Dr Challoner's Grammar School

Dr Challoner’s Grammar School is performing exceptionally well, achieving an outstanding rating across all inspection categories for the first time. The school provides a bespoke curriculum with a wide range of enriching opportunities that promote high levels of engagement and achievement among students. Pupils display exemplary behaviour and maturity, supported by strong relationships with staff, which fosters a safe and nurturing environment. Leadership is inspirational, with a focus on staff well-being and continuous improvement, contributing to the school's thriving culture.

Strengths

• Outstanding quality of education across all key stages
• Exceptional range of extra-curricular activities
• Strong leadership and management with a clear vision
• Exemplary pupil behaviour and attitudes
• Effective support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities
• High levels of engagement and achievement in demanding lessons
• Successful integration of PSHE education that enhances understanding of social issues
• Expanded sixth-form provision admitting girls with exceptional educational outcomes

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Dr Challoner's Grammar School attended 94.8% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 14.2% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 2.1% of pupils at Dr Challoner's Grammar School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Dr Challoner's Grammar School had 18.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 12.1% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 3.0% of pupils at Dr Challoner's Grammar School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 1.1% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Dr Challoner's Grammar School received £8,507 and spent £8,422 for each of its 1,368 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £994,000 (£727 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Amersham · Buckinghamshire local authority: places and applications

What is Dr Challoner's Grammar School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Dr Challoner's Grammar School is Outstanding, from an inspection in December 2024.

When was Dr Challoner's Grammar School last inspected by Ofsted?

Dr Challoner's Grammar School was last inspected in December 2024.

How many pupils does Dr Challoner's Grammar School have?

Dr Challoner's Grammar School has 1,384 pupils on roll.

What age range does Dr Challoner's Grammar School cover?

Dr Challoner's Grammar School for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Dr Challoner's Grammar School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 76.2, and 99% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Dr Challoner's Grammar School?

Dr Challoner's Grammar School is at Chesham Road, Amersham, Buckinghamshire, HP6 5HA.