N Islington: St John's ,St Marks, Hargrave park etc

[Eightfiftyfive]

Any recent views on the less discussed north Islington schools? We're trying to decide what order to put between St John's Upper Holloway, St Marks, Hargrave Park and others.

I don't know St Johns or sT Marks but know people whose children went to Hargrave Park. Children would be in juniors now but family had to move away for work. Only good things to say about it.

I don't know St Mark's at all.

I know people with children at Hargrave, they all seem to have been happy with it. It's not one of those schools that people get obsessed with, but it seems to have a good mix in terms of intake.

St John's is a bit of a mystery, I know people with dc at all the other schools in the area, but nobody at St John's at all, despite having friends who live in the same road as the school.

Are you also looking at Duncombe and/or St Joseph's? People who've chosen Duncombe seem to have been happy with it. St Josephs is a lovely school, and Ofsted Outstanding - yes it's Catholic, but not hugely over-subscribed, so places do come up there.

I've heard good things about Hargrave Park. Know nothing about St Johns. A child in DDs class left St Marks in the summer and joined DDs schooI; I don't know the full reasons but DD said child was being bullied so parents took child out.
Which other schools are on your list?

thanks all. We're also looking at Yerbury, Duncombe, Whitehall Park. Haven't considered St Joseph's as we're not Catholic and so it seemed unlikely. Grafton is great but not sure it's worth a choice as it's too far away. Where's your dd Vino?

I'm trying to work out whereabouts you are, and failing! Yerbury has a micro-catchment of about 0.2 or 0.3 of a mile - basically you need to live in one of the streets immediately surrounding the school.

Are you looking at Ashmount as well?

OP I have sent you a pm. If you think you may be just outside the cut off for a school don't be discouraged from putting it down. The cut offs can vary each year, there is a lot of movement in London so places do become available often before the start of the school year and during reception.

We're on the borders of the yerbury catchment so it's worth a try. Too far from Ashmount. We would have got into Duncombe all but one of the recent years, so the question is whether to use a choice on the very unlikely Grafton or have an extra nearly certain choice in Hargrave Park. and then what order to put!