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Beaconsfield High School vs Burnham Grammar School

Both are grammar schools in Buckinghamshire, 5.0 miles apart. Side-by-side on official DfE, Ofsted and council admissions data.

Side by side

Beaconsfield High School Burnham Grammar School
Phase Secondary Secondary
Gender Girls Mixed
Pupils on roll 1,283 1,262
Free school meals 2.3% 13.3%
Ofsted rating Outstanding Good
Attainment 8 — 2025/26 74.5 71.4
11+ test board GL Assessment GL Assessment
Admission system pass/fail + catchment (passing the test is a gate; living in the catchment area determines priority over score) pass/fail + catchment (passing the test is a gate; living in the catchment area determines priority over score)
Places offered — 202627 186 180
First preferences per place — higher means more competition for a first-preference place 1.35 1.92

Qualifying scores

Beaconsfield High School

121 (2026 entry)

Standardised score ≥ 121 qualifies for grammar school consideration. Qualifying does not guarantee a place; schools apply own oversubscription criteria after qualification.

Council source ↗

Burnham Grammar School

121 (2026 entry)

Standardised score ≥ 121 qualifies for grammar school consideration. Qualifying does not guarantee a place; schools apply own oversubscription criteria after qualification.

Council source ↗

Who gets priority

Where a school is oversubscribed, these are the first criteria applied, in order. This is usually what decides an application.

Beaconsfield High School

  1. Looked after and previously looked after children
  2. Qualified girls in the catchment area on the Pupil or Service Premium
  3. Up to 10 places for Pupil or Service Premium girls in the catchment area scoring at least 115
  4. Girls in the catchment area with a sister at the school
  5. Daughters of staff employed for two years or more (or in a skill-shortage post)
  6. Girls living in the catchment area — nearest first

Source: school admissions policy.

Burnham Grammar School

  1. Looked after and previously looked after children
  2. Up to 6 places for looked-after children, or Pupil Premium children in the catchment area, scoring 115–120
  3. Children in the catchment area eligible for the Pupil Premium
  4. Children with a sibling on the roll at the date of entry
  5. Children with a sibling who was previously on the roll
  6. Exceptional medical or social needs that only this school can meet

Source: school admissions policy.

Choosing between them

Beaconsfield High School is a girls school and Burnham Grammar School is a mixed school, so for many families the starting point is which one can admit their child. The figures on this page are the published ones — they describe intakes and results, not what either school would be like for your child. The right choice depends on your family's own priorities and circumstances.

Full detail for each school: Beaconsfield High School · Burnham Grammar School
Or see all secondary schools in Buckinghamshire ranked.

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