Best Areas to live for primary and secondary schools near Enfield, Herts, Barnet

[raisingkingsandonequeen]

Hi there

I have two boys, aged 4 (Reception) and 7 (Year 3) and a baby girl. My husband and I are looking to move from Enfield to our forever home. We wanted to stay fairly close to my parents in Hertfordshire who are well into their 70s but also in the catchment of some great selective/grammar schools and great primary schools. Both boys are super bright and academic and we feel are not being stretched enough at their current school.

We started considering towns in Herts and started looking at Cuffley, which was recommended to us, is utterly gorgeous and we love, but we need a minimum of a 4 bedroom house (or 3+ beds with potential to extend). Our intention is to keep our current home on Enfield and rent it out, which means we won’t have the sale of the house to add to the pot and so our budget isn’t over a million right now - which is what we’d need in Cuffley. We’re looking to buy a home with great potential to add to it (the ugliest house on the street strategy) with a budget of about £600-700K for now using our savings alone and then we’ll extend it and bring it up to the house of our dreams over the next few years.

We then considered the Herts town of Potters Bar. Other than its proximity to my parents, we were also motivated by the amazing primary and secondary schools in the area. I am keen to move soon (so that my 8 year old can get settled into the final 2/3 years of his primary before we start to prepare him for 11+) and not knowing anyone from the area would love a steer on great roads to consider and great schools in PB pls?

So far I’m obv aware of Dame Alice Owens being the dream school and would love nothing more than my son to get in on his academic merit alone, however I see how oversubscribed the school is - especially with the catchment area stretching as far as Islington to be eligible for the exam, so was also looking at properties on nearby roads. From what I can gather, the children given a place on location alone last year literally lived 400m/0.2 miles away from the school which currently only throws up literally 2 houses on the property search - neither of which are great. So any other backup secondary schools to DAO would be greatly received.

In terms of primary schools, I’m aware of The Wroxham School being an outstanding primary so if that is really the case (opinions welcome) that would be great option for all my children to go in the first instance, before moving onto a great secondary. Assuming the catchment isn’t as crazy as DAO’s 0.2miles. So any thoughts on those two schools (no brainer I assume) or suggestions of other great schools in the PB area would be amazing thanks.

And then for those who would recommend other areas outside of PB that also have amazing schools (e.g great catchment areas for The Latymer School for instance) it would be greatly appreciated. Is there a hidden gem that I have’t considered in the Herts, Enfield, Arnos Grove, Barnet, Palmers Green area that’s either on the up or just lovely but affordable with an amazing primary and secondary selective school in the catchment?

A long one I know just would appreciate as many comments and advice as possible as this will be our forever home and the last time we intend to move house - so it’s all about lovely neighbourhoods and topnotch schools.

Next door to Dame Alice Owen

Or next to Wren Academy

Southgate - Ashmole has an outstanding primary one of the best performing non selective secondaries in london. A bus from latymer where it’s the test not the postcode that counts.

Barnet around wren and when Elizabeth is excellent too.

Ashmole secondary has good results but is not a very pleasant school (we are in the area so many of my daughter's friends are there). There was also recently a problem with gangs there who robbed kids on the street

@XelaM gosh yes I definitely want the balance of great academic results with a nurturing, safe environment and great culture. Thanks for that intel.

@XelaM but great that you concur with DAO and Wren is new to me so good to hear that also. I guess that means living in Edmonton for the catchment…

@pennysays thanks so much for the recommendations. Sorry, do you mean potentially live in Southgate for the good primary and then take a bus to Latymer? And do you mean Queen Elizabeth is excellent?

There are two Wren Academies - the more established one with excellent facilities and proven results is the Finchley one. They opened a new Wren Academy in Enfield a year ago, but as far as I know it's still in a temporary building and I don't know good it is. Wren Academy Finchley is excellent, but I think DAO is worth the less ideal house. Maybe rent initially and then move to the ideal house once you're in?

@XelaM Thanks for the clarification re: Wren. Re: DAO I didn’t realise that was an option but worth considering I guess! The school does sound worth the pain of essentially moving twice!

Look at Chesham

i presume church schools are out ?
QE boys, barnet is excellent, but v hard to get into.
i think you should try to live next door, if poss, to dame alice, to have best chance. is very over-subscribed.
if address is less than 36 months before application, they ask for stringent proof that it is child's permanent address.
do your children do music. that gives them another chance.
good luck.

@XelaM

Or next to Wren Academy

Don't go to the Wren Academy unless you want your dc to be in a school akin to a military academy.

@Blondie1984 why do you suggest Chesham? I was looking at the schools couple of weeks ago. I drove through it last year but wrote it off at the time. We felt Amersham was too far too but went back to take a look this past weekend cos of the schools. Will like to hear more about Chesham.

@raisingkingsandonequeen how did it go? We have family in Cuffley but we were considering Potters Bar. My friend's son got into DAO but I guess in years to come it'll be even more competitive to get into so I'm considering areas with more options. Buckinghamshire comes to mind. Where have you decided on? Cuffley is very nice but as you say it is more expensive. We're looking in SW Hert and SE Bucks and will also appreciate nudges and insights for areas to look at for good schools.

@Delectable we've decided to move to Potters Bar - it is a good distance from my parents (who live in Hertfordshire and are well into their seventies) and of course there is the draw of DAO and its sibling rule.

I still look at 'forever' houses in Cuffley every so often on Rightmove just to dream, and also Old Hatfield looks utterly gorgeous too (although I need to do my research on schools) but for now I think PB is the next best move.

The challenge is that with my children being 8 years, 4 years and 6 months I need to make sure I'm in catchment for some of the great primary schools as well as DAO which for many is unfortunately mutually exclusive.

I'm also pondering the recent coverage of racist claims that were made about the school's culture - which resulted in a protest comprising of 800 students. Whilst I welcome the actions of the students to make real positive change at the school, it is a worry to hear some of the claims. I work for a global luxury fashion and tech platform based in Old Street (also a pro for PB being that King Cross station is 25mins from the mainline station there) that is so inclusive and my children's school, being in North London is very diverse that I worry about them attending a school in the home counties where that is a real and tangible issue. I'm quite surprised and shocked to hear it in this day and age. I guess once you step outside of that London bubble things can be very different.

Hopefully it has changed for the better. I don't want the shine of the school's academic achievements be dulled by this discovery!

@raisingkingsandonequeen Apart from DAO I don't think Potters bar has any good secondaries. So you're right it's a tough one to find an area with a good sec and primary sch. Have you found a place then? Did you consider Tring?

I read about the protest at DAO. Most parents felt the HT didn't handle it well and should have dealt with the incident properly before it escalated to the children having to protest against it. It goes to show the children are not happy about it and will challenge authority in the appropriate way. My friend's son just got in and he's extremely happy there. He's of West African origin and his sisters are looking forward to joining him there.

@Delectable thanks so much for that intel. And you're right, I think the fact that the students advocated for what they felt was right is really heartening and encouraging to see. The students really make up the culture of the school so that bodes well - hopefully the HT took note.

Also reassuring to hear about your friend's son being very happy there.

No luck as yet. We were outbid by a developer for one house at the end of last year which had potential to extend - they paid over the asking price with cash. Still searching...am thinking of going old school and writing a handwritten letter and posting it through some of the doors of the houses on Shrublands (such a lovely road) should any of them decide to sell (but my husband thinks I'm crazy

Tring...hadn't looked there before. Will check it out!

@raisingkingsandonequeen all the best! Xx