Grammar schools in Buckinghamshire - and how to apply
Buckinghamshire is among the English counties with the largest number of grammar schools.
The schools usually have their own admission policies, although all are selective - requiring prospective pupils to pass an exam to enter.
In most cases, a child must sit the Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test a year prior to entering the school.
This tests verbal, non-verbal and mathematical skills.
Here, we list the schools.
Aylesbury Grammar School
This school was founded in 1598, although it has only existed at its current site for just over a century.
It attained academy status in 2011.
In 2022, Ofsted rating it 'Outstanding,' with 78 per cent of pupils achieving five or more GCSEs at grades 9-to-7.
Information on admissions can be found on the school's website.
Aylesbury High School
190 Year 7 spaces, and 34 Year 12 places, are available for 2025 at this all-girls school, which was separated from Aylesbury Grammar School in the 1950s.
It is located east of Aylesbury town centre.
Entry criteria is similar to Aylesbury Grammar's.
Beaconsfield High School
This girls' school was rated 'Exceptional' by Ofsted in 2019 - one of a very small number of UK schools to have attained this accolade.
Its catchment spans the area around Beaconsfield.
Burnham Grammar School
This co-educational academy prides itself on its vertical tutoring system.
It was rated 'Good' by Ofsted in their December 2022 review.
For information on admissions, visit its website.
Chesham Grammar School
Another co-educational school, with a GCSE 9-to-5 pass rate of 98 per cent.
It hosts an admission event every September.
Entry criteria is available online.
Royal Latin School
Located in Buckingham, this school also has a long history, having been established in 1423.
For more information on entry, visit its website.
Royal Grammar School
An all-boys school, this High Wycombe institution has existed at its current location for just over a century.
It is one of several officially-designated 'royal' grammar schools up and down the country, established by a royal charter.
Jimmy Carr is a noted former pupil, and the great poet T. S. Eliot taught briefly there.
See here for its admissions policy.
John Hampden School
Named after an English Civil War general, this boys' school is also located in High Wycombe.
Its website states that it has a strong academic sporting ethos.
Information on entry to the school is available online.
Dr Challoner's Grammar School
Like several other Bucks grammars, Dr Challoner's has a storied history, having been founded in the 17th century.
It is a boys' school with a co-educational sixth form.
Uniquely, it prides itself on its robotics team, which has won national awards.
Entry criteria is available on its website.
Sir William Borlase's Grammar School
This Marlow school is co-educational at every age.
It is located close to the town centre, with around 1,000 pupils attending at secondary age and just under 400 at sixth form.
For more information, visit its website.
Wycombe High School
One of the newer establishments on the list, this girls' school dates back to 1901.
It boasts a number of state-of-the-art facilities - including a music centre which only opened in 2015.
It is one of three grammars located in High Wycombe.
Admissions criteria can be found online.
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