Photo: Des Blenkinsopp · CC BY-SA 2.0Buckingham’s state schools get better results than 81% of towns in England
Across their best eight GCSEs, pupils in Buckingham score 54.2 on Attainment 8, above both Buckinghamshire’s towns (51.8) and towns in England (45.9). 7 state-funded schools are located in Buckingham’s built-up area. Buckingham grades A− for schools, on Department for Education Key Stage 2 and GCSE results: #12 of 39 in Buckinghamshire. Ofsted is shown, not graded.
Town figures are pupil-weighted across the schools the grade uses; England’s are the average school.
What stands out about Buckingham’s schools
A grammar school in town
Royal Latin School admits pupils by a test at 11. Their results count in Buckingham’s School Grade, as they are state schools many local children attend. After 16 ↓
Written from the Department for Education and Ofsted data on this page.
Buckingham grades A− for schools
Against every town in England with results; Wales publishes none.
The secondary figure lifts Buckingham; the primary figure holds it back.
The primary figure: 5 primaries in the town, 660 pupils in results over three years. The secondary figure: 2 secondaries in the town, 374 pupils in results. Mainstream state schools only (grammar schools included); special schools, alternative provision, nurseries and 16–19 colleges are listed below but not graded. Each school’s results are compared with every school in England, then weighted by its pupils.
Where Buckingham’s 7 state schools are
Each school at its address, coloured by its own letter and sized by pupils. Open a school for its own page. The dashed shape is Buckingham’s built-up area.
Most schools give places by distance once siblings are in, so the schools nearest a home matter more than any league table. The 2 secondaries are named.
Which schools do better than their intake suggests
Schools with more pupils on free school meals tend to get lower results. The dashed line is the typical school in England for each level of free school meals; the band holds the middle two-thirds. A dot above the band is doing better than schools like it.
The share of pupils on free school meals runs from 5% at Royal Latin School to 50% at George Grenville Academy. Against schools with the same intake, Lace Hill Academy does best: 70% with 17% on free school meals, where a typical school would reach 64%. 2 of 4 primaries are above the line.
Show as a table
| School | Free school meals | Result | Typical for that intake | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lace Hill AcademyKS2 % | 17% | 70% | 64% | +6 |
| Bourton Meadow AcademyKS2 % | 10% | 67% | 66% | +1 |
| Buckingham Primary SchoolKS2 % | 19% | 63% | 63% | −0 |
| George Grenville AcademyKS2 % | 50% | 53% | 55% | −2 |
Free school meals: pupils eligible now, DfE January 2026 census. The typical-school line is a straight-line fit across every graded school in England. It describes; it doesn’t grade: the School Grade uses results alone.
How school places work in Buckingham
Buckinghamshire Council handles applications for every state school in Buckingham, academies included. You apply to the council where you live, even for a school in another area.
When a school is full
Every school publishes its admissions rules. Children in care come first, then, at most schools, brothers and sisters of current pupils, then those who live nearest. 1 of Buckingham’s 7 mainstream schools have a religious character; some of them give priority by church attendance, so check each school’s rules. Infant classes are limited to 30 by law. If you’re refused a place, you can appeal to an independent panel.
Useful: Apply for a primary place (GOV.UK) · Apply for a secondary place (GOV.UK) · How admissions criteria work
How full each school is
Pupils on roll as a share of the school’s official capacity. The black tick is 100%; 1 school is at or over it.
DfE register of schools (GIAS), January 2026 census. Capacity often excludes a nursery class, so a school with a nursery can show over 100%.
7 state schools in Buckingham
Each school’s own letter compares its results with every state school in England of the same phase: Key Stage 2 for primaries, GCSEs for secondaries. Open a school for its results, how its letter is worked out, Ofsted and a map.
Key result: Attainment 8 and grade 5+ English and maths (GCSEs, 2025/26 provisional) for secondaries; the share meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (KS2, DfE’s three-year average) for primaries. Pupils: the January 2026 school census. No letter: an infant or first school (no KS2 tests), a new school, a small cohort DfE suppresses, or a special school, nursery or college. Independent schools aren’t included.
Ofsted inspections
Each school’s latest inspection; report cards replace one-word judgements as schools are re-inspected.
Ofsted stopped giving one-word judgements in 2024. Until a school is re-inspected, its last overall judgement is its most recent single grade; a school judged years ago may have changed a lot since.
Since November 2025 Ofsted gives each area of a school one of five grades (exceptional, strong standard, expected standard, needs attention, urgent improvement) and says whether safeguarding is met, instead of one overall word. 0 of Buckingham’s 7 state schools have a report card so far; the others show their last inspection under the old framework. Ofsted is never part of the School Grade.
2 academy trusts and the council
Academies are state schools run by a trust rather than the council: the trust employs the staff and can set its own curriculum and term dates. Admissions still go through the council.
| Run by | Schools | Pupils | Their letters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Campfire Education TrustBourton Meadow, Lace Hill, George Grenville | 3 | 975 | BB+C− |
| Royal Latin SchoolRoyal Latin | 1 | 1,326 | A+ |
| Buckinghamshire CouncilBuckingham, Buckingham, Maids Moreton | 3 | 1,561 | DB−B− |
Where Buckingham’s teenagers go at 16
In England young people stay in education or training until 18: a sixth form, a college, or an apprenticeship.
Every state secondary in Buckingham has its own sixth form. The nearest college is Milton Keynes College, a further-education college 9.9 miles away.
60th of 325 English towns of 10,000 to 19,000
Ranked by School Grade, best first: the towns either side of Buckingham, and the top and bottom of the group.
| # | Town | Schools | KS2 | Attainment 8 | Grade 5+ E&M |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amersham Buckinghamshire | A+ | 79% | 64.3 | 83% |
| … | |||||
| 56 | Cobham Surrey | A− | 70% | 47.2 | 52% |
| 57 | Crowthorne Berkshire | A− | 72% | 47.6 | 49% |
| 58 | Ripon North Yorkshire | A− | 63% | 59.1 | 72% |
| 59 | Nailsea Somerset | A− | 67% | 50.2 | 53% |
| 60 | Buckingham Buckinghamshire | A− | 64% | 54.2 | 57% |
| 61 | Shepshed Leicestershire | A− | 66% | 51 | 53% |
| 62 | Knaresborough North Yorkshire | A− | 65% | 51 | 57% |
| 63 | Warmsworth South Yorkshire | A− | 70% | 45.9 | 52% |
| 64 | Brimington Derbyshire | A− | 73% | 46.9 | 47% |
| … | |||||
| 325 | Sandown Isle of Wight | D− | 52% | 32 | 16% |
Buckingham and the places around it
Coloured by School Grade.
| Town | Schools | KS2 | Att. 8 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buckingham 7 schools | A− | 64% | 54.2 |
| Steeple Claydon 1 school · uses schools within 3 km · 4.2 mi | D− | 49% | — |
| Great Horwood 1 school · uses schools within 3 km · 4.8 mi | D | 50% | 41.6 |
| Deanshanger 2 schools · uses schools within 3 km · 5.5 mi | B− | 63% | 45.2 |
| Winslow 3 schools · uses schools within 3 km · 5.5 mi | C− | 58% | 41.6 |
| Calvert 0 schools · uses schools within 3 km · 5.9 mi | D− | 49% | — |
| Silverstone 2 schools · uses schools within 3 km · 6.6 mi | A− | 67% | — |
| Old Stratford 1 school · uses schools within 3 km · 6.6 mi | C+ | 65% | 42.4 |
Silverstone has the best-graded schools nearby (A−). Small places often use the schools within 3 km, so neighbours can share schools.
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Expected standard at Key Stage 2. The share of 11-year-olds who reach the expected standard in reading, writing and maths together, in tests and teacher assessment at the end of primary school. We use DfE’s three-year average (2023–2025) to steady small schools.
- Higher standard. The share working at greater depth in all three. In Buckingham: 12% (England’s average school: 8%).
- Attainment 8. A pupil’s GCSE grades across eight subjects, with English and maths counted twice, added up. 50 is roughly a grade 5 in every subject.
- Grade 5+ in English and maths. A strong pass in both. Grade 4 is a standard pass.
- Provisional. 2025/26 GCSE figures are DfE’s first release; revised figures follow in February, usually within a point.
- Progress 8. Not shown: there is none for 2025/26, because these pupils sat no KS2 tests in 2020 (Covid).
- Free school meals. Pupils eligible for free school meals now, from the January census: the usual measure of how many pupils come from low-income homes.
- Independent schools. Not included: they publish no results comparable with state schools’.
Questions about schools in Buckingham
Are schools in Buckingham good?
Buckingham’s state schools earn an A− against schools across England: primary results beat 65% of towns in England; secondary results beat 88% of towns in England, on Department for Education Key Stage 2 and GCSE results. School places are handled by Buckinghamshire council.
What is the best secondary school in Buckingham?
On 2025/26 GCSE results, Royal Latin School: Attainment 8 of 75 and 97% with grade 5+ in English and maths, against 47.3 at the average school in England. Results are one measure; distance decides most places.
What is the best primary school in Buckingham?
On Key Stage 2 results over 2023–25, Lace Hill Academy: 70% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, against 62% at the average school in England.
Do Buckingham secondary schools have sixth forms?
Yes, all 2 do.
How do I apply for a school place in Buckingham?
Through Buckinghamshire Council, for every state school including academies. Secondary applications close on 31 October (offers 1 March); primary on 15 January (offers 16 April).
How many schools in Buckingham are full?
1 of 7 mainstream schools have at least as many pupils as places, on DfE’s January 2026 census. A full school still admits by its rules, usually distance after siblings.
How many state schools are in Buckingham?
7 open state-funded schools are located in Buckingham’s built-up area: 5 primary, 2 secondary and 0 other (special schools, alternative provision, nurseries and 16–19). Independent schools aren’t included.
Sources: DfE Get Information about Schools (16 October 2026), Key Stage 2 performance tables (2023–2025, three-year average) and Key Stage 4 (2025/26, provisional); Ofsted state-funded school inspections as at 30 September 2026 · DfE Get Information about Schools (16 October 2026), further-education and sixth-form colleges · TownRatings grades: our own summary of the data, ranked against UK towns only. All under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.