best free secondary schools in london or north london

AgonyBeetle

That's a very good post. I do worry sometimes about parents who assume that a private or a grammar school is some kind of guarantee that their child will never be bullied or encounter difficult people. Assuming that your child will never have problems at a particular school is a pretty dangerous.

DD does a sport (rowing) mainly done by private school kids and one kid in her club (who went to a prestigious private school) displayed some pretty nasty bullying behaviour to one of his fellow rowers. I doubt whether he's all that different at school. Almost all the kids in her club are nice, whether they go state or private.

All schools have children who behave badly, and comprehensive schools will have kids from the full range of ability and social background.

Hornsey is a well-regarded school that achieves excellent outcomes for its higher-attainers, while also supporting children who don’t find the academic side easy. Of course there are children who behave badly, but there’s no reason to assume your dc will not reach their potential there.

Any good comprehensive will have a similar mix. Teenagers from private schools may look more polished, but there will also be behavioural problems there, they just tend to take different forms and involve more expensive drugs.

Tbh all teenagers are a bit scary-looking when you’re the parent of a 9yo. You need to chill out and look properly at all the available schools to try and work out what you do and don’t want. Otherwise you risk making a wrong choice from a vague perception that school A is somehow ‘nicer’ than school B.

I’ve encountered quite a few parents who are actively miffed that some of their children’s peers have got better results from ‘rough’ comprehensives than their dc did from private or state selective schools.

As long as a school has a reasonable cohort of high achievers who are getting good outcomes, then there’s no reason to assume your child can’t do the same.

The presence of gaggles of teenagers who fancy themselves as ‘rude kids’ smoking and being loud in the street really doesn’t tell you anything very useful about the quality of education your child is likely to receive.

Sorry, I was confused by your name change. I see you live in Crouch End. I can understand your worry- not because you need to worry, but the area you live in can be a bit of a stressful educational pressure cooker.

Some of the state primary’s in Crouch End can seem a bit like private prep schools-not because of a difference in the quality of the education they provide, but because of the type of parent they attract. That’s the people you’re getting g your information from. You don’t have to be like them, the rest of the UK isnt.

Normal Londoners do send their children to the nearest state school. (None of the schools mentioned would fill me with dread.)Other Londoners tutor, move house, go to the right church for the correct number of services. Others pay for tutors and private schools. There is no right way. Well there is, obviously, and that’s my way, but all this is just my opinion.

I have found the schools reactions to my contacting them about their pupils bad behavior is a good indication of if I’d send my DCs there.

Have you heard of this organisation? I think they have extended their reach from Camden to your area.

meettheparents.info

OP, do you think you are maybe letting all the people going private frighten you a little bit? I don't live in London but looked at the results for Hornsey and they are excellent, particularly for High Attainers - a Progress 8 score for High Attainers of 0.68 is exceptionally good. I don't think you would have to worry too much about your daughters not reaching their potential there.

Lots of people like Camden School for Girls. Although admissions distances aren’t as stupidly small as they were before Camden cracked down on admissions fraud they are still tiny and properties in the zone aren’t cheap.

What’s you’re local school, the one your children would get into if you didn’t move? If you put a post up about that you would probably get MN who could reassure you, or not.

Marylebone c of e is meant to be very good and I know of someone who moved right next to the school to get a place. But this is obviously not possible for most people as it's an expensive area.

Is that you, OP? Take it you have name changed. Sorry to hear you didn’t like Hornsey, always think gangs of teens can seem a bit unruly en masse but we got a nice vibe going round.

Highgate Wood is much bigger and to me seemed a little institutional but plenty of kids do well both there and at Hornsey. Most schools are doing open days/evenings at the mo for the year 6s and their parents but you can go and check them out.

Even if you think a school catchment is ‘tiny’, and I don’t think APS is that small, you do have flexibility to move into it you said.

Hornsey. Crouch End. Sorry but I have not liked at all what I have seen at Hornsey school for girls... the behaviour of the girls is appalling. Anyway I am more than happy to move anywhere in London where girls can do really well. Parents in my current school are all tutoring and going private... but I cannot afford that. Anything in camden good? Marylebone C of E? Alexandra Palace maybe have not heard much except it’s a very small encatchment... is Highgate wood ok? Only ever heard of the Highgate private... Can you get help with private schools? Is that a realistic idea? Has anyone ever got a nursery?

You need tI tell us which your local schools are.

There are lots of good local schools in north London, and the vast majority of parents, including professional families, send their children to those schools. So it also depends a bit on what your idea of a ‘good school’ is. If you mean one with no problem children or behavioural issues, then you’re going to struggle tbh, whether in the state or private sectors.

Umm, i’m Not looking at it really for DD cos i’m not prepared to move but lots of parents in our bit of north London are very taken with Alexandra Park School and some are moving even though, in my opinion, there are decent state options nearer. DD seems to favour an all-girls school so we are looking at Hornsey girls or possibly Parliament Hill (think we are a little far) but I would be happy enough if she changed her mind and went to Highgate Wood.

Her father’s view, and I agree, is that a reasonably bright and motivated child with parental support will do ok anywhere, so my message is try not to worry too much and have faith in your girls, I have seen so much angst from parents and i’m not sure it is always worth it. Some schools might show slightly better results but most London schools will have a fairly generous percentage (40-50%) getting reasonable GCSEs, DD is def in the top 40%, maybe in the top 10% in some areas, so we are happy to support her and be relaxed that she will achieve well wherever she goes.

Sorry, you haven’t said which particular area you are in so you might have really good reasons to be worried about your state options, in which case maybe you could look at some of the schools I’ve mentioned. Good luck!!!