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Original poster

Advice on outstanding State schools around Barnet , Finchley for my Daughter

38 replies

Suisan07 · 04/06/2025 22:14

Can anyone advice are there any state secondary school near barnet which are Outstanding for my Daughter.
All grammar school comes with catchment criteria, please advice if there are state schools which are around barnet, finchley, Mill hill areas.
Thanks in advance

OP posts:
lookbook321 · 07/06/2025 08:08

@PreplexJ - you seem to have something against Henrietta Barnett? I’d imagine a lot of people turning down places may have opted for competitive privates like Highgate…

mrssunshinexxx · 07/06/2025 03:10

@PreplexJ you really shouldn’t judge a school going off Ofsted. The head gets notice of the visit and a lot of it is down to paperwork.

Heliumtohydrogen · 06/06/2025 19:45

In addition to the suggestions above, I’d look at Outstanding and Good schools. if you’re looking at the OFSTED rating - things change, and the rating is over a very short visit. Worth reading the reports to see what OFSTED said could be improved - for Good schools, the list may be very short.

From East Finchley - Fortismere, Archer, Bishop Douglass and Christ College might be possible. All comprehensives, and very different and I know children thriving at most. They are different enough that you will likely have a strong preference for one over the others.

bluecurtains14 · 06/06/2025 18:35

cupfinalchaos · 04/06/2025 22:29

Henrietta Barnett in Hampstead Garden Suburb. Doesn’t get much more outstanding.

Yes but 3000 applicants for 90 places and priority within the A band after the exam for those who live <3 miles away.

Moominmammacat · 06/06/2025 08:52

Dame Alice Owen's in Potters Bar? Selective but takes plenty from Barnet and Finchley.

Ivesaidenough · 05/06/2025 23:27

A friend of mine sent his children to Alexandra Palace School, and liked it a lot.
My DP liked The Compton School more than Wren. (We were too far away for either)

MarchingFrogs · 05/06/2025 21:46

Suisan07 · 04/06/2025 22:14

Can anyone advice are there any state secondary school near barnet which are Outstanding for my Daughter.
All grammar school comes with catchment criteria, please advice if there are state schools which are around barnet, finchley, Mill hill areas.
Thanks in advance

'Outstanding' as in, a really good fit for your DD, or just those with the Ofsted label 'Outstanding', whether or not it would be? 'Outstanding' when last inspected 5 or 10 years ago desirable, 'Good' when inspected a year ago definitely not? What would actually be an outstanding environment for your DD?

The Michaela School in Wembley is Ourstanding according to Ofsted, but I can't in a million years think that I would want a child of mine to go there.

More to the point- if you already have an address which you will be using for school applications, which of the schools does your DD stand a chance of being offered, looking at the oversubscription criteria?

Revise15 · 05/06/2025 19:03

Please note most of the non grammar schools listed above have tiny catchments. Archer has a postcode allocation- it’s really tiny in East Finchley (N2). Wren has a feeder primary school and is a Church of England school so there aren’t lots of places allocated solely on distance from the school.

I would also consider QE girls in High Barnet.

PreplexJ · 05/06/2025 17:00

ByGiddyAquaWriter · 05/06/2025 15:40

They had a safeguarding issue. Changed a lot since then.

outstanding in terms of academic grades.

no catchment but hard test

Show quote history

academic grades attributed by hard test or outstanding teaching?

The school has a 3-mile catchment area for priority intake. However, every year, 30%+ of students who live within this area AND score in the top 300 on the difficult entrance exam still decline the offer. I wonder why.

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/stats_of_applicants_within_3_mil

ByGiddyAquaWriter · 05/06/2025 15:40

PreplexJ · 04/06/2025 23:26

Latest ofsted inspection (in 2022) downgraded to "good"

Show quote history

They had a safeguarding issue. Changed a lot since then.

outstanding in terms of academic grades.

no catchment but hard test

Sweetleftfood · 05/06/2025 15:37

Wren Finchley
Compton Finchley
Archer Academy East Finchley
Alexandra Park School Muswell Hill/Bounds Green
Ark Pioneer Academy Barnet
Good
Totteridge Academy
Mill Hill County

PreplexJ · 04/06/2025 23:26

cupfinalchaos · 04/06/2025 22:29

Henrietta Barnett in Hampstead Garden Suburb. Doesn’t get much more outstanding.

Latest ofsted inspection (in 2022) downgraded to "good"

cupfinalchaos · 04/06/2025 22:29

Henrietta Barnett in Hampstead Garden Suburb. Doesn’t get much more outstanding.

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