Move to New Barnet/High Barnet...advice please?

[Vonda11]

Hello
We are seriously looking at moving to New Barnet/High Barnet from Brent in London due to the primary and secondary schools here being pretty rubbish!
Can anyone give me the lowdown on good primary schools (and nurseries?) and if you would recommend the area?
We need to make the decision pretty fast as we need to sell up before September when we apply for schools for my 3 year old....or stay in Brent and send him to private school (which we aren't sure we can afford!!!)
Help!
Thank you....

I think most of the schools around the High Barnet/New Barnet area are classed as being good or outstanding: even Underhill got a "good" in their last Ofsted and 8 years ago they were under special measure. See here for info on most of the schools in the area: www.schoolbuzz.co.uk/

The secondary schools are also good: QE Boys Grammar very hard to get into but QE Girls and East Barnet aren't selective and get good reports.

I can't really help with nurseries as my daugher went to a day care one (Head Start in New Barnet) and left 3 years ago but we were very happy with it. I know a lot of the children in High Barnet go to the Bright Learners Montessori Nursery in the Wesley Hall (and then onto Foulds or Christ Church C of E).

It is a lovely area to live

Thanks for the info caurniebread! We are viewing a house there tomorrow!

We did exactly the same move as you -willesden green to barnet. Great junior schools in New/East Barnet include Danegrove, St Mary's and St Margaret's. We like it and there's alot of green areas to walk and open spaces to play.

We did exactly the same move as you -willesden green to barnet. Great junior schools in New/East Barnet include Danegrove, St Mary's and St Margaret's. We like it and there's alot of green areas to walk and open spaces to play.

Creegenhead, thanks for the reply. We've just had an offer on our house and have put one on a house in New Barnet. Terrified about leaving everything I know but each time I visit the area I really like it and I just think for education it has to be better than WG- for secondary anyhow!!
Have you found it relatively easy to make new friends and settle into the area?
How does it compare to WG?

Do you have a little boy or girl? If boy you def need a New Barnet address for East Barnet School, may seem early to think about 2ndry but you need to give it serious thought. EBS is an excellent school. We are in high Barnet & our DS didn't get in (catchment), in limbo at mo!. DD is @ QE girls & v happy. Primary Schs in N Barnet r all v good. I've heard good things about St Margarets & a friend works @ the nursery the other lady mentioned on here. Good transport into London from New Barnet too. Good luck!

Thanks for all the replies...our house offer was accepted so fingers crossed, we should be there in summer sometime!!
Exciting!

Dilemma12- we have 2 boys ! thanks for the advice!

Dilemma12 - we didn't get EBS either. We are on the list but DS is going to TTA. We are quite happy with that as we found the teachers very warm and the pastoral care seems good. Where is your DS going?