Know exactly where your child stands for Chesham Grammar School
Thousands of practice questions and up to 6 mock papers, all in the exact Chesham Grammar School 11+ format, on one simple plan. It starts with a free diagnostic.
Thousands of practice questions and up to 6 mock papers, all in the exact Chesham Grammar School 11+ format, on one simple plan. It starts with a free diagnostic.
Chesham Grammar School
Chesham Grammar School is a co-educational grammar school that uses the GL exam board for its 11+ entrance exam. There is no interview stage as part of the admissions process. The school has a defined catchment area, which is a key oversubscription criterion, with remaining places allocated by straight-line distance.
If you want a grammar school that pushes your child hard without tipping into a pressure cooker, Chesham Grammar is the one Buckinghamshire parents tend to mention first. It is co-educational and selective — and in a county where most grammars are single-sex, that co-ed mix is itself a distinguishing feature. The feel, by most accounts, is warm and less frantic than some of its neighbours: kindness sits openly alongside aspiration as a stated value, and parents describe a school that taught their children humility and how to push themselves without becoming overwhelmed.
Daily life is organised around a vertical tutor system, where mixed-year groups stay together for a pupil's whole time at school — which keeps friendships broad and gives younger children a ready-made set of older allies. The four houses are named after Austen, Darwin, Rosalind Franklin and Shakespeare, and compete across everything from sport to debating to performing arts. Entry is through the Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test.
With around 1,320 pupils and a large sixth form, Chesham stands among the leading Bucks grammars while keeping its down-to-earth character intact. It suits a bright all-rounder who wants to work hard, lead things and feel looked after — rather than simply survive the competition.
Key facts
Admissions
Admissions contact
office@cheshamgrammar.org
Admissions phone
01494 782854
Registration form
Sibling policy
What this school tests
Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test
English
- Punctuation
- Reading Comprehension - Comparison
- Reading Comprehension - Evaluation
- Reading Comprehension - Grammar and punctuation
- Reading Comprehension - Inference and Deduction
- Reading Comprehension - Information Retrieval
- Reading Comprehension - Language Techniques and Imagery
- Reading Comprehension - Sentence-level Comprehension
- Reading Comprehension - Sequencing
- Reading Comprehension - Structure, Form, Voice and Tone
- Reading Comprehension - Summarising
- Reading Comprehension - Text Classification and Purpose
- Reading Comprehension - Types of Words and Phrases
- Reading Comprehension - Word Meaning / Choice
- Sentence Completion
- Spelling
Maths
- Algebra
- Angles and Degrees
- BIDMAS
- Coordinate Grids
- Estimation and Rounding
- Factors and Multiples
- Fractions, Decimals and Percentages
- Magic squares
- Measurement
- Money
- Number and Place Value
- Number Walls
- Operations
- Perimeter, Area and Volume
- Position and Direction
- Properties of Shapes
- Ratio and Proportion
- Reflection, Rotation and Symmetry
- Sequences
- Special Numbers
- Speed, Distance and Time
- Statistics
- Time
Non-verbal Reasoning
- Extended Figure Series
- Figure Analogies
- Figure Matrices
- Figure Operations
- Figure Series
- Grid Matrices
- Horizontal Codes
- Most Like Three Figures
- Most Like Two Figures
- Odd Figure Out
- Star Matrices
- Triangle Matrices
- Triangle Series
- Vertical Codes
Verbal Reasoning
- Anagrams
- Compound Words
- Embedded Words
- Form a Word
- Insert a Letter
- Letter Analogies
- Letter Calculations
- Letter Codes
- Letter Grids
- Letter Sequences
- Move 1 / 2 Letters
- Number Analogies
- Number Calculations
- Number Sequences
- Related Words
- Rhyming Synonyms
- Shuffled Sentences
- Synonyms
- Word / Logic Puzzles
- Word Analogies
- Word Completion
- Word Match
- Word Opposites
- Word Pairs
- Word Relationships
- Words and Codes
Spatial Reasoning
- 2D Rotations
- Block Counting
- Combining Shapes
- Fold and Punch
- Folding Cubes
- Hidden Shapes
- Missing Face of Cube
- Shape Completion
Catchment area
Does Chesham Grammar School have a catchment area?
Yes. The school has a defined catchment area (shown on a map on its website) covering Chesham and surrounding parts of Buckinghamshire; living in catchment is one of the oversubscription criteria, with remaining places allocated by straight-line distance to the school.
Selection review and safety net
Previous exam results
GCSE results
In 2025 students achieved an average Attainment 8 score of 74 across their GCSEs. 96.7% gained a grade 5 or better in both English and Maths. 83.9% achieved the English Baccalaureate at grade 5 or above.
Reference: https://www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/
A-level results
In 2025 students achieved an A- average grade per A-Level entry. 43.3% gained AAB or better including two facilitating subjects.
Reference: https://www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/
Frequently asked questions
What exam board does Chesham Grammar School use for the 11+?
Chesham Grammar School uses the GL exam board for its 11+ entrance exam.
Does Chesham Grammar School interview as part of the 11+ admissions process?
No, there is no interview stage for 11+ entry to Chesham Grammar School.
Is Chesham Grammar School a co-educational school?
Yes, Chesham Grammar School is a co-educational school, admitting both boys and girls for Year 7 entry.
Does Chesham Grammar School have a catchment area for 11+ entry?
Yes, the school has a defined catchment area. Living within this area is an oversubscription criterion, with other places allocated by straight-line distance.
What is the official website for Chesham Grammar School?
The official website for Chesham Grammar School is https://www.cheshamgrammar.org/.
How do you get a place at Chesham Grammar School?
A child first needs to reach the required standard in the Buckinghamshire secondary transfer test (or be deemed qualified by a selection review panel). Qualified children are then ranked by the oversubscription criteria, in order: looked-after and previously looked-after children; children in catchment who qualify for Pupil Premium; siblings already at the school; qualified children of long-serving staff; then children living in catchment; and finally distance from the school, with closer homes given priority.
What happens if my child is ill on 11+ test day at Chesham Grammar School?
If your child is unwell, do not send them in. If they normally sit the test at a Buckinghamshire primary or partner school, they can take it there once they are well. If they were due at a grammar or central venue, one alternative date is offered when you send evidence, such as a GP or hospital letter, within three working days. Access arrangements like extra time can be requested by the child's headteacher if they match normal classroom support.
Location
https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d2472.3141002508346!2d-0.6001101000000001!3d51.7089958!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x48765d1152c6f6a3%3A0x4834c545d1c10007!2sChesham%20Grammar%20School!5e0!3m2!1sen!2suk!4v1780591895445!5m2!1sen!2suk
