Amersham, Buckinghamshire · Buckinghamshire
Dr Challoner's Grammar School
Its own admissions FAQ states plainly that the test score 'is not a relevant factor' once you clear the county threshold — genuinely not superselective, despite roughly 200 families a year naming it their first choice for 180 places.
Despite a reputation as one of England's most competitive state schools, Dr Challoner's own admissions FAQ directly states that a boy's Secondary Transfer Test score doesn't matter beyond clearing Buckinghamshire's flat 121 threshold — places go by catchment, priority category and distance, never by score. That's a real distinction between demand and mechanism: around 200 families name it their first preference each year for 180 places, but the intensity of that competition is a function of catchment-area demand, not a school-set higher bar. It's also entirely separate from the similarly-named Dr Challoner's High School — different trust, different charity, created as a standalone girls' school in 1962 when demand outgrew the original grammar school.
Key facts
- Gender
- boys
- Age range
- 11-18
- Region
- South East
- Local authority
- Buckinghamshire
- Established
- 1624
- DfE URN
- 136419
- Website
- https://www.challoners.com
Admissions
- Admissions authority
- The school sets its own test and criteria
- Entrance test board
- The Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test (STT), marked by GL Assessment and administered county-wide by Buckinghamshire Council.
- Test format
- Two papers sat on the same day in autumn of Year 6, each about an hour including practice examples, assessing verbal, non-verbal and mathematical skills. The three age-standardised scores are summed into a single Secondary Transfer Test Score (STTS).
- Qualifying / pass mark
- An STTS of 121 for September 2027 entry — the same flat county-wide threshold used identically by every Buckinghamshire grammar school. Up to 12 places are reserved for catchment Pupil-Premium or care-experienced boys scoring 115+, with up to 6 of those extended to 110-114 if unfilled.
- Superselective?
- Nopartly verified
The core determination rests on strong primary sources (the school's own policy and FAQ). A supporting statistic that Buckinghamshire selects roughly 35-36% of pupils county-wide into grammar schools comes from an advocacy source rather than an official one, and is treated as indicative context only.
The school's own admissions FAQ states directly: 'The Secondary Transfer Test score achieved by the student is not a relevant factor, provided the qualifying score of 121 is reached.' Places are allocated by catchment residence, Pupil Premium or care status, siblings, staff status, then straight-line distance — never by ranking on score. The 121 threshold itself is uniform across all 13 Buckinghamshire grammar schools, not set independently by this school. High demand (around 200 first-preference applications a year against 180 places) makes it hard to get into in practice, but that's a demand effect, not a superselective admissions structure.
Catchment & priority criteria
An irregularly-shaped catchment area covering parts of the former Chiltern District, roughly bounded by Wendover and Berkhamsted to the north, the Hertfordshire border near Rickmansworth to the east, and Beaconsfield and Gerrards Cross to the south, centred on Amersham, Chesham, Little Chalfont and Great Missenden. A separate, wider catchment applies specifically to external sixth-form entry.
- Looked-after and previously looked-after boys
- Catchment boys eligible for Pupil Premium
- Siblings in Years 7-12 living in the catchment area
- Up to 12 places for catchment Pupil-Premium or care-experienced boys scoring 115+ (extending to 110-114 if unfilled)
- Sons of staff (2+ years' service, or a skill-shortage recruit)
- Boys living in the catchment area, by distance
- Siblings outside the catchment area, by distance
- Any further places, by straight-line distance
Results
| Year | Attainment 8 | GCSE 5+ Eng & Maths | Progress 8 | A*–A | A*–B |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 77.5 | 99.5% | +1.18 ('Well above average', confidence interval +0.95 to +1.41) — this cohort predates the COVID-era gap | — | — |
| A-level (229 students): DfE's own average grade/points measure was A- (46.85 points). | |||||
| 2025 | 73.9 (Buckinghamshire LA average 53.4, England state-funded average 46.1) | 96.2% | Not calculated — confirmed directly from DfE's own page: no KS2 baseline data for this cohort nationally | verify with school | verify with school |
| A-level (220 students): DfE's own average grade/points measure was A- (47.41 points). EBacc entry 87.4%, EBacc average point score 7.12. A specific A*-A/A*-B breakdown couldn't be confirmed — three mutually inconsistent figures circulate on secondary sites, none traceable to a primary source, so none is reported here. | |||||
Ofsted
- Rating
- Outstanding — from the last full graded inspection in November 2019 (all categories). A November 2024 visit was an ungraded Section 8 inspection that issued no grade at all, confirming only that the school 'has taken effective action to maintain the standards' from 2019.
- Date
- 5 November 2019 (last graded); 5-6 November 2024 (ungraded, no new rating)
- Report
- Read the full report
Sources
- 1. DfE Get Information About Schools — URN, status, gender, LA — https://get-information-schools.service.gov.uk/Establishments/Establishment/Details/136419
- 2. School's own Admissions Policy 2027 — https://www.challoners.com/docs/Key_Information/Admissions/Admissions_Policy_2027.pdf
- 3. School's own Admissions FAQ 2027 — 'score not a relevant factor' statement — https://www.challoners.com/docs/Key_Information/Admissions/Frequently_Asked_Questions_about_Admissions_2027.pdf
- 4. Ofsted report, graded Outstanding, inspected 5 November 2019 — https://files.ofsted.gov.uk/v1/file/50147384
- 5. Ofsted ungraded report, inspected 5-6 November 2024 — https://files.ofsted.gov.uk/v1/file/50263400
- 6. School's own history page — founded 1624 — https://www.challoners.com/History-of-DCGS/
- 7. DfE Compare School Performance — Progress 8, 2023 and 2024 — https://www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/school/136419/dr-challoner-s-grammar-school/secondary/progress-measures-for-2023-and-2024
Last updated 2026-08-31. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.