We are considering Fortismere school for our DD for in year admission in year7

[consciousmum]

We recently relocated from India and looking for good area and good school for our DD. Eager to connect to parent of Fortismere. Other recommendations are also welcome. We haven't finalized home yet as we want to finalize school first.

Thanks and regards

@Onceanexpat1 DH office is near Euston station. Another question - does comprehensive really make any difference as compared to other good state school?

I'm on the other side of the borough, so a long way from Fortismere, though my 16 year old is now studying for A levels in another Muswell Hill secondary school, Alexandra Park.

Most Haringey schools are currently good or better, including some which aren't always oversubscribed. Even some previously oversubscribed primaries are struggling to fill places, and I'm not sure whether this is yet affecting year 7.

As for living in London or outside, I'm not sure how much you can save within commuting distance while taking into account train fares, not to mention the disruption to services - from Muswell Hill or elsewhere in Haringey there is always more than one way to get in if you need it. And also, you will have more choice of good or outstanding schools within easy travelling distance than in many towns outside London.

If there is a place at another Haringey school, or even one that is outside the borough but not far away (for example, closer parts of Barnet or Islington), I would think in terms of at least taking a look and finding out more about it.

@YireosDodeAver would be great if you could suggest few private school options in that fee bracket(1400/month).
Yes there is certainly difference between rent( in and outside London)
We are okay to spend 1400-2000 per month for private school (with expectation that they add more value than state schools).

I am in a completely different part of thr country and don't know anything about specific schools in your area just general details of how things typically are. In your position I would be looking in places like Bedford, where Bedford Girls School has fees of around £16500pa and there are 45min trains into St Pancras, or Northampton High School where fees are around £17400pa and there are 58 minute trains into Euston. You'll have to do your own research to find out if these schools are suitable.

You can do searches at The Good School Guide and the Independent Schools Council to find potential schools to look at.

Typically there's a band of very exclusive private schools with famous old names where the fees are £30kpa+, there's a band of mainly london private schools and a few outside london who have enough popularity in a market with overwhelming demand that they can charge £20k-£23k, then theres the less famous but generally solid and reliable ordinary Independent schools in ordinary towns and smaller cities where fees are typically £16-£18k. You won't get a world-famous named school in this bracket but for the most part you'll get a decent quality. Obviously bad Independent schools exist so it's important to research but I can't help at this level of detail

The cheapest private secondary school I know in North London is St John's School (Ridgeway) because it gets subsidised by Arsenal football club I believe. It's very much a marmite school though, but with beautiful grounds. All the other private schools start at around £7K+ per term.

I’d have a look at the Girls Day School Trust Op - https://www.gdst.net/schools/fees-and-scholarships/

They are good schools and some of the most affordable - c £24k a year for seniors.

If you want to be on the Northern Line South Hampstead might suit - if it has places.

Also look at the Good Schools Guide for other independent schools

I think Bedford might have the middle school system as well, so the change to “high school” is in a later year.

Out of interest why did you choose Fortismere? It’s not the school it used to be; discipline is nonexistent and results tho very good are largely because many students have tutors. It’s also very socially divided - the rich, entitled kids stick together. Also, don’t be fooled by their Ofsted rating - the original judgement was Requires Improvement but the school hired a legal team to challenge it and ended up with a Good (this is a fact and not just idle gossip).
Don’t worry about getting a place there plenty of parents pull their children out once they realise how bad it is.
In that area, Alexandra Park School is the best choice but unlikely to have places. Highgate Wood School is also very good.
If you need the Northern line check Queen Elizabeth’s Girls School in High Barnet or Christ’s College Finchley (massively improved) in Finchley Central.
Private schools will depend on your budget but Channing in Highgate or South Hampstead might suit.

Hi @consciousmum you have had some good advice here and if you are looking at private schools then all the chat about local authority and waiting lists is probably irrelevant.

I wanted to suggest a couple of points in case private does not work out:

• as a PP said, you are no more likely to get a place in year 8 than in year 7 - it will still be a case of waiting for someone to leave. There is no further round of applications for admissions in year 7 for year 8.
• It may be that you will get a place quickly at Fortismere, and I certainly agree that if applying via waiting list, it's a good idea to live close to the school. But you need to realise that if you focus only on one school, you may be home educating for years.
• I would call the local authority to see what schools locally have spaces - if there are several (may be so, I don't know the area) then you can look at those (probably in January now) and decide which you prefer.
• Comprehensive which you mention, is just a term describing the majority of state secondary schools un England - it means they take a full non-selected intake, all abilities, often boys and girls. They may stream or set or they may not (usually for maths at least). There are some areas where there are state grammar schools but not many - it is not the norm. Sounds as tho your chosen area is a comprehensive area which is fine. Most students attend a comprehensive secondary and can access a full range of subjects, qualifications and sporting and other activities.

HTH

There's some very good advice on here already.

Just to reiterate that if you are going for state education you will be allocated a school that has space if your preferred school is full. You can stay on a waiting list but there is no guarantee that a space will become available (I was on a waiting list for 3 years for a primary school and never got close to being number 1).

Wherever you decide to move to just be all over the admissions process and be clear on how local authorities allocate spaces and priority criteria - it differs from council to council.

Also look at the app 'locrating'
You have to pay for it but I know many parents that have moved areas that have found it useful.

Does it have to be Haringay? Could you live near Tufnell Park tube and look at Parliament Hill School for Girls? Then you might get a place at Acland Burghley which is a similar vibe to Fortismere but with much fewer rich children. You might not actually like it!

Or move right next to Camden School for Girls. Girls do move from there.

Also don’t forget you can be bumped down the waiting list if someone moves closer to the school or has another criteria that trumps distance (these will be listed under admissions on website). My experience in richmond borough is that places do come up in very good state (comprehensive) schools in year 8 - with large year groups of 180/240 there’s likely to be some movement but it’s not guaranteed and you may have to wait weeks or even months - during which time your DC can attend the local authority allocated school or be home schooled . You can go on several waiting lists at once. Once you get offered a place you have a very short period of time to accept or decline. I think there’s generally less movement in grammar schools and more competition for in-year places. Muswell Hill is very nice - but not the quickest commute as there are no tubes. As others mention Alexandra Palace seems to be more popular these days, but a few years ago Fortismere was in the ascendancy.

@geoger with my online search only I reached to Fortismere school(good sports facilities, Ofsted rating).