City Junior School

[Sparklingwater20]

I would be grateful for feedback on City Junior School, in particular as it’s a new establishment - Academics, teaching staff, opportunities for sport and the coach service. Any hiccups we should be aware of? We have an offer for our DD. We love the senior school and ethos and mix but struggling to get a good grasp of the Junior school.
Thank you so much !

No direct experience colleague says it’s super
Given it’s the feeder school to the city I’d accept on that basis alone
City is a competitive school to get into (rightly so)

what was your gut feel when you visited and met the Head and staff?

@Zone2NorthLondon Thank you.

@user7603 I thought it was an exciting place - ambitious, smart, warm… however I did have a few doubts re the lack of space and new staff and slightly off location.. also perhaps because fewer data points as it is new. Hence any inputs from parents would be super useful.

We had offers for our DD from a number of schools following 7+ (SHHS/CJS/Highgate).

Funnily enough, whilst we appreciate the senior school has great academics and is a fabulous school, it is the senior school which put us off rather than the Junior.

We found it very hard to overlook the bleak surroundings, the thought of an 11 year old self-commuting there and back and the overly "higher education" feel of the place. Headteacher was great but seemed more like a CEO. The best thing was the diverse mix of girls. The fact that the boys school just seemed to have a better location and facilities also didn't sit well.

Junior School on the other hand we thought was fabulous. Head is stellar: the best we came across. A small school but seemed perfectly formed with access to whatever would be needed. Approach to educational achievement and curriculum was spot on. I also don't work too far so logistics not too bad and I think the location is lovely. Building all now pretty complete.

I spoke to a LOT of parents at the school who almost universally loved it. I can totally see why. They said the obvious lack of access to space and fields and sporting facilities more apparent than real but there is no doubt that they make do given their location and this is a compromise if your child is mega mega sporty.

In the end found it hard to overlook the fact that the senior school was too compromised (for us) and that Highgate is practically down the road for us with facilities that are much much better, albeit which is more compromised on not being single-sex (at senior) and having less of a diverse intake.

We still debate whether we made the right call which is indicative of how much we loved CJS.

we are all fortunate in our ability to have choices of which excellent school to chose
it’s about fit and what is best for the child ,what suits their demeanour their personality and skills
i think CLSG is in a magnificent setting in Barbican (a listed brutalist masterpiece imo) the sense of place & occasion arriving there daily that is not to be underestimated . That sense of place and confidence you get being on town. I’m not sold on overly notion that a school need to be local. Friendship is forged and will work whether in your post code or not

If you want the stereotype public school setting then the Barbican is not it, if it was simply about aesthetics and space everyone would trot off to school in the burbs

chose what suits the child not what suits the parent, afterall it’s your child that has to go there, and you have to pony up😀

I assume you’ve accepted the place and paid the deposit? Do you have any alternatives if you decide not to take City?

@Rosheen75432 Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts!
It is very useful to know about your observations on the junior school..
We were in a similar position to you for another school where we loved the junior but had our reservations about the senior. All this ofcourse, based on our impressions of the child today and where she’d fit in in the next few years.. only the future will tell if I’ve made the right decision!

We chose City Junior for the reasons given by @Rosheen75432 namely how impressed we were with the Head.
I see on another post someone questioning the location and whether they’ve messed up by not offering enough places, and yes maybe the latter is a bit strange, but it’s a new school and it’s finding its way and place. That’s no reason to question the brilliance of the education your child will receive there. The location is very different to a school like Highgate and that’s the debate if you get offered both, but they have something different to offer and there are, as with all schools, pros and cons to each. Give it a go if you’ve already said yes; there is always the option to move if you decide you don’t like it. I’m sure you will though..

@Catnap2023 Thank you for your response! I agree the debate between this and another school like highgate is only relevant if one has applied to both, which in our case we have not. What drew me most to the school, apart from the brilliant education, was the diversity and that it’s coed. I hope those reasons will still trump above any teething issues one may experience…. fingers crossed :)

can anyone comment on the school's playground? I take it there are no ball games but do they allow active games/running around/making noise, etc.? or are there any noise limitations in place?

Hi @Sparklingwater20, @Catnap2023, @Rosheen75432, I have a 3 year old who I would love to get into CJS when the time comes. Do you have any tips for getting him through the admissions process that you could share? Is tutoring required?

Many thanks!

Hi, We have an offer from City Junior. Would anyone currently at the school be able to elaborate on their experience so far? Thanks!

@Astarmul Follow you. We're in the same situation.

hi all

My son got into CJS this year and honestly they say no tutors but I would highly recommend one. We had a tutor/governess who spent a lot of time with our boy and he has flourished. We started when we was 2.5 years old and if it wasn’t for that, not sure he would have made it into such a competitive school. Pls follow your intuition and support your children! Hope that helps xx

hold the phone, you started tutoring a 2.5yo for entrance at 7+?!

Well due tutored my eldest when she was was five. And my boy was 2.5, so it was more learning through play, colours, sounds etc. Helping him come out of his shell that’s all haha :) as he’s Getting older it’s slowly becoming academic

Hello everyone. My daughter is planning to apply for City Junior School Year 5 (9+) this year. Can anyone recommend a good tutor? Thank you.