Advice needed for secondary education

It depends where you live; some areas still have grammar schools but other areas may have very little choice of senior school. If you choose a senior school out of the catchment area you may have to go through the appeals procedure and, if successful, pay travel expenses.

It's best to discuss it with her school and perhaps other parents and with your daughter herself. Where are her friends wanting to go?
There should be more information available at the beginning of the next school year.

Is there a local private school that offers scholarships? They usually choose via entrance exams and interview. Often you need to be able to afford extra tutoring. I've known a few children get into schools that way but it's hard for them when they go there because their parents can't afford the lifestyle that their friends have.

My grandchildren both went to a secondary school that was considered not very good. This was because all their friends were going there.

The school is improving now and they have both done very well. My grandson passed all his GCSEs at good grades and my grandaughter in year 10 is set to do the same.

A teacher once told me that a bright child will always do well whichever school they go to.

I am not endorsing that but in the case of my granchildren it seems to have worked.

My girls both went to a Girls Day School Trust school.There are quite a lot of them around the country.There are a number of scholarships and bursaries available,some are academic and others are specialised like sport and music.
There are full and part bursaries.As it is a charitable trust the fees are a lot less.
The entrance exams are usually in January.

My daughter's primary school suggested that she should sit the entrance exam for the local private school. She turned it down because she didn't like the uniform. She didn't tell me about it for another 10 years she still ended up with a PhD. I rather agree with AGAA4 unless they have a specific problem that they may need help with bright children seem to do well anywhere.