A selective co-educational grammar school in Chesham, Buckinghamshire, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 1,326 pupils on roll.
Chesham Grammar School
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At a glance
Chesham Grammar School is a co-educational Buckinghamshire grammar school for ages 11 to 18, drawing pupils from Chesham, the Chilterns, South Bucks and nearby Hertfordshire. Its history is more distinctive than the name first suggests. The school opened in 1947 as Chesham Technical School with six boys, became a co-educational grammar school in the 1960s, and changed from Chesham High to Chesham Grammar School in 2010. That technical inheritance still shows in the school's own account of its continuing strength in creative, artistic and technical subjects.
The school describes its vision as everyone enjoying, achieving and belonging, with aspiration, kindness and respect as core values. The academic tone is high but not narrow: the school website highlights an outstanding, co-educational community of more than 1,300 students, strong examination outcomes and progression to first-choice universities, including Oxford and Cambridge. Sixth form is presented as a rigorous step up, with a broad range of A-level subjects and a strong emphasis on independent learning, service and contribution to school life.
Daily school life is organised around belonging as well as attainment. The headteacher's welcome and about pages put the house system close to the centre of school culture, and the news stream gives a useful sense of the range: House of Lords youth engagement, school productions, literary events, science activity and alumni sport all appear in recent school-published material. That makes Chesham feel less like a results-only grammar and more like a large, busy selective school with a broad catchment and a strong internal community.
Year 7 admission is through Buckinghamshire's Secondary Transfer Test. The published admission number is 186, and the test combines verbal skills, mathematical skills and non-verbal skills, weighted 50%, 25% and 25%; a score of 121 or above qualifies a child for grammar-school consideration. Chesham's policy then applies its oversubscription criteria, including looked-after children, pupil-premium categories, siblings, children of staff and catchment. Official benchmarks record Ofsted Outstanding, +0.84 Progress 8, 99.4% grade 5+ in English and maths, and 43.3% AAB or better at A level.
Latest 2024/25 KS4 measures compared with Buckinghamshire and England.
Recent published Attainment 8 scores compared with Buckinghamshire and England.
Latest 2024/25 Year 11 destination mix compared with Buckinghamshire and England.
January 2025 school census
Whole-school roll of 1,326 pupils; 1,299 had a recorded ethnic group.
| Recorded group | Share | Category | Pupils |
|---|---|---|---|
| White British | 63% | White | 836 |
| Indian | 14.5% | Asian | 192 |
| Any other White background | 5.4% | White | 71 |
| White and Asian | 4.1% | Mixed | 55 |
| Any other Asian background | 3.3% | Asian | 44 |
| Any other mixed background | 3% | Mixed | 40 |
| Unclassified | 2% | Unclassified | 27 |
| Pakistani | 1.1% | Asian | 14 |
| African | 0.8% | Black | 10 |
| Irish | 0.7% | White | 9 |
| Chinese | 0.6% | Asian | 8 |
| White and Black Caribbean | 0.6% | Mixed | 8 |
| Any other ethnic group | 0.3% | Other | 4 |
| White and Black African | 0.3% | Mixed | 4 |
| Bangladeshi | 0.2% | Asian | 3 |
| Any other Black background | 0.1% | Black | 1 |
Buckinghamshire Council manages the Secondary Transfer Test, coordinated applications, and appeals for Chesham Grammar School. Families at independent, out-of-county, or Partner Schools need to complete the published test-registration route.
A designated catchment area applies, with a dedicated map available. After the higher priority groups, remaining qualified applicants are ranked by straight-line distance to White Hill.
Looked after and previously looked after children
Qualified looked after children and previously looked after children are prioritised first.
Up to six catchment pupil premium qualifiers scoring 110-120
Up to six places are reserved for catchment children who receive Pupil Premium, score between 110 and 120 inclusive, and do not have a successful Selection Review.
Other catchment pupil premium qualifiers
Remaining qualified catchment children in receipt of Pupil Premium are considered next.
Siblings
Qualified siblings of pupils attending Chesham Grammar School at the time of admission are prioritised next.
Children of permanent staff
Qualified children of permanent staff who meet the school's published service criteria are considered next.
Other qualified catchment children
Qualified children living in the designated catchment area are ranked before out-of-catchment applicants.
The Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test applies. Buckinghamshire Council describes two multiple-choice papers: verbal skills and mathematical/non-verbal skills. The three age-standardised skill scores are weighted 50% verbal, 25% mathematical and 25% non-verbal; a score of 121 or more qualifies a child for grammar-school consideration but does not give higher priority above other qualified children.
Shared exam route
Chesham Grammar School uses the shared Buckinghamshire route. Use these common practice resources for the route, then check the full consortium guide for the complete set and current test guidance.
View all Buckinghamshire practice papersPaper 1
English, Verbal reasoning
Verbal skills paper
The first Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test paper assesses verbal skills, including English comprehension, technical English and verbal reasoning.
Paper 2
Maths, Non-verbal reasoning
Mathematical and non-verbal skills paper
The second paper assesses mathematical, non-verbal and spatial skills.
English, Maths, Verbal reasoning and Non-verbal reasoning are included in the published format.
Science is not listed in the current published format.
English
Maths
Verbal reasoning
The first Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test paper assesses verbal skills, including English comprehension, technical English and verbal reasoning.
Non-verbal reasoning
The second paper assesses mathematical, non-verbal and spatial skills.
Science
Registration opens
Friday 1 May 2026
PastRegistration closes
Tuesday 2 June 2026 at 3pm
PastAddress cut-off for most Buckinghamshire grammar schools
Tuesday 1 September 2026
Practice test
Tuesday 8 September 2026
Secondary Transfer Test
Thursday 10 September 2026
Results issued
After 4pm on Friday 9 October 2026
CAF deadline
Saturday 31 October 2026
Read the admissions policy and catchment map
Check the PAN of 186, the qualified-score rule, and the designated catchment area before making plans for testing and application.
Open admissions policyRegister for the Secondary Transfer Test if needed
Children at state-funded Buckinghamshire primary schools are entered automatically. Families at other schools must register between 1 May 2026 and 2 June 2026 at 3pm.
Open Buckinghamshire testing guidanceSit the practice test and the transfer test
Buckinghamshire has scheduled the practice test for 8 September 2026 and the Secondary Transfer Test for 10 September 2026, with results after 4pm on 9 October 2026.
Review key datesSubmit your secondary application
List Chesham Grammar School on your home local authority Common Application Form by 31 October 2026 if you want a school place.
Open admissions pageLatest official destinations data currently covers 2022/23 study leavers.
Recent trend
This follows the school's published overall GCSE score across the subjects pupils take. Higher is better.
| Year | This school | Grammar schools | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | 78.1 | 74.2 | 49.4 |
| 2022/23 | 76 | 71.8 | 47.0 |
| 2023/24 | 76.7 | 72.1 | 46.7 |
| 2024/25 | 74 | 72.3 | 46.8 |
Recent trend
This follows the published average A-level result for the school's sixth form. Higher is better.
| Year | This school | Grammar schools | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | A- average (45.5 points) | 44.0 points | 37.5 points |
| 2022/23 | B+ average (43.8 points) | 40.5 points | 33.7 points |
| 2023/24 | A- average (45.6 points) | 41.3 points | 34.5 points |
| 2024/25 | A- average (46.3 points) | 41.8 points | 35.0 points |
Recent trend
This follows the share of pupils moving into a sustained destination after Year 11, such as education, apprenticeships, or employment.
| Year | This school | Grammar schools | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | 100% | 99.1% | 94.1% |
| 2022/23 | 99% | 98.9% | 93.9% |
| 2023/24 | 98% | 99.0% | 93.3% |
| 2024/25 | 99% | 98.7% | 91.8% |
Latest year breakdown
| In education | 98% |
|---|---|
| In apprenticeships | 0% |
| In employment | 1% |
Latest inspection: 13 March 2014
Local rivals appear first, followed by nearby alternatives where the journey and admissions route are still comparable.
Same Buckinghamshire area and similar co-ed selective route
Same Buckinghamshire area and similar co-ed selective route
Same Buckinghamshire area and similar co-ed selective route
Same Buckinghamshire area and similar co-ed selective route
Closest comparable alternatives with a similar academic profile, so parents can weigh local fit and results together.
Nearby option with similar Attainment 8 and Progress 8
Nearby option with similar Attainment 8 and Progress 8
Nearby option with similar Attainment 8 and Progress 8
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Best Grammar Schools in Buckinghamshire
Compare 13 Buckinghamshire grammar schools for 2026: GCSE ranking table, Ofsted, Buckinghamshire route, admissions rules, competition, and school profiles.
Best Grammar Schools in the UK
Explore the best grammar schools in the UK with a national ranking that can be filtered by county, school type, and Ofsted before moving into local admissions detail.
Best Grammar Schools by A-level Results
Explore the best grammar schools by A-level results in the UK, ranked by the published share of students achieving AAB or better at A level.
Best Grammar Schools Rated Outstanding by Ofsted
Explore grammar schools rated Outstanding by Ofsted in the UK and narrow them by GCSE strength, county, and school type before comparing schools by route and journey.
Related guides are still being added.
FAQ
Chesham Grammar School currently uses GL Assessment.
1. Read the admissions policy and catchment map: Check the PAN of 186, the qualified-score rule, and the designated catchment area before making plans for testing and application. 2. Register for the Secondary Transfer Test if needed: Children at state-funded Buckinghamshire primary schools are entered automatically. Families at other schools must register between 1 May 2026 and 2 June 2026 at 3pm. 3. Sit the practice test and the transfer test: Buckinghamshire has scheduled the practice test for 8 September 2026 and the Secondary Transfer Test for 10 September 2026, with results after 4pm on 9 October 2026. 4. Submit your secondary application: List Chesham Grammar School on your home local authority Common Application Form by 31 October 2026 if you want a school place.
Registration opens: Friday 1 May 2026. Registration closes: Tuesday 2 June 2026 at 3pm. Address cut-off for most Buckinghamshire grammar schools: Tuesday 1 September 2026. Practice test: Tuesday 8 September 2026. Secondary Transfer Test: Thursday 10 September 2026. Results issued: After 4pm on Friday 9 October 2026. CAF deadline: Saturday 31 October 2026
Chesham Grammar School is currently rated Outstanding following the latest published inspection dated 13 March 2014.