N London (state) secondaries - again!

outgap ok, yes, I do take your points and you've got me concerned now. The school leaders must be aware of issues to do with maintenance and asbestos? Surely, maybe?

I've only been inside on sunny days. I'm going to an open morning soon but as it's September it will still be light.

I know! I actually want to love it but I can practically feel the asbestos settling in my hair, and it is a bit dark and depressing despite the original zinc tables and what not. Sorry.

outputgap you have just made enemies of a number of MN Brutalists ;) I drool over that building, but I love the Barbican and the Robin Hood Estate...

inmyownlitecorne thank you for that inside info into Mary Mags-that's what makes MN so useful. I will probably still look round but it don't be a front runner, and as we aren't in a linked school dd only way in would be the test.

I've heard that William Ellis looses boys to Acland Burghley but rarely the other way round. Friends say they find WE a bit minor public school, one mould of boy, no room for boys outside a norm, rugger, bullying . But I have no direct experience other than being on the bus with them!

I have a friend whose 15 year old is at Mary Mags. She's very high achieving & works hard. My friend wishes she had chosen a different school because the pressure is just too much.
We've got another 2 years before we need to think about secondary schools, but Mary Mags (despite being a 5 minute walk) is pretty lowdown on our list!

I'd head a bit further north and try for Fortismere in Muswell Hill

Personally wouldn't touch any of the Islington secondaries with a barge pole

Mary Mags is also quite nuclear about uniform. I know a child with autism there who wasn't allowed to wear black tracksuit bottoms instead of trousers. This one anecdote has put me right off.

Acland Burghley seems so nice. I wish they had knocked down the building before it got listed though. It's awful.

If you don't like uniforms, then Burghley could be for you (I'm assuming you have a boy since you're looking at Central Foundation). But Ellis is also quite laid back, very much not a 'detention for breathing wrong' kind of school.

Are you looking for y7 starting this sept or next? Only asking as if you've got an extra year to wait you have more time to see how Acland Burghley goes. It's a bit more of a punt for this September. The parents that chose it that I know put it as a positive choice, in that they could have gone for CSG or PHS for the girls. Interestingly I don't know many people with boys there.

Pollution is a concern for us too, so that was Marylebone out-phew it was a relive when we decided not to even think about it. Not massively helpful if you've got boys.

Interesting to hear what the St Mary Mags governors language test is really about.

Would you prefer mixed or co-ed? Have you gone to any of the "meet the parents" events where you can quiz those that have done it?

Remember that in that area you may well be in catchment for some of the Camden schools, e.g. Acland Burghley, and William Ellis/Parliament Hill (boys/girls respectively).

Hello, we're in Islington so I know a bit but much of it is hearsay, you know how it is, people can become very zealous in justifying their own choices.

Don't know anything about COLA HH. Generally people have been pleased with COLA I, but I think it's very much one of those correct-grey-socks kind of academies.

Central, I did like on looking at it as I think it's a very well run school with an impressive head. The space itself was an issue for me - it is dark and slightly airless with pretty shocking pollution. You kind of know that shirts would be blackened by midday. Friends seem very happy with it.

Mary Mags, again friends very happy with it and the children I know who've been through the whole system have done extremely well. Its catchment for non-religious types is teeny though - unless you're within 5 minutes walk, you'd have to try for one of the governors' places (11+ verbal reasoning disguised as fakey language aptitude test). Because they're getting in kids via the governors' places and their siblings, it definitely helps them with their intake.

I feel unfair to say this but the one school I probably would avoid is Holloway, esp for girls.