Best Schools in Buckinghamshire

How many schools are there in Buckinghamshire?

Buckinghamshire has 375 open schools: 261 state primary, 53 state secondary or all-through, 23 independent, 24 special and 14 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Buckinghamshire are rated Outstanding?

50 schools in Buckinghamshire were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Holy Trinity Church of England (Aided) School, Brushwood Junior School, Chepping View Primary Academy, Henry Allen Nursery School, Sir William Borlase's Grammar School and 45 more. Counting Good as well, 93% of the 292 graded schools here are rated Good or better. Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall grades in September 2024, so these are the grades from each school's last full inspection.

Holy Trinity Church of England (Aided) SchoolBrushwood Junior SchoolChepping View Primary AcademyHenry Allen Nursery SchoolSir William Borlase's Grammar School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Buckinghamshire get the best GCSE results?

Of the 53 schools in Buckinghamshire with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Sir William Borlase's Grammar School (selective grammar), with an Attainment 8 score of 76.7 and 98% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Dr Challoner's High School (selective grammar), with an Attainment 8 score of 76.2 and 100% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Dr Challoner's Grammar School (selective grammar), with an Attainment 8 score of 76.2 and 99% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Selective schools admit by ability, so their raw results are not a like-for-like comparison with comprehensives. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Sir William Borlase's Grammar SchoolDr Challoner's High SchoolDr Challoner's Grammar School

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Buckinghamshire have the best SATs results?

3 of the 191 primary schools in Buckinghamshire with 2025 Key Stage 2 results had every pupil reach the expected standard in both reading and maths: Great Kimble Church of England School, Ickford School and Padbury Church of England School. Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Great Kimble Church of England SchoolIckford SchoolPadbury Church of England School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Buckinghamshire?

Yes. Buckinghamshire has 13 state grammar schools, including Aylesbury Grammar School, Aylesbury High School, Beaconsfield High School, Burnham Grammar School, Chesham Grammar School and Dr Challoner's Grammar School. Grammar schools admit pupils by ability through an entrance test, usually sat at the start of Year 6.

Aylesbury Grammar SchoolAylesbury High SchoolBeaconsfield High SchoolBurnham Grammar SchoolChesham Grammar SchoolDr Challoner's Grammar School

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

How close do you need to live to get into schools in Buckinghamshire?

It depends on the school, and the cut-off moves every year with the number of applications. Milton Keynes published how far the last place offered went at these schools: Monkston Primary School, 0.696 miles for 2027 entry; Holne Chase Primary School, 1.21 miles for 2026 entry; Middleton Primary School, 1.029 miles for 2026 entry; Shenley Brook End School, 1.997 miles for 2026 entry; Two Mile Ash School, 2.924 miles for 2026 entry. We hold figures for 109 schools in Buckinghamshire; each school's page has its own history. These are the authority's own figures, not fixed boundaries.

Monkston Primary SchoolHolne Chase Primary SchoolMiddleton Primary SchoolShenley Brook End SchoolTwo Mile Ash School

Source: Milton Keynes admissions booklets

How do I apply for a school place in Buckinghamshire?

Apply to your council - Buckinghamshire, Milton Keynes or West Northamptonshire, depending on your address - through its coordinated admissions process, even for academies and faith schools. In England the closing date is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts. Independent schools run their own admissions, so apply to those directly.