Best schools near Finsbury Park / Highbury & Islington - advice please

[JRD]

Hi everyone,

My partner and I are planning on moving to Finsbury Park / Highbury & Islington area soon and raising a family there. I'm currently struggling to decide exactly where because we want to maximise our chances of getting kids into a good school and the catchment areas are sometimes so small - it seems you need to be within a 5 minute walk to have a good chance of getting in. We're open to either state or private but would ideally like to be within a 15 min walk of both school and train/tube station. I've looked at the school websites and Ofsted ratings etc but can't seem to find many recent parent reviews on forums etc to whittle things down further.

Does anyone have any experience of schools like the below?

• Ambler Primary School
• Gillespie Primary School
• St John Highbury Value (although we'd prefer non-religious)
• Cannonbury
• William Tyndale
• St Paul's Steiner
• The Children's House School
• The Gower

Particularly interested to hear where pupils from these schools go on to for secondary / if they do above average at 11+ etc. Also if there are any other sites / forums you'd recommend exploring.

Any advice much appreciated!

Thanks,

Most kids in Islington do not have a tutor, that is total nonsense. 40% of kids in Islington live in poverty for a start.

Sorry - To clarify I did not mean most kids. I meant most kids who go onto private school from state school have tutors

idk about hackney new primary but i know the secondary was poorly run and overly chaotic with no staility and draconian rules. it's been a decade so maybe it's change and maybe the attitude to has changed. i dont think the franchise really cares about nurturing confidence and individuality. also the location just means everyone accepts the tiniest and most cramped conditions, with utilising local public spaces for outdoor time which pretty much just means constant chaos.

This thread is very helpful. I may sound crazy but I’m already considering secondary school, with an 19month year old. As she’s leaving N Family Club for many reasons. And we are trying to decide on whether we should go for The Children’s House, where she can start from 2 years old. Or we should wait until she can attend William Tyndale at 5 years old. Alternatively, Considering Hugh Mydellton or Winton primary school that both have nurseries attached to it. But the plan is for her to either go to grammar school or private. Depending on whether she goes private at primary or not. We’ve actually seen a huge trend of parents sending toddlers to private primary schools with nurseries attached, then go onto state or grammar schools. Then there are some who start from state primary schools then later go onto private secondary school. We are based in N1 and are quite keen on finding schools local to our home. But are aware that they might not be best fit for our advanced child. Does anyone have an opinion on what we could consider that will allow us to have a clear plan for our little one. Especially since we plan on having another one soon.

Hi what is the reason for leaving N Famly - I assume the Angel branch?

@GreenPalmTree We were concerned around the safety of our child. The staffing & communication.

I would love to know more about the concerns. What issue(s) have you seen that are concerning?

I understand people wanting to make sure they're making good choices for their kids' education, but I urge you to massively reassess your concept of your not-even-2-year-old as being 'advanced'. Advanced in what? Your kid is a kid. Like everyone else's kid. I don't mean this to come across as cruel, just maybe something a little more blunt than you might be getting from this 'huge trend of parents' you're referring to.

There are so many schools in Islington that your kid/s can attend where they will go in and come out happy. They'll make friends and enjoy school and excel in many ways. Grammar school (which by the way are all a serious commute from N1) preparation is so child dependent. You have no idea whether that sort of pressure is something your kid/s will cope well with. It's also far from easy to get a place, given how many parents with 'advanced' kids apply.

My kids go to a local Islington primary. They do very well and the teachers and school is fully capable of offering more challenging work for those kids that benefit from it. Kids at the school come from a total mix of demographic backgrounds, parental educational levels and careers. Loads of the kids get into private schools for secondary, and those that choose not to do very well at the local secondary. We know this because our kids are friends with kids who have older siblings of a range of ages. It's 2026. Reassess schools that had a bad name in the 90s and 00s when our generation was going to them. That also goes both ways, some are not at all what they were. Mostly however, schools in Islington and the other close boroughs for secondary (Camden, Hackney) are extremely good.

If you want to have a totally clear path, then go to local schools wherever you live. That is super clear and 99% likely if they are bright and like school they'll do great. If what you really want is certainty that the school has a high % of Oxbridge acceptance, then go private now. It'll help you be certain of their route through school (as long as you know you can afford it for 14 years) as unless there's a real issue most kids that go to the primary section of a private school get admitted into the senior. The only downside if you consider it one, which I certainly do, is that they will spend their entire educational life being friends only with very wealthy people.

No lectures on wealth and school choice please. If you live in N1 and can even consider educating two children privately throughout their schooling then you are a very wealthy person.