North Bridge House in Canonbury - any views?

[ConfusedInNorthLondon]

Hi all,

My DS had an admissions test/ interview at North Brige House Canonbury today. Any parents with kids there? It's very local to us so it would be great for him to go there, but we don't have any inside info.

Any views would be much appreciated.

[Notcontent]

I know someone who is very happy with it. I think it is rather small (so a small pool from which to find friends) but good. I think it all depends on what other options you have, including what state options you have...

[ConfusedInNorthLondon]

Thanks Notcontent. It's good to hear that. Unfortunately our state options are not good at all, and we are still waiting to hear from a couple of 11+ exams for selective independents, but North Bridge House would be by far the easiest as it's just around the corner from our house, so I'm quite tempted (if he gets offered a place there, that is).

Anyone else? Thoughts?

[Notcontent]

Going by your location I can see why you are not tempted by the state options...

[EdgyMcNervous]

We live near you and looked around Northbridge for DD who is in year 6 but decided not to apply in the end and have opted for a state school. I do know at least one family v happy at Northbridge though. I thought it looked v friendly with lovely small classes etc but, as others have said, a small pool and with resource limitations in some respects.

I'd also agree with notcontent that there are some v good state options nearby.

Feel free to PM me if you want to know more about any of the above

[EdgyMcNervous]

Sorry totally misread notcontent's message. I guess I disagree then about the local state options (have a number of friends whose DC are thriving in, for example, Mary Mags). Anyway, presumably you have filled in your CAF form and are just looking at private schools at this stage so best of luck with the applications process!

[Notcontent]

Yes, Mary Mags is a very good state option for those lucky enough to get a place but it now has a pretty small catchment area and the other nearby choices are really not great.

[EdgyMcNervous]

What are your thoughts on Central Foundation School for Boys Notcontent? Can't comment really because no direct experience (no DS so didn't even look around) but I've heard positive feedback from current parents (and through a teacher). I do see that the local options are more limited for boys in general though. I'm not all that keen on HGS from what I've seen though many would disagree…

[Hothouseorflophouse]

I presume OP doesn't have a governors' place at Mags or would be considering that. If they're near Northbridge they're probably near HGS. Such a shame that it's going through a bad patch although I do know kids who've done really well there and enjoyed it.

I have heard mixed things about Northbridge. Some like its small size and more mixed ability. Someone else said it got the tricky kids that have been managed out of other schools and there was nowhere to hide from them.

I don't know which independents you've applied for (City, UCS, Highgate?), but if it's any of the obvious ones I think they're worth the journey, if he gets a place.

Also second PP re. Central - even if you're out of catchment there's such a shake up post offers day you'd probably be able to get a place. But I guess your CAF is in.

[Notcontent]

I have a girl so don’t know much about Central Foundation!

Agree with previous poster that it’s a great pity HGS is going through a rough patch.

[ConfusedInNorthLondon]

Dear all,

Thanks so much to everyone for the replies. We are indeed quite near HGS and COLAI. Those are our two closest schools.

DS did the governors' test at Mary Mags but did not come high enough for us to really hope he will be offered a place (although he is within the first 100 so never say never).

In terms of independents we have applied for the three selective schools (UCS, City and Highgate) and also Forest, Northbridge and the French school in Bloomsbury Jeannine Manuel (we have a link to France in the family, but no French nationality). DS is in top sets at his local state (a very good one) but sadly so far has not had any interview offers for independents (we tutored only for 4 months, due to living elsewhere until last summer - complicated work situation) - clearly not enough.

We are still waiting for UCS, Forest, Northbridge and he's got an interview (just a formality as is non-selective) at the French school, but we do need a bursary, at least a partial one.

So, as you can see, the options are limited and I am quite worried. It's quite a tricky situation we face, keeping me up at night.

Thanks for the thoughts! If anyone has any bright ideas, do let me know (am I missing anything? any other schools we should have applied for, or still can?)

It's good to be able to air one's worries. Makes waiting for results seem a to go faster. :-)

[Davros]

We've been very happy with NBH in hampstead and really like co-Ed and mixed ability. They also do some subjects that others don't, e.g. photography, and RE is not even taught, never mind mandatory. There have been no behaviour issues or problem kids imo

[Hothouseorflophouse]

Confused I was there a few years ago with ds, it all seemed confusing and hopeless. I feel your anxiety.

Re. state schools. Post offers day, get on the waiting list for Central. You never know, there is so much movement.
Secondly top 100 at Mags is good and there are a lot of parents who sit the test and will not be taking a place (plus there are 21 this year). The ones who've nabbed the top spots will also be going for grammar and independent places. Again, there's a big shakedown post offers day. Also they have additional places in y9 which are absolutely there for the taking so if it doesn't work out, that's a fallback.

Re. privates. Personally I'd opt for Forest over Northbridge despite being a big fan of short journeys (if he gets offered both). I really liked Forest, but it's further from us than it is from you.

It can all seem a bit hopeless at this point but I can't tell you how much movement there is post offers day. DD got offered state choice number 5, then 3, then 2 and finally no.1 (the completely mad long shot we put down).

[EdgyMcNervous]

Have DM’d you, OP. But would also second all that hothouse says above (except that I can’t comment about Forest because I know nothing about it!)

[ConfusedInNorthLondon]

Hi all, thanks Hothouseorflophouse and EdgyMcNervous for your messages and for the advice. We've still not had any news from the remaining four private schools, so the excruciating wait continues.

In the meantime it's good to hear that there is a lot of movement post-offers day, as I have a feeling by March 1st we won't have an offer we're happy with.

I will post an update, once there is one. In the meantime, fingers crossed...

[Zinnia]

There is so much churn post offers day you would not believe. Don't forget pretty much every child going into the independent sector will also have applied to a sought-after state school "just in case" and even then - in the worst case - there are children who just don't turn up on the first day of autumn term because their patents have omitted to tell the school their DC is going elsewhere. (I did not believe that at first, but have now heard it from so many reliable sources I do!) I have been stressing about this a lot because we are very borderline, distance-wise, for the N London state secondary we want, and every single person I've spoken to in the school system says the same thing.

[yokota]

I am pretty much in the same place as you, DS did not get the interview with Forest... we hope he gets NBH Canonbury as he enjoyed the intervew/exam process so much there with their friendly approach.

Also applied Central boys foundation. This year CBF offered the banding test prior to the national application deadline, so we knew the banding already. It is nice that DS got band 1, but band 1 offers shortest distance.... The banding test was multiple choice English only test (no Math).

Fingers crossed.

[ConfusedInNorthLondon]

Hi yokota, seems like our boys may end up in the same class at NBH Canonbury. :-)

Mine also really liked the interview and the task at NBH and as it's spitting distance from our house, it would not be a bad option after all ( apart from the money, of course). He loved the little postcards from current pupils that they gave them at the end. It is a nice touch, I must admit (a bit tangential, I know).

BTW - no interview at Forest for us either, which frankly is not such a bad thing as it's so far away and it was always going to be tricky.

[Goodfellas1978]

I have a daughter who has been accepted to NBH NW3

I am worried about the boy/girl ratio

Do you know how many in the year group? 80 kids roughly or 60 ? With approximately how many girls

[HackneyFolks]

Hey all! Wondered what the outcome of this for you was ConfusedInNorthLondon?

We’re in a remarkably similar situation to you, our DS at a state primary is very smart with great SATS but wasn’t tutored until too late and hence missed out on interviews at Forest, UCS, City et al. We’re waiting on a response from Bancroft’s which we like but have had an offer from NBH Canonbury which we really liked the look and feel of (even virtually) and every interaction we’ve had with the school so far has been top notch.

We’re worried however about the size of the school, how relatively easy it was to get a place compared to the more academically oriented schools and I guess the fact that it is mixed abilities, (not to mention the cost of it vs a state secondary!) but also at this stage worry that we’re so full of anxiety and panic that we’re looking a gift horse in the mouth in the fact that we’ve been given an offer and maybe should embrace it and be overjoyed?

We also love how local the school is and the list of tutors, many of whom seem to have been poached from the bigger academic schools so any feedback on your progress there since 2019 would be super super appreciated!

Thanks !

[PipaJJ]

@HackneyFolks
My experience is that they take anyone. We had it as our back up - like many others for my DS last year. All children that applied from our Prep were offered - some had CATs below 90!......Three families joined - I know that two of them wish they hadn't and one is moving at the end of the year. Safety issue too - with several muggings and fights outside of the school in the Autumn Term - video footage was shared through the Hampstead network and it looked horrendous!

[MrsWonderland]

@PipaJJ was that the Hampstead or Canonbury branch?

[HackneyFolks]

Thanks PipaJJ - sounds like that was Hampstead as opposed to Canonbury but confirms my suspicions that as an institution they do indeed take anyone - we have been very taken aback by the ease of getting an offer as opposed to all the other private schools we’ve attempted to get DS into :/

[HackneyFolks]

Indeed I would dearly and honestly like to hear from anyone who knows of anyone who didn’t gain a place after applying to either of the NBH campuses?

[MrsWonderland]

They are mixed ability schools - that doesn't mean everyone will get in but it IS mixed ability. Canonbury has pretty good results if they let anyone in!

[Joy93]

@HackneyFolks we've had the same experience. NBH says its selective - but its not. It is really the NW London backup school now especially as Mill Hill has become more competitive.