Dr Challoner's High School 11+ Guide

About Dr Challoner's High School

Dr Challoner's High School is a selective secondary school in Buckinghamshire. For children to get into Dr Challoner's High School they need to pass the school's 11+ entrance test. Hence, Dr Challoner's High School is a traditional grammar school, one of only 163 remaining in England.

Nestled in the heart of Little Chalfont, Buckinghamshire, Dr Challoner's High School is a beacon of academic excellence for girls aged 11 to 18. This esteemed grammar school is renowned for its unwavering commitment to providing an exceptional education that nurtures the intellectual curiosity and personal growth of its students. With a consistent ranking among the top 30 grammar schools in state school league tables and an impressive record of value-added academic progress, Dr Challoner's High School sets the stage for girls to thrive and achieve their full potential.

At Dr Challoner's High School, girls are encouraged to embrace their individuality, approach learning with enthusiasm, and cultivate a bold and joyful outlook on life. The school's dedicated faculty fosters an environment that celebrates the joy of learning for its own sake, while maintaining a steadfast tradition of excellence. The comprehensive curriculum spans a wide array of subjects, from the traditional core disciplines to innovative offerings such as graphics, textiles, computer science, philosophy, and healthy living. This diverse academic landscape allows girls to explore their passions, develop critical thinking skills, and acquire a well-rounded education.

Beyond the classroom, Dr Challoner's High School offers a vibrant and engaging co-curricular program that enriches the educational experience. Music is a cornerstone of school life, with five choirs, two orchestras, a wind band, and various instrumental chamber ensembles providing ample opportunities for girls to showcase their musical talents. The school's thriving drama programme and extensive range of sports fixtures, including basketball, cricket, cross country, football, hockey, netball, and swimming, ensure that girls can pursue their interests and develop valuable skills outside of academics.

Dr Challoner's High School is not just a place of learning; it is a community that empowers girls to be bold, confident, and ready to make their mark on the world. With its outstanding academic record, diverse curriculum, and rich co-curricular offerings, this exceptional grammar school provides the ideal environment for girls to flourish and achieve their dreams.

School Information

Below you will find further information about Dr Challoner's High School together with their admissions contact details.

Dr Challoner's High School is a girls only school. It is also an academy, meaning the school is run independently by a trust or sponsor and is directly funded by the central government (not the local authority).

In total 1,285 pupils attend Dr Challoner's High School and it's led by the Head, Alan Roe.

Dr Challoner's High School Location

Below you will find a map showing the school's location:

GCSE & A-Level Subjects

Below you will find a complete list of GCSE and A-Level subjects offered to pupils at Dr Challoner's High School for the 2022-23 academic year.

Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test (STT) Information

In order to get into Dr Challoner's High School, children need to pass the Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test (STT). This 11+ test is written by GL Assessment for use by the school's admissions process.

Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test (STT) Subjects & Structure

The Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test (STT) requires children to complete tests in the following subjects:

• English comprehension
• Technical English
• Verbal reasoning
• Key Stage 2 maths
• Non-verbal reasoning
• Spatial reasoning

The Secondary Transfer Test is an entrance examination for admission into Dr Challoner's High School. This assessment, provided by GL Assessment, consists of two separate one-hour papers that evaluate a student's abilities in various subjects.

The first paper focuses on verbal skills, which include English comprehension, technical English, and verbal reasoning. These sections assess a student's understanding of the English language, their ability to interpret and analyze written passages, and their capacity to solve problems using verbal logic.

The second paper concentrates on mathematical and non-verbal skills. This includes Key Stage 2 maths, which tests a student's knowledge of mathematical concepts and problem-solving abilities. Additionally, this paper evaluates non-verbal reasoning and spatial reasoning skills, which involve identifying patterns, sequences, and relationships between shapes and figures. These sections assess a student's ability to think logically and solve problems using visual information.

Other Schools using Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test (STT)

As well as Dr Challoner's High School, several other schools also use Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test (STT). These are:

• Aylesbury Grammar School
• Aylesbury High School
• Beaconsfield High School
• Burnham Grammar School
• Chesham Grammar School
• Dr Challoner's Grammar School
• John Hampden Grammar School
• Royal Latin School
• Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School
• Sir William Borlase's Grammar School
• The Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe
• Wycombe High School

Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test (STT) Marking Process

The reality of 11+ tests, selective education and academic institutions such as Dr Challoner's High School is that only children with particularly high marks are admitted. Hence why it is important that children perform well in their 11+ papers.

Different schools (and different 11+ tests) have different marking processes. Some tests are marked in person, some remotely, while others utilise computer-based optical recognition technologies for quickly marking multiple-choice answer sheets.

Many 11+ tests are age-standardised to ensure younger children are not disadvantaged (i.e. their marks may be moderated depending on the month in which they were born). While creative writing papers can be used as tie-breakers, multiple-choice tests in Maths, Comprehension, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning normally make up the bulk of a child's marks. The specific details and weightings can vary from year to year.

It's worth remembering that once children's 11+ tests are being marked, the admissions process is completely outside of the parents' control. Hence, parents should not worry themselves about whether their child has got a place!

Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test (STT) Pass Mark

The pass mark for the Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test (STT) changes every year and isn't generally made public knowledge. This is due to the academic strength of the children taking the test varying and how challenging the test ends up being (as well as plenty of other smaller variables).

Hence, as a vague rule-of-thumb, it's recommended that children aim for roughly 75-80% in their practice tests. Whilst this won't guarantee them a place at Dr Challoner's High School, it's a ballpark exam result figure for successful candidates.

Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test (STT) Key Dates for your Diary

Here are all the important dates for the Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test (STT) tests (to get into Dr Challoner's High School) as well as other relevant dates.

Although the utmost care has been taken to gather these dates, parents should treat them as a guide and check with Dr Challoner's High School as they may well change.

Ofsted Information

Dr Challoner's High School was last inspected by Ofsted on 21/11/2023 and the inspection only lasted one day. Ofsted published their report on 24/01/2024, declaring that the school was 'Outstanding'. This information is summarised in the table below along with a link to the full report.

Last Ofsted Report Data

Ofsted Report Summary

Dr Challoner's High School was inspected by Ofsted on 21 November 2023, and the overall outcome was Outstanding. The school received the highest rating in all areas assessed, including Quality of education, Behaviour and attitudes, Personal development, Leadership and management, and Sixth form provision.

This exceptional result demonstrates the school's commitment to providing a high-quality education and nurturing environment for its students. The Outstanding ratings across all categories indicate that Dr Challoner's High School excels in delivering a well-rounded educational experience, fostering positive behaviour and attitudes, supporting personal development, and benefiting from strong leadership and management.

The Outstanding rating for the school's Sixth form provision further highlights the institution's success in preparing students for higher education and future careers. Dr Challoner's High School has proven itself to be a top-performing educational establishment, setting a high standard for other schools to follow.

GCSE & A-Level Performance

Below are the individual GCSE and A-Level performance tables for Dr Challoner's High School per subject. Note that this may include children taking GCSEs early (e.g. taking a language GCSE in Year 10) or indeed a child in Year 12 retaking a GCSE.

GCSE Results Information (2022-23)

A-Level Results Information (2022-23)

Past 11+ Paper Downloads

Unfortunately, Dr Challoner's High School has not made any of their past 11+ papers publicly available.

Practice 11+ Paper Downloads

Here are some superb free 11+ practice papers that children can download and use to help prepare for the Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test (STT) Ensure you double-check with Dr Challoner's High School which subjects and topics your child's 11+ tests are in to ensure you prepare for the right tests.