - not quite sure why the need to change the name. For 6th form this year certain courses were oversubscribed - ie the sciences (we looked at it for DD1 but chose DCHS instead) so what it may lack in popularity early on certainly changes further up the school (as per S.As comments). Anecdotally if your DC is in to performing arts out of school Chesham will apparently be supportive and give them time off to attend performances whereas DCHS has been known to refuse permission. Chesham Grammar is right next to Chesham Leisure Centre so presumably they get the chance to swim in the 25m pool and for older children to use the gym?
Sally-Anne
Posts: 9235
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 8:10 pm
Location: Buckinghamshire

Re: Chesham Grammar School

Post by Sally-Anne »

ChilledDad wrote:I don't know what it is like now. I was there 1980 to 1986.
Just a quiet word in your ear, and I hope this doesn't hurt too much ... that was 26 years ago!
its music was pretty much non existent with little peripatetic support/encouragement to take up an instrument,
The current Head's background is in teaching music.
exam results were generally much below other gs etc. if I looking at it now I would want a full understanding of all these to see how good it really is.

CGS is certainly not "much below other GS" any longer. It was originally a Technical High School (I think that was the title) and it suffered from that supposedly lower status for a generation or more. That was, I assume, the reason for the name-change to Chesham Grammar School.
Rob Clark
Posts: 1298
Joined: Tue Nov 25, 2008 1:59 pm

Re: Chesham Grammar School

Post by Rob Clark »

Sally-Anne, I thought it was because the other GSs with 'High' in their name were all-girls schools? Although, as ever, I bow to your greater knowledge, of course :D

Maybe in the days when the 2 Challoner's schools demanded a higher 11+ score, Chesham GS was considered something of the 'poor relation' but not any more, I don't think.

And one of the reasons it did - and does - lose sports matches to the single-sex GSs in Bucks is obviously because it has only half as many children to choose from!

I don't have a dog in this fight as neither of my DCs are at Chesham, but all the local parents I know seem very happy with it.
Mostlymum
Posts: 116
Joined: Mon Nov 29, 2010 12:14 pm

Re: Chesham Grammar School

Post by Mostlymum »

My dd's not there but know several families with several children there, all very very happy.
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