Independent schools in Buckinghamshire: A parent's guide

Buckinghamshire is unusual for independent school families because it sits inside one of England's last fully selective state systems. Thirteen of the county's secondary schools are still grammars, and the Bucks 11+ is taken by most Year 6 children. That changes how parents think about independents here: many families use them as a fallback if the grammar route doesn't work out, or run both processes in parallel.

This guide covers the main independent schools across the county, day vs boarding options, indicative fees, and how to think about the independent route alongside the grammar system. Fees and admissions change year to year, so check each school's website for current numbers.

The Bucks 11+ (Secondary Transfer Test, run by GL Assessment) decides entry to the thirteen grammar schools and is sat by most Year 6 children in the county. The independent sector here is shaped by that selective state system in a way it isn't in, say, Surrey or Cheshire.

In practice, parents take one of three approaches. Some target the grammars first and treat the independents as a fallback. Others prefer the smaller classes, broader pastoral support or boarding option that independents offer, and don't sit the 11+ at all. A meaningful number sit both: registering for a senior independent's 11+ paper alongside the Bucks transfer test, and choosing between offers in March.

The independents are alert to this pattern. Most run their own 11+ paper in November or January (or use the ISEB Common Pre-Test in the autumn of Year 6), and several time their admissions to fit around the Bucks grammar timeline.

The county has a strong cluster of independent day schools, mostly concentrated around High Wycombe, Gerrards Cross and Milton Keynes. They range from small, single-sex prep-through-senior schools to large co-educational seniors. Annual fees for day pupils sit in a broad band: smaller schools still around £18,000 to £25,000 a year, but the larger senior independents now run higher, roughly £19,000 to £28,000 a year post-VAT, with the most academically selective sitting at the upper end.

Pipers Corner School – a girls' day school in Great Kingshill, just outside High Wycombe, taking pupils from age 4 to 18. Smaller than Wycombe Abbey and less academically selective, but well regarded for pastoral care and creative arts. Entry points at 4+, 7+, 11+ and 13+.

St Mary's School Gerrards Cross – Church of England (Anglican)-foundation girls' day school in Gerrards Cross, ages 3 to 18, founded in 1872 by the Community of St Mary the Virgin. Strong sixth form record and a tight-knit feel. Main entry at 4+, 7+ and 11+.

Thorpe House School – Gerrards Cross day school, founded in 1925. A boys' school from age 3 to 16, with a co-educational sixth form added in September 2024 (girls join at 16+). A common feeder for nearby senior independents and the Bucks grammars.

The Webber Independent School – co-educational day school in Milton Keynes, taking pupils from 6 months (nursery) through to age 16 (Year 11). One of the more affordable independents in the county, with smaller class sizes than the larger seniors.

Akeley Wood School – co-educational all-through day school near Buckingham, spread across three campuses (nursery and juniors, senior 11-16, and sixth form), with pupils from age 1 (12 months) through to 18. Broad ability intake compared to the academically selective schools further south, and a strong reputation for sport and outdoor learning.

The two best-known boarding schools in the county sit at opposite ends of the senior age range: Wycombe Abbey starts at 11+, Stowe at 13+. Both are full boarding by default, with limited day places at Wycombe Abbey and a sizeable day intake at Stowe.

Wycombe Abbey – girls' boarding school in High Wycombe, ages 11 to 18. Consistently among the highest-performing independents in the UK by exam results, with main entry at 11+ via a CAT4 test plus English and maths papers and an interview; further entry points at 13+ and 16+. Full-boarding default, though a small number of day places are offered.

Stowe School – co-educational boarding and day school near Buckingham, ages 13 to 18. Set on a 750-acre estate, predominantly boarding (roughly 75-80% boarders, 20-25% day). Main entry at 13+ via ISEB Common Pre-Test in Year 6 and interview in Year 7; further entry points at 14+ and 16+. There's no 11+ intake into Stowe itself. The Stowe Group's separate junior and prep schools (Swanbourne House, Winchester House and Ashfold) take pupils up to 13 and feed in from there.

Thornton College – Catholic-foundation girls' day and boarding school in Milton Keynes, ages 3 to 18. Smaller and more pastoral in feel than Wycombe Abbey, with flexi-boarding and weekly boarding options as well as full boarding.

Berkhamsted School technically sits in Hertfordshire, but it serves a meaningful share of families on the eastern side of Buckinghamshire, particularly around Chesham and Amersham. It's worth knowing about if you're in that part of the county.

Berkhamsted is a large co-educational day and boarding school with a "diamond" structure: pupils are taught together in the prep, separately by gender from Year 7 to Year 11, and together again in the sixth form. Main entry points are 4+, 7+, 11+ and 13+. Day fees and boarding fees are broadly in line with the larger Bucks independents, and the school runs a free shuttle bus service across the local area.

Families in Aylesbury or central Bucks tend to look west to Stowe and Wycombe Abbey, while families in the south-east of the county (Chalfont, Amersham, Chesham) often consider Berkhamsted alongside the local independents.

Independent school fees in Buckinghamshire have risen steeply over the last few years, driven in large part by VAT now being applied to school fees from January 2025. As a rough guide for 2026 entry, expect day fees of around £19,000 to £28,000 a year at the larger senior schools (smaller schools may still sit in the £18,000 to £25,000 band), rising to roughly £56,000 to £62,000 a year for full boarding at Stowe or Wycombe Abbey (Stowe approximately £56,000, Wycombe Abbey approximately £61,500, both 2025/26 inc VAT). Junior school and prep fees are lower.

Most independents offer two forms of financial support. Scholarships are awarded on merit (academic, music, art, sport, drama or all-rounder), typically with a token discount of 5 to 25% off fees. Bursaries are awarded based on a family's financial situation, and at the larger schools can cover up to 100% of fees in specific cases. Scholarships and bursaries can sometimes be combined.

Application processes vary. Wycombe Abbey, Stowe and Berkhamsted publish detailed bursary criteria on their websites, including the household income thresholds at which a full bursary is considered. Smaller schools tend to assess case by case. Apply early: bursary funds at many schools are limited and allocated in the same window as the main 11+ or 13+ offer round.

Registration deadlines vary widely across the Bucks independents, and they don't all line up with the state grammar timeline. The earliest you can be caught out is at 11+ entry to Wycombe Abbey, which requires registration in the spring of Year 5 – roughly 18 months before your child would start.

For 13+ entry, Stowe and most other senior schools use the ISEB Common Pre-Test, which is sat online in the autumn term of Year 6 (about two years before entry). Pre-Test scores are then shared with all senior schools the child has registered with. Interviews and final decisions follow in Year 7 and Year 8.

The Bucks state grammar 11+ (Secondary Transfer Test) is sat in September of Year 6, with results in mid-October and offers in March. If you're running both processes in parallel, you'll usually have independent and grammar offers in hand within a few weeks of each other.

The day-vs-boarding decision is really three stacked decisions: the environment your child needs, the family logistics that work for you, and the financial reality of boarding fees (which roughly double the cost of a day place).

Full boarding suits children who are sociable, independent for their age, and would benefit from the structure of evening prep and weekend activities. It tends to suit families where both parents travel or the school is more than an hour from home. The downside: you see your child during exeats and holidays, not every evening.

Day attendance suits children still building independence and households where the journey is under about 45 minutes door-to-door. Many Bucks independents now offer flexi-boarding (one or two nights a week) as a middle option, which can be a useful trial run before committing to full boarding.

Don't decide based on the school's default. Stowe boards most pupils, but the day intake is growing. Wycombe Abbey is mostly boarding, but day pupils exist. Visit, talk to current parents, and decide based on your family.