Aylesbury High School Review 2026: Academic Excellence in North Buckinghamshire

When actress Claire Foy walked through these gates at the age of twelve, she joined a school that had been shaping exceptional students for nearly seven decades. The Victorian-era buildings of the original Aylesbury Grammar School may have disappeared, but their legacy lives on here in the purpose-built campus designed by Princess Alexandra in 1959, occupying a site that still retains its distinctive gardens where girls gather between lessons. Today, Aylesbury High School remains a rare girls' grammar school in North Buckinghamshire, serving approximately 1,328 students from age eleven through eighteen, with a sixth form of around 400. The school's standing in the academic landscape is formidable: ranked 171st in England for GCSE performance (FindMySchool ranking), placing it comfortably in the elite tier of selective schools. This is a state-funded institution, meaning families pay no tuition fees, yet the academic calibre rivals many of England's most celebrated independent schools. Most recent Ofsted inspection judged every category as Outstanding. The school's values of Boundless Aspiration, Resilient Bravery, Curious Engagement, and Selfless Generosity are not mere slogans; they shape daily interactions across the six houses that form the backbone of pastoral care.

The physical campus reflects its modernist heritage: the red-brick buildings, designed with clean lines typical of 1950s educational architecture, sit within grounds that give the school a spacious, unhurried quality. Pupils arrive for morning lessons at 8:50am to an atmosphere of purposeful calm. Teachers greet them by name. The house system creates vertical communities where girls from Year 7 through Year 9 spend most of their time together, taught almost exclusively within their house for core subjects. The six houses, Ascott, Claydon, Hughenden, Missenden, Stowe, and Waddesdon, are named after local Buckinghamshire landmarks, connecting the school to its regional identity. Paired houses work together for practical subjects like Design Technology and Art, building broader friendships while maintaining the intimacy of smaller tutor groups. From Year 10 onwards, the house system loosens as girls specialize in GCSE options, but the House Cup competitions and inter-house assemblies ensure the house identity persists throughout school life.

Headmistress Marieke Forster leads the school as both headteacher and chief executive officer of the Aylesbury High School Trust, which became an academy converter in 2011. Under her leadership, the school has emphasized ambitious education that "stimulates creative and critical thinking" rather than rote learning. The 2023 Ofsted inspection noted that "pupils love learning and embody the school's values," a statement grounded in observable reality. Along corridors during lessons, you notice an engaged quietness, a sense that students take their education seriously without being oppressed by pressure. The inspection praised the school for creating "a calm and joyful place" where "relationships between staff and pupils are warm and kind."

A particular strength identified by inspectors is the school's inclusive approach to academic excellence. Support for pupils with special educational needs or disabilities is described as "excellent," with the school maintaining "the same high academic expectations for these pupils, ensuring they receive carefully adapted support where appropriate." This is not tokenism; the inspection specifically noted that the school has "strategically adapted the curriculum" for students with additional needs, meaning brilliant teaching is tailored rather than diluted.

GCSE Performance

The 2024 GCSE results demonstrate the academic calibre of the school. 51% of all grades were awarded at 8 or 9, significantly above the 2019 baseline and well above the national trend. An extraordinary 21 students achieved straight 8s and 9s across all ten GCSE subjects, a figure that speaks to both selection through the eleven-plus and the quality of teaching. The Attainment 8 score of 76.3 positions the school well above the England average, with an average Progress 8 score of 0.81 indicating that pupils make above-average progress from their starting points. In the English Baccalaureate (a measure of breadth across humanities and sciences), 67% of year groups entered all five subject areas, with an EBacc APS score of 7.16.

The school ranks 171st in England for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking), placing it in the top 4%, and ranks 1st among local state secondaries in Buckinghamshire. This selective position means the cohort entering at eleven-plus has already passed the eleven-plus test, so raw comparison with comprehensive schools is not straightforward. However, within the selective grammar school context, results are impressively consistent, with 98% achieving grades 5-9 (formerly A*-C) across English and Mathematics.

A-Level Performance

Sixth form students achieved outstanding results in 2024. 40% of all A-level entries graded A* or A, with 71% achieving A*-B. Sixteen students secured three A* grades, and 47 achieved three or more A or A* grades across their three subjects. The school ranks 340th in England for A-level performance (FindMySchool ranking), placing it within the top 13%, in the national strong tier. For context, the 2024 headmistress reported that 83% of sixth form students who applied to universities accessed their first or preferred choice of institution. Eight students secured places at Cambridge, and none at Oxford in the measurement period, demonstrating a pipeline to the most selective universities.

The 2023 Ofsted report emphasized that "teachers' subject knowledge is excellent," which underpins clear explanations and "rich discussions in lessons." The school offers 23 GCSE subjects and 27 A-level options, providing genuine breadth. Languages remain a particular strength, a legacy of the school's former status as a specialist language school until 2011. Every girl must take at least one language to GCSE, and many continue to A-level and university. The curriculum extends beyond conventional academic subjects: the school offers Ancient History, Business, Physical Education, and Food Preparation and Nutrition alongside traditional arts and sciences. Design Technology and Art teaching is structured around collaborative projects in vertical house groups during Years 8-9, allowing younger pupils to learn from older students.

Reading is deliberately embedded throughout the curriculum rather than treated as a primary school concern. Pupils explore "a wide range of academic literature" to develop research, interpretation, and evaluation skills within their subject disciplines. The Learning for Life curriculum (PSHE provision) is carefully crafted to develop character alongside intellect, with Headmistress Marieke Forster describing the goal as creating "global changemakers" equipped to solve world challenges. Inspectors found that "pupils develop strong moral and social characters through the carefully delivered wider curriculum," with discussions of inclusivity and diversity embedded in regular assemblies and across subject areas. Teachers skilfully encourage girls to develop extended written and spoken answers, with pupils knowing they are expected to "think hard and to articulate their ideas and opinions clearly."

University Progression

83% of sixth form leavers in 2024 accessed their first or preferred university choice. Eight students secured places at Cambridge; zero at Oxford in this measurement period. The Oxbridge acceptance rate from Cambridge applicants was 100%, suggesting that those who applied to Cambridge were successful, a smaller but exceptionally strong contingent. Beyond Oxbridge, the majority of students progress to Russell Group universities including Durham, Exeter, Bristol, Edinburgh, and Imperial College. Twelve students secured medical school places in 2024, reflecting the school's standing in science teaching. The school provides "expert unbiased careers guidance," ensuring that choice of university reflects student interest rather than institutional pressure.

Secondary Progression

For pupils completing Year 11 (age 16), most continue within the sixth form. The school has "largest intakes at Year 7 followed by Lower VI," indicating that while some pupils depart for employment or further education college, the majority stay on. Entry to sixth form is selective: "impressive GCSE results are required and competition for these places is high," indicating that not all Year 11 pupils automatically transition to Year 12, and places are offered only to those meeting academic criteria. External applications from other schools are considered, adding further competition.

The school boasts over 100 different clubs and clinics running throughout the week at lunchtimes and after school. The vast majority are free of charge and are led by teachers and student volunteers giving their own time. Clubs span academic interests, creative pursuits, sporting opportunities, and social causes, creating a genuinely rich co-curricular landscape.

Music: A Defining Strength

Music flourishes across the school. The school hosts vibrant House Music events where each house competes in themed performances, and ensembles regularly perform at external venues including the Waterside Theatre. Named ensembles serve different levels and styles: the Choral Society, Orchestra, Junior Jazz Band, Senior Jazz Band, and specialist small group ensembles including string quartets and wind groups. Instrumental tuition is available in most orchestral instruments and contemporary instruments. The school's specification as a former Language College (until 2011) did not overshadow music; both remain strong. The proximity of Aylesbury Grammar School across the road enables collaboration on large-scale productions, broadening the scope of performance opportunities for girls.

Drama and Performing Arts

The performing arts programme is genuinely impressive. The school produces multiple major productions annually, showcasing student talent at professional venues. A notable recent achievement was the staging of complex contemporary drama productions that toured between the two grammar schools. Rock Challenge competitions attract enthusiastic participation from dancers and performers, with students attending regional and national events. The school specifically mentions "engaging competitions, joint productions, concerts, and victorious dance performances" as hallmarks of this vibrant area of school life.

Sports Provision

Sports options cover a genuinely broad range. Field sports include hockey, rugby, and athletics. Court and racquet sports include badminton, tennis, and squash. Team sports include basketball and handball. Aquatics programming includes swimming and water polo. Every girl participates in PE; competitive opportunities are then available for those seeking representation at house, school, or local level. Specific teams achieve notable success; the inspection mentioned that pupils benefit from "the many meaningful leadership roles," with sports being one avenue for developing such responsibilities (house team captains, year group representatives).

Academic and Special Interest Clubs

Beyond these pillars, the directory of over 100 clubs includes specific named societies: the Afro-Caribbean Society, Bollywood Dance Club, Art Clay Club, Book Club, Chess Club, Chill Club, Computer Hardware Club, Geography Club, and Indian Film Club. Pupils are also encouraged to form new clubs based on emerging interests. Named academic clubs enhance classroom learning: Additional Mathematics clinics, Science clubs, and Coding clubs allow deeper exploration of curriculum content. The Debating Society, Philosophy club, and Law Society provide intellectual challenge beyond the formal curriculum. Duke of Edinburgh Awards are available at Bronze, Silver, and Gold levels, with participation particularly strong in Years 10-13.

Community and Service

The school is locally known for taking fundraising to creative extremes. In 2006, pupils set a Guinness World Record by pulling 1,217 Christmas crackers simultaneously, raising over £2,500 for the NSPCC children's charity. The school maintains a strong partnership with the Rosie May Foundation, a UK charity focused on alleviating poverty and empowering women in Sri Lanka. Annual fundraising weeks feature staff-led pantomimes, karaoke performances, and a student talent competition called the "A Factor." In 2022, Year 12 students raised £1,230 during a dedicated online fundraising effort supporting the foundation's Pink Tuk-Tuk project, which trains women in driving and entrepreneurship. This culture of service is not imposed; it is energetically embraced by the student body, reflecting the school value of "Selfless Generosity."

Entry to Year 7 is determined by performance on the Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test (formerly the eleven-plus), administered in September of Year 6 with results released in October. Girls require a standardized score of 121 or above to qualify for automatic admission; occasionally, six places are reserved for catchment area girls scoring 115-120 who meet specific criteria. Scoring is age-standardized to ensure fairness across the broad age range of Year 6 cohorts. The school receives approximately 558 applications for 187 places annually, giving a subscription ratio of approximately 2.98:1. This level of competition means that entry requires strong preparation; families typically arrange external tutoring to support candidates, though the school does not formally recommend this.

Applications are made through Buckinghamshire Council's coordinated admissions scheme, not directly to the school. The deadline is usually October for the following September's entry. The 2024-25 application cycle opened in September 2024 with a deadline around 31 October 2024, with offers released in March. Those not achieving the qualifying score may appeal to Buckinghamshire Council or may be considered for entry to Year 8 (age 12) if places arise. The school explicitly states it will accept pupils "in the fairly unusual event of free places" at Year 8 upon success in the twelve-plus examination.

Entry to sixth form (Year 12) is more selective than primary entry. Minimum GCSE requirements exist, and competition for places from external candidates is intense. The school notes that "a large number of pupils are also admitted in the Sixth Form from both local state and independent schools, though impressive GCSE results are required and competition for these places is high." Sixth form entry from girls not educated at the school previously requires strong evidence of academic capability.

Open events are typically held in October and November for prospective Year 7 families and in November for prospective sixth form students. The school website contains links to booking information and transition details.

School hours run from 8:50am to 3:20pm for main school, with sixth form students following a slightly different timetable reflecting their independent study requirements. No boarding provision exists; all students are day pupils. Transport links are reasonable: the school sits on Walton Road, Aylesbury, accessible by bus from surrounding areas. The nearest public car park for parents attending events is in Walton Street, and the school advises allowing ample parking time for open events. The campus was officially opened by Princess Alexandra on 20 May 1960, and the modernist architecture of that era, clean lines, open spaces, gardens, remains distinctive within Aylesbury's secondary school landscape.

The school became an academy converter in 2011 and is part of Aylesbury High School Trust, a single-school trust overseen by a board of trustees co-chaired by Helen Bush and Kate Weir. The CEO is Marieke Forster, the school's headteacher, creating an integrated leadership structure where strategic direction flows directly from the school's head.

The house system provides the primary structure for pastoral care in Years 7-9, with form tutors within each house knowing their tutor group well. From Year 10 onwards, form groups shift to reflect GCSE option choices, but pastoral staff remain consistent. Each year group has a Head of Year and Pastoral Assistant who "closely monitor the progress and welfare of their year group." Senior staff oversee different year groups to ensure consistency of approach.

The school employs a dedicated counselor who visits regularly, supplementing the pastoral support available from teaching staff and the welfare coordinator. Bullying is explicitly not tolerated and is "dealt with swiftly and effectively." The school proactively seeks to understand pupils' wellbeing and provides "help rapidly where there is a need." Inspectors found this pastoral approach to be genuine: "When pupils experience difficulties, they know there is a strong pastoral team that will help them."

The student leadership structure is notably extensive. The Head Girl and a pupil "Cabinet" of six Deputy Head Girls are elected annually through nominations and voting by the year group, staff, and senior leadership team. These roles carry real responsibility; the Cabinet works alongside adult leaders to address issues raised by pupils and to organize large events such as graduation ceremonies and school fundraising. House Captains, Form Representatives, and subject-specific student leaders ensure that student voice is heard across the school. This distributed leadership approach aligns with the Ofsted finding that pupils "benefit from the many meaningful leadership roles that they take on."

Highly Selective Entry: Admission requires success on the eleven-plus examination. With approximately 3:1 applications-to-places ratio, entry is not assured for academically strong pupils. Families should not assume their daughter will secure a place; external tutoring is nearly universal among applicants. The selection process creates a peer group of similarly high-achieving girls, which can be motivating but may also create an environment where academic success is expected rather than celebrated.

Single-Sex Education: The school educates girls exclusively through Year 11, with sixth form remaining girls-only. Some families seek mixed education; others value the research suggesting that girls' schools foster stronger leadership voices and greater engagement in STEM subjects. This choice should align with family preferences and the individual student's learning needs.

Limited Geographic Catchment: While the school draws students from a wide area (as far as Oxford and Milton Keynes), the selective entry process concentrates pupils from families with capacity to prepare children for the eleven-plus. This selection mechanism, while creating academic homogeneity, may not reflect the full demographic diversity of Buckinghamshire.

Pace and Expectations: This is a high-expectations environment. The Ofsted report notes that pupils are "unafraid to tackle difficult work, ably demonstrating the school's value of resilient bravery," but the corollary is that pupils who struggle with pace or who find confidence threatened by high-achieving peers may need additional support. The school does provide this support, SEND provision is described as "excellent", but the cultural default is toward intellectual challenge rather than consolidation.

Aylesbury High School is among the most successful state-funded girls' grammar schools in the country. The combination of selective intake (ensuring an academically able cohort), excellent teaching (confirmed by Ofsted across all subjects inspected), ambitious curriculum, and rich extracurricular provision creates a genuinely excellent education. The school's values of boundless aspiration, resilient bravery, curious engagement, and selfless generosity are lived daily, not merely aspirational.

For families with daughters who perform strongly on the eleven-plus and thrive in academically rigorous, single-sex, selective environments, Aylesbury High School offers a first-class education at no tuition cost. The school's position as the sole girls' grammar school in North Buckinghamshire gives it a distinctive role, and the evidence (Ofsted judgments, university destinations, GCSE and A-level results) suggests it fulfills that role exceptionally well. The pastoral care is strong, the beyond-classroom opportunities are extensive, and the student experience is genuinely positive.

Those considering entry should prepare thoroughly for the eleven-plus examination, understand the single-sex context, and recognize that this is a school that expects a great deal of its pupils, in return for offering a great deal.