Harpenden Secondary/ High School

[Lully1]

Hi we currently live in a small hamlet close to Caddington/Slip end in Beds. My daughter started at Loreto girls school in St Albans last September and gets the train there each day. My son is currently in year 4 in a Catholic school in Luton and I am just starting to consider a high school for him as we do not intend to send him to a Luton high school. I have been told Harpenden schools are excellent and thinking logistically, it would be so much easier for us too as we are only a 10 mins drive to there. Does anyone have any information on the chances of us getting him into a catholic/church school in Harpenden or even St Albans as he could get the train there? Im not sure if we would have to live in Harpenden? Many thanks for your time.

St George in Harpenden is well regarded. I don't fancy your chances if you are in Luton but it's worth checking out.

If you want a faith school then St George's in Harpenden is CofE, as is Townsend in St Albans (less well thought of by some way). Then there is Nicholas Breakespeare (RC) in St A - mixed reviews. All St Albans and Harpenden schools tend to be oversubscribed but I used to teach in one of the Harpenden schools and we had some students from Slip End. I assume you are not considering private? If so there is St Columbas (RC) in St Albans.

I know that many catholic Luton people send their chidlren to JF Kennedy school in Hemel Hempstead, much to the resentment of people who live around the corner who can't get a place at an OFSTED outstanding school.

You don't stand a snowflake's chance in hell of getting your son into any of the harpenden schools from Luton. You have my sympathies. I am in an area with sh!t schools.

We really like Townsend Church of England School, but transport is a bit of a nightmare. It is nowhere near the station so you would have to drive your son there. Its worth looking at the break down of results for middle achievers, low achievers and high achievers. Townsend is an excellent school for a low attainer, but the high achievers are not so well challenged.

I don't think that Nicholas Breaksphere is a practical option for you. It is just too far from Luton. Nicky B is practically in Hatfield.

Thank you very much for your messages. I think we would have to rule out the St Albans schools then if they are too far from the station, (my daughters school Loreto is only a few mins walk so its perfect.) Looks like St Georges is best but do you think if we could move to Harpenden(would have to be a cheaper area if one exists there!)we would get into St Georges or is it down to who lives the closest to it? I am a practising Catholic, my children attend church every Sunday with me but their dad is non religious. What if we moved to Markyate/Flamsted or surrounding Herts villages, would we be considered under the same entry criteria or is there a certain priority area in Harpenden? I know a boy from Luton who started St Georges last Sept, he gets the train from Leagrave which is north Luton area- how he got in I dont know?! As I understand, you have to be living in the area to get in , but is there an argument that it would probably be our nearest faith school even though we are in Beds? So grateful for your time .

I think that the only way your child might get in is as a boarder. My daughter was an overseas boarder but I met parents from St Albans and the surrounding areas who sent their children there to escape from poor schools.

You can get places at St George's if you live in the villages. Lots of Markyate children go there. Current admissions policy states:
o 80% of places should be allocated to children from the Harpenden Area (the civil parishes of Harpenden and Harpenden Rural)
o 20% from the Villages Area (the civil parishes of Ayot St Lawrence, Flamstead, Kimpton, Kings Walden, Markyate, Redbourn, St Pauls?s Walden and Wheathampstead)

stgeorges.herts.sch.uk/admissions.html