Best Schools in Chesham

How many schools are there in Chesham?

Chesham has 13 open schools: 9 state primary, 2 state secondary or all-through, 1 independent and 1 special.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Chesham are rated Outstanding?

2 schools in Chesham were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Brushwood Junior School and Chesham Grammar School. Counting Good as well, 100% of the 9 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.

Brushwood Junior SchoolChesham Grammar School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Chesham get the best GCSE results?

Of the 2 schools in Chesham with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Chesham Grammar School (selective grammar), with an Attainment 8 score of 75.6 and 98% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Chiltern Hills Academy, with an Attainment 8 score of 40.9 and 29% 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.

Chesham Grammar SchoolChiltern Hills Academy

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Chesham have the best SATs results?

Of the 7 primary schools in Chesham with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Chartridge Combined School (97% in reading, 97% in maths); Thomas Harding Junior School (88% in reading, 88% in maths); and Ley Hill School (90% in reading, 79% in maths). Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Chartridge Combined SchoolThomas Harding Junior SchoolLey Hill School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Chesham?

Yes. Chesham Grammar School is a state grammar school in Chesham. Grammar schools admit pupils by ability through an entrance test, usually sat at the start of Year 6.

Chesham Grammar School

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

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

It depends on the school, and the cut-off moves every year with the number of applications. Buckinghamshire published how far the last place offered went at these schools: Chiltern Hills Academy, 1.689 miles for 2021 entry; Ley Hill School, 1.579 miles for 2021 entry; Brushwood Junior School, 0.785 miles for 2020 entry; Chartridge Combined School, 1.467 miles for 2020 entry; Chesham Grammar School, 3.816 miles for 2019 entry. We hold figures for 7 schools in Chesham; each school's page has its own history. These are the authority's own figures, not fixed boundaries.

Chiltern Hills AcademyLey Hill SchoolBrushwood Junior SchoolChartridge Combined SchoolChesham Grammar School

Source: Buckinghamshire admissions booklets

How do I apply for a school place in Chesham?

Apply to Buckinghamshire 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.