About Dr. Challoner’s Grammar School
has consistently been one of the highest performing grammar schools in Buckinghamshire for the last few years. Based in Amersham, it is a selective grammar school (granted academy status in 2011) that accepts boys from Years 7 to 11. Academically, DCGS recently achieved the highest results for both GCSEs and A Levels of every school in Buckinghamshire, and its Ofsted rating was ‘outstanding’. Year-on-year, over 95% of leavers move on to Higher Education, with the vast majority of boys gaining places at top UK universities; around 15-20 students study at Oxford or Cambridge.
Additionally, some students undertake apprenticeships or specialist courses. A fair number of leavers choose to study abroad at institutions such as Stanford and McGill; several students have won sports scholarships to US colleges over the past few years. Outside of the classroom, Dr. Challoner’s Grammar School offers a wide variety of activities. Clubs and societies range from the ‘gardening club’ to ‘amateur radio club’. Sports-wise, all students have two hours of Physical Education every week within the curriculum, and the facilities offered include eight tennis courts, expansive playing fields and two sports halls. Aside from conventional sports such as football and rugby, DCGS offers a wide range of sports, from climbing to judo. The arts are also prioritised here, with a newly built music block and two theatrical spaces on site.
Entry Points
Dr. Challoner’s Grammar School’s main point of entry is the , at which point it offers 180 places, though there are 45 places for students at the 16+ (Year 12). Years 8, 9 and 10 also offer places (as and when they become available) through the school’s late transfer process.
Admissions Requirements for 11+ Entry
Winning a place at a grammar school in Buckinghamshire at 11+ requires students to pass the , which is designed to assess whether a grammar school is academically suitable for a student. If a student scores 121 or more in this test (which around 37% of children tend to achieve), they are deemed to be academically suitable for any grammar school in Buckinghamshire.
However, there are usually more students who achieve the required score than there are places at DCGS. In this case, the school applies its oversubscription criteria, which prioritises students in this order:
- Students who are looked after or have been previously.
- Students living in the school’s catchment area.
- Siblings of current students.
- Students who currently receive pupil premium.
- Sons of staff members.
After this, further places are offered based on the pupils’ distance from the school.
The Secondary Transfer Test comprises of two papers, each around one hour in length, with a break halfway through. The papers evaluate students’ verbal, non-verbal and mathematical skills. A few days before the main tests, there is a practise test, designed to help students know what to expect.
Students take the Secondary Transfer Test in September of Year 6, either at school, during the school day (if a student already attends a state-funded primary school in Buckinghamshire) or at a Buckinghamshire grammar school (if a student attends any other school). Parents and guardians receive results about a month later, at which point they should complete an application form for secondary schools, listing their preferred schools, and submit it to Buckinghamshire council by the end of October.
Example questions in the test
All of the questions in the Secondary Transfer Test are multiple choice, which means candidates are given a choice of around five answers for each question. Buckinghamshire council provides a familiarisation booklet, which gives a lot of insight into the types of questions that students are expected to see in the test.
First Test
The first of two tests examines students’ verbal skills, testing both English and Verbal Reasoning. Here are several examples of questions that come up.
Reading Comprehension
Students are given a text to read, from which they answer questions based on what they have read. For example:
Close-Up Photography at Home
Small, sheer and sticky. This is probably how most people would describe an insect’s wings at first glance. But what if I were to tell you they are also symmetrical, shimmering and spellbinding?
Looking closely, the intricate patterns on an insect’s wings replicate the delicate veins of a leaf. These dainty details look like the initial markings for a map, making them a great subject for close-up photography.
Q: Why did the author describe insect wings as ‘shimmering’?
A) To irritate young photographers
B) To intrigue sceptical reader
C) To amuse their audience
D) To alarm young photographers
E) To engage indifferent readers
Q: What do an insect’s wings seem to resemble?
A) A map
B) Dainty details
C) A subject for close-up photography
D) Veins of a leaf
E) A great subject
Spellings
Students may be asked to find spelling mistakes in a sentence. For example:
Q: Find the group of words with the mistake in it.
Amir was delighted to receive an invitation to a birthday celebration.
a b c d
Hidden Four Letter Word
A four-letter word is hidden at the end of one word and at the beginning of the next. Find the pair of words containing this hidden word.
Q: Dates can be found on palm trees.
A) Dates can
B) be found
C) found on
D) on palm
E) palm trees
Relationships between words
In these questions, one word from each group completes the sentence in the best way; both pairs of words must have the same relationship to each other.
For example:
Q: Big is to (small, orange, colour) as wide is to (apple, red, narrow)
Q: Rain is to (flood, water, stream) as wind is to (puff, current, air).
Second Test
The second of the two tests examines students’ mathematical and nonverbal skills (meaning one’s understanding of shapes and patterns).
Here are some examples of mathematics questions that have come up in this test:
Q: Which of these numbers is the largest:
A) 3.3
B) 3.33
C) 3.303
D) 3.033
E) 3.03
Q: A primary school has 415 students, 273 of which are girls. How many pupils are boys?
A) 273
B) 688
C) 415
D) 142
E) 152
Q: What is 3 x 8 + 5?
A) 24
B) 26
C) 39
D) 45
E) 54
Q: There are 18 red marbles, 12 blue marbles and 6 green marbles. What fraction are blue?
A) 1/3
B) 1/2
C) 1/5
D) 1/4
E) 1/6
Topics examined in the non-verbal reasoning section of the test have included spotting the odd-one out when given a list of shapes, showing an understanding of how cubes can be created from nets, and understanding what the bird’s eye view of a particular shape might be.
16+ (Sixth Form) Admission Requirements
Dr. Challoner’s Grammar School’s second main point of entry is at Year 12 through the 16+. Much like many other grammar schools, offers are made on based on students’ GCSE results. Students must obtain a minimum GCSE score of 48 points from their best eight full course GCSE passes, as well as a minimum of a grade 5 in both English and Mathematics.
Regarding the process for 16+ entry, students register for DCGS in November of Year 11, and conditional offers will be sent by email in April of Year 11.
Late Transfer Admissions
Spaces can become available in years 8, 9 and 10, at which point DCGS is able to offer places. In February of each year, DCGS offers its own English and Mathematics tests to students wishing to gain a place. There is a minimum standard in each of these tests which must be achieved in order for a student to be placed on a waiting list, should a place become available.
At that point, places are offered based on the previously mentioned criteria. If no place appears, the student must retake the test the next year.
Appeals
Under the School Standards and Framework Act 1998, parents of boys who have not been offered a place have the right to appeal. However, success is uncommon and requires significant evidence of exceptional circumstances, or some demonstration that the student is of grammar school ability. You can only appeal once within the academic year, within 20 school days of receiving the decision letter.
Preparation Tips for the Entrance Test for Dr. Challoner’s Grammar School
As Dr. Challoner’s Grammar School is hugely competitive, thorough preparation is paramount in order to maximise students’ chances of qualifying for entry. Candidates should develop their verbal, non-verbal and mathematical skills through detailed exploration of the KS2 specification.
Keystone have provided specialist, experienced 11+ tutors for these exams for over a decade, who can guide candidates through the process. For more details on how Keystone can help with preparation for the Dr. Challoner’s Grammar School exam, feel free to call the office for a chat with one of our client managers, or contact us via our request a tutor form.