Dr Challoner's High School 11 plus: 2024 entry guide

About Dr Challoner's High School

Dr Challoner's High School is a grammar school for girls aged 11 to 18 in Little Chalfont, Buckinghamshire. The school is committed to providing the best possible education for girls and consistently ranks within the top 30 grammar schools in state school league tables, and is top in Buckinghamshire for value-added academic progress.

Girls at Dr Challoner's High School are encouraged to be bold, joyful, and intellectually ambitious. The school promotes the joy of learning for its own sake whilst maintaining a tradition of excellence – evident in a broad curriculum that ranges from traditional subjects to graphics and textiles, computer science, philosophy, and healthy living.

Music plays a major role in school life, with five choirs, two orchestras, a wind band and a variety of instrumental chamber ensembles all on offer. Girls at Dr Challoner's High School also have plenty of opportunities in other co-curricular areas, including a thriving drama programme and sports fixtures in basketball, cricket, cross country, football, hockey, netball, and swimming.

• Address: Dr Challoner’s High School, Cokes Lane, Little Chalfont, Buckinghamshire, HP7 9QB

• Local authority: Buckinghamshire Council

• School type: girls' grammar

• Headteacher: Alan Roe

• Number of pupils: 1,250+

• National rank (Sunday Times Parent Power): 28

• A level results: 87.7% A*–B

• GCSE results: 84.6% 9/8/7

Key info for Year 7 admissions

• Admissions contact: [email protected], 01494 763296

• Number of places in Year 7: 180

• Open events: Thursday 20th April 2023 and Thursday 29th June 2023. Book online

• Exam registration opens (out-of-county applications): 5th May 2023

• Exam registration closes (out-of-county applications): 16th June 2023

• Exam date: 14th September 2023

• Exam type: Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test

• Common application form (CAF) deadline: 31st October 2023

• National school offer day: 1st March 2024

How to apply to Dr Challoner's High School

1. Secondary Transfer Test registration

Dr Challoner's High School is a member of The Buckinghamshire Grammar Schools (TBGS). This consortium administers the 11 plus exam (Secondary Transfer Test) for all 13 grammar schools in the county.

Buckinghamshire’s 11 plus registration process is unique as they operate an ‘opt-out’ system. If your child attends a Buckinghamshire primary school, they will automatically be registered to take the test. If your daughter's primary school is not in Buckinghamshire and you would like to apply for a place at Dr Challoner's High School, you will need to register for the Secondary Transfer Test separately. Registration will be open on the Buckinghamshire Council website between 5th May 2023 and 16th June 2023.

If you would like your daughter to be considered under Dr Challoner's High School catchment area criteria, you will need to complete a separate Supplementary Information Form (SIF). An electronic link will be available on the school website between 1st October 2023 and 30th November 2023, and a copy can also be found in the school's 2024 admissions policy.

2. Apply for a school place

You will receive your child's results in the Secondary Transfer Test on 13th October 2023. If your child has achieved the pass mark in the exam, they will be eligible for a place at the school. You will then be able to name Dr Challoner's High School on your common application form.

Before listing Dr Challoner's High School as a preference on your form, check its admissions policy and make sure your daughter is eligible. Passing the Secondary Transfer Test will not be a guarantee of a place as more children reach the qualifying standard each year than there are places available.

The application form must be submitted to your home local council by 31st October 2023. The form must be completed for your home local authority – i.e. if you live in Buckinghamshire you will need to complete the form on the Buckinghamshire Council website. If you live in a different local authority, make sure to apply through the relevant website for that council.

What is the pass mark for Dr Challoner's High School?

Your daughter's test papers in the Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test will be marked and weighted. The English and verbal reasoning test will have a weighting of 50% applied, while the non-verbal reasoning and maths sections will be weighted at 25% each. The total of all scores will then be age-standardised to avoid any potential disadvantage for younger children. This overall mark will be your child's Secondary Transfer Test Score (STTS).

The qualifying score in the Secondary Transfer Test is 121. If your daughter achieves a score of 121 or higher, she will be eligible for entry to Dr Challoner's High School.

Unlike other grammar schools in the country, children in Buckinghamshire are not ranked in order of their scores. Grammar school entry is entirely dependent on whether or not the child has scored 121, and whether they meet the individual school's admission criteria. We've included the admission criteria for Dr Challoner's High School below.

Dr Challoner's High School admission criteria

There are 180 places available in Year 7 at Dr Challoner's High School. The school is consistently oversubscribed, which means that not all children who achieve the pass mark will be offered a place.

Children who achieve a standardised score of 121 or higher and who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) which names the school will be allocated places before the admission criteria are applied. When the number of children who meet the pass mark exceeds the number of places available, Dr Challoner's High School will apply oversubscription criteria in this order:

1. Looked after and previously looked after girls

2. Girls in receipt of pupil premium who qualify and live in the school catchment area

3. Up to 12 places (within the 180 places available) will be offered to girls who live in the catchment area, are in receipt of pupil premium or are looked after/previously looked after children, and have achieved a standardised score of at least 115

4. Daughters of staff who work at the school

5. Girls living in the school catchment area

6. Sisters of girls currently attending Dr Challoner's High School

7. Girls who have exceptional medical or social needs that can only be met by the school

8. All further places will then be offered in distance order, with those living closest to the school given priority

Dr Challoner's High School catchment area

Dr Challoner's High School operates a catchment area to prioritise eligible children living close to the school. This includes the areas of Amersham, Chesham, Chalfont St Giles, Chalfont Common, Gerrards Cross, Great Missenden and Prestwood.

A map is available in appendix 2 in the school's admissions policy.

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