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Original poster

know a good girls state secondary schools in north london

26 replies

bumptobabies · 15/03/2005 21:57

please help,dd is in year 5 so i have to think about schools, we live in haringey but will travel, there are no great schools near us i could`nt bare a trashy school.

OP posts:
MunchedTooManyMarsLady · 15/03/2005 22:27

Where in Haringey? I couldn't find any girls state school. I've been looking in town. If you are on the Barnet side of Haringey then there's Henrietta Barnett. If you find any then let me know.

Pollyanna · 15/03/2005 22:40

camden school for girls? Miles from you (probably - I'm rubbish at geography). But meant to be v good. Very small catchment area though.

lockets · 15/03/2005 22:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

bunny3 · 16/03/2005 20:03

Camden Scholl for girls is fabulous, I used to teach there. A bit far from Harnigey though

Tissy · 16/03/2005 20:11

I went to Grey Coat when it was an exclusive girls' grammar back in the dim distant past. I lived in Tottenham, and at the ripe old age of 11 travelled to Westminster on the bus and tube every day. I wouldn't dream of letting my dd do such a journey on her own these days (not that we live in London, and she's only 3 but YKWIM).

Had a look at the school website recently and the "ethos" of the school, if that's the right word still seems excellent.

Pollyanna · 16/03/2005 20:43

also Parliament Hill school? I don't know how good it is though and the girls all look very scary (near Highgate - are you near there?).

sunflower · 16/03/2005 21:03

Whereabouts in Haringey are you? I'm also in Haringey (N15)but my DD is only in reception so it's not an issue for us - yet! I grew up in Tufnell Park/Kentish Town and went to Parliament Hill. My experience was really positive - but I don't know how much it's changed (I left in 1995). When I was there quite a few girls travelled from Haringey via the overground to Gospel Oak. There's also Hornsey Girls which is meant to be reasonably good. Think they have a flash new head there. I expect that's the school we'll be considering for DD when she's older. I can't think of any other single sex girls schools nearby. However I only know about state schools and perhaps you're interested in private?

HTH,
sunflower

merglemergle · 16/03/2005 22:05

I went to Henrietta Barnett. Hated it. bascially a crammer. If you want your kid to go to Oxbridge and have no social skills-thats your school. Has 11 plus, and, when I was there, bascially NO art, music, sports, drama etc provision. Just won Evening Standard school of the year or something.

Lots of my friends went to Camden but that was seriously oversubscribed to the extent that people from the borough itself were turned down.

I thought Fortismere was meant to be pretty good? Thats in Muswell Hill I think.

Original poster
bumptobabies · 17/03/2005 08:17

im in tottenham i currently take my daughter to bounds green so traveling isnt a problem.mtmml theres hornsey girls in haringey.i suppose i would consider a mixed school if it had a good ethos, a sports school would be good aaagh help i can`t decide.

OP posts:
rosepetal · 17/03/2005 20:18

The new head at Hornsey School for Girls is having quite a big impact apparently. We'd certainly consider it for our daughter in a few years time. Not such good things on the grapevine about Fortismere at the moment even though it's results are good. Most improving school in Haringey is probably Gladesmore - has fantastic teachers but is mixed.

bundle · 17/03/2005 20:22

i have a friend in haringey whose dd has just got a place at st marylebone if you could bear travelling into w/end every day

onlineid · 17/03/2005 20:25

Message withdrawn

bigbrummiebertha · 18/03/2005 18:04

Rosepetal,

Can I ask roughly what sort of negative things you've heard about Fortismere? I'm thinking of moving into that area and Fortismere seemed to be the school that had all the plaudits attached. Incidently, for a younger child, does anyone know if Tetherdown primary school in the same area is as good as it is cracked up to be?

lars · 18/03/2005 18:24

Try checking out Hornsey an all girls school, always had really good results. larsxx

bigbrummiebertha · 18/03/2005 19:30

We've got boys!!

rosepetal · 18/03/2005 20:40

It certainly gets the best results in Haringey by a mile but given its intake it should do! It's a huge school and I've heard people say their children get a bit 'lost' there. But I'd go and see for yourself - everyone has a different view. I certainly don't think it's a bad school by any means - perhaps not just the shining castle on the hill that some people seem to think...

bigbrummiebertha · 18/03/2005 22:38

Thanks, rosepetal

Davros · 19/03/2005 18:28

I know a few people whose kids go to Tetherdown and they all think its great. THere's another one on Woodside Avenue, CofE I think. Also friend in Haringey whose 3 DDs go to Queens College in Marylebone and there's a school bus and no probs travelling.

donnie · 19/03/2005 18:35

Fortismere is mixed, not girls. It has a very varied intake and is not what you would call an academic school but has been praised for its other qualities. I know people who teach there and also people who go there as students now and in the recent past.Bear in mind it is also quite a hike from East Finchley tube station.Put it this way, I would only send my dd there if she was brimming with confidence and I had few alternatives but that's just my opinion.....unfortunately Haringey schools are not the best and that is especially so of the denominational schools in the borough.

Pinotmum · 19/03/2005 18:39

My sister teaches at Fortismere but says she wouldn't send her own daughter there although it does have a good reputation.

vickyvicky · 19/03/2006 23:09

What are these negative things you have heard about Fortismere? Someone asked this question before and no one answered. Seems to be a lot of hearsay around without any specifics.

lucy01 · 29/03/2006 12:55

We live round the corner from Fortismere - can see the school from the front door and all I can say is "over my dead body" would my dds go there.

Dh has had to break up a situation with a bunch of pupils verbally sexually abusing one of the teachers as she walked out of the school, they sit on the wall op the school smoking, swearing, not a book between them.

Results are ok but alot of those are boosted by local parents paying for private tutors in year 11 (if not earlier) - frankly should be alot better given the average house price locally is around £750k +.

Tetherdown a good school specially for arty children but not for sporty ones. No real sports facilities and half the play ground is about to be lost to portacabins to house the new reception year (gone up to two form entry) and the building works that are about to be started.

RTKangaMummy · 29/03/2006 13:04

fortismere was featured last night on BBC2

RTKangaMummy · 29/03/2006 13:06

Don't Mess With Miss Beckles
Tue 28 Mar, 9:00 pm - 10:00 pm 60mins

Yolande Beckles believes in old-fashioned values and strict discipline, a legacy from her strict inner-city Caribbean upbringing. A no-nonsense motivator, she thinks she can turn young lives around in one term.With no time for liberal attitudes, this observational documentary follows Yo as she puts her theories to the test and tries to raise students standards in a leafy London suburb. But how successful is her controversial approach? Yo is convinced her tough love tactics can get underachieving teens back on track. On day one she says: 'I'm here to kick butt, to transform children... to get their parents to take back their power and to walk out of here with their children fulfilling their potential.'

Dynamic Yo is followed by the cameras as she enters a typical suburban comprehensive for one term. Putting her disciplinarian methods to the test, Yo tackles a different group of teens in each episode - they've all the trappings of modern youth and a laid-back approach to their studies. More inclined to partying than prepping, they are pushed to succeed by Yo as she sets schedules and targets, punishes and rewards.

In this programme, viewers meet Luke, Josh and Tom a trio of bright 16-year-old boys. Josh is a keen fisherman and Luke and Tom enjoy playing in their own band.Yo tells them in her own inimitable style to refocus their lives and start putting their studying first. But when working to their tailored study plans and new ground rules at home and in their love lives, both the parents and teenagers start to kick back against the system. Contains strong language. [AD,S]

manitz · 29/03/2006 14:21

my friend used to teach at a mixed sch in wood green (left about 5 years ago) also 5 years ago I did focus grps with her sixth form for some books. My colleague who went to marlborough was extremely impressed with the maturity of these students (as was i) and their attitude to exams; I think there was some issue like they called teachers by their first name and the atmosphere in the school was fantastic.

We got there b4 school started and there were kids playing sports b4 school!!! lots of extra curricular activity and respect for teachers and students. Not sure if it's relevant but they had a lot of greek/turkish students probably because of the area. If we lived in my area and the school had managed to keep that atmosphere there would be no doubt where my kids went.

Can't remember exact name of school but will look it up. You said you might be interested in mixed school?