North London school choices for girls - updated opinions ? 4+ 7+ 11+

[Bast77]

HI,
I hope you can help me make up my mind about my girls , I have two girls (twins :) they are due to start their reception in sept 2020 and then another the following september :)
We are fairly new to the area ( just moved from Jersey ) I was wandering if I can have honest opinions about the schools in NL. I find tons of opinions but they from years back or by people who "just heard" this or other.
My super mamas please share your opinions on NLCS , Channing, Habs, St Anthonys Girls and South Hampstead, Highgate maybe.
Not interested in Grimsdell , St Margarets , King Alfred.

Thank you :)

So, the schools you are keen on all have 10-20 applicants per place and my experience is that the girls they want will get multiple offers each and many will have no offers. So you need a backup. This could be a prep (Hendon Prep, Radlett Prep), a less sought after through school (St. Margaret's, Northbridge House, Aldenham), or a pre-prep that goes to 7 (Golders Hill, Annemount, Hampstead Hill). I wouldn't sit a girl for more than 4-5 at most, of which at least one needs to be a banker, unless your backup is local state school.

Habs is great - very laid back in the juniors, minimal homework, genuine focus on resilience and pastoral care, strong on music, drama and sport, inclusive of all whilst promoting excellence. Depending on where you live it is a pain that they can't get the coach til year 3 but people do rotas.

NLCS by repute more scary and rumour is that several who get in at 4 are managed out by 7. I personally know two people who that has happened to. Only go for NLCS if your daughter is a confident 'alpha' type.

I know people with girls at Channing, juniors very nurturing. Less academic than some and they lose some girls at 11 to Henrietta Barnet and some other schools (all will lose the odd girl to grammars at 11). Highgate is co-ed, very sporty, junior school is huge now - 5 class entry. It's a very trendy and moneyed school. SHHS rumoured to have less good pastoral care. Brand new senior building. About to start building work in the juniors I gather so you might want to ask them about that.

Highgate have an entry point at 3+ (so the year before Reception) so you may be too late there. They also don’t have a sibling preference policy.

SHHS used to have a registration process where people had exactly a fortnight two years before their daughters would start to register them. Have you already registered your children?

Highgate are moving to 4+ for next year but that's a good point about shhs registration

I think Highgate will have 4+ entry from September 2021. They also used to have a two month window during which they accept registrations - I can’t remember how far in advance this is though.

There are more prep girls schools in the area such as Devonshire House, St Mary's, Sarum hall, The Village and St Christophers. St Anthonys girls is new - I too would be interested to hear any feedback?

My dd is in SAGs ( St Anthony's Girls ) , she has been there two years now and we are very impressed with the school. The academics are higher level that we expected, amazing pastoral. It is catholic but there are girls from different faiths. Girls are well behaved, confident and wellbeing of students is important. We were planning to go with 7+ to Highgate or Habs but we have put this off the table as DD is so happy at her school.
Next year the founding girls are leaving for secondary schools so we looking forward the results.

That’s great to hear about st Anthony’s. It’s a relatively new school so any feedback of it is important.
Highgate is moving to 4+ registration from 2021. They are open for registration from March to May a year before entry. I was very impressed with its head.
As correctly noted above, commute to habs is difficult as they do not have bus service for below 7. You will have to keep that into consideration. Otherwise, I know parents who are head over heels about the school.
NLCS is quite demanding but excellent. Again, I too have heard stories about kids who are nudged out at 7/11 if they can’t cope.
Add mulberry house school to the above list of schools.