School Catchment Area N13 4xx Palmers Green/Southgate

[Butterflypoetry]

Hi all

wanting to make the jump to purchase a house on Fox Lane. I have a baby on the way. School is important and we will only be looking at state schools. We are not religious but happy for kids to attend Catholic Schools (if they’ll take us in of course!). The house is a dream but further reading suggests that this area is a bit of a black hole for schools catchment area! Just wanting to see if anyone has any suggestions or advice on both primaries and secondaries!

Be super careful to check recent distances for primary - you can find those on council website for school admissions. I think the area you are looking at is rather tricky for primary depending on which end of fox lane. If you meet the criteria then st Monica’s could be an option (catholic). If at the bottom of fox lane you maybe ok for hazelwood which is good. For secondary I think you would get into Southgate (a lot can change of course) which is fine.

Thank you! Yes we are looking at a property which is within the catchment area of st monica's...

If you are church goers, depending on precise location you might just be within the 1 mile distance for St Paul's? If at a relevant parish of course

It also depends on birth rate. Secondaries I think you would struggle more. Winchmore School you could get into. I don’t think you’d get into Southgate School unless a low birth year. In my DS year ( year 8 now) you would not have got into Southgate, he got in on sibling policy and I have 4 so went back several years. Laurel Park (formerly Broomfield School is really trying to improve). Regarding primary St Monica’s currently has children who aren’t catholic and distance is measured from the church not the school (which you are close enough to if Green Lanes end of Fox Lane), Hazelwood should be ok and perhaps Highfield but check that one out.

yes southgate is 11% oversubscribed but the property seems to be within the catchment area according to 2023/2024 offers which covers a 2m range - not sure how accurate this is! it is winchmore hill that does not cover our area it seems!

it really is a black hole when it comes to schools - both priamry and secondary. st pauls does not cover the area. we are not religious and aren't too bothered if our child attends a religious school - the question is whether they accept us!

How about Walker? Top end of Fox Lane must be fairly close by?

This area has caused many a family a catchment headache over the years!

Can you share whether it’s the top or bottom end of Fox Lane? This makes a difference.

For secondaries, at the top end, I’d say you’d be fine for Southgate School. DC got an offer this year, as did all their friends in the area and I know children from previous years who have got in too. At the bottom end you’d need to check distance from Winchmore.

For primaries, same goes. Top end you might scrape into Walker, if not on offer day then on the waiting list. At bottom end same goes for Hazelwood. There is also West Grove and St Andrew’s Schools in Southgate which usually have spaces. For St Monica’s you’d need to be in catchment of the church not the school and attend church regularly.

The landscape is changing. Birth rates are falling across the board and catchments are getting slightly bigger. You may find it an easier path to navigate than previous families but of course there is no guarantee.

It’s a lovely area to live. We scraped into Walker from the top end and have absolutely loved it. DC1 moving to secondary in July and DC2 thriving there. But I will admit to a few sleepless nights when applying for school!

thank you all. That’s been very helpful. It’s at the top end of fox lane right under amberley road. Sadly it’s out of the catchment area of all the above primaries! It seems according to loceating that st Monica’s is the most subscribed school for parents in that area, which isn’t very helpful for us given that we are not the least bit religious at all. It is a lovely area and the house is amazing but we are now having second thoughts ):

You would get a place at West Grove and St Andrews CE, they are not oversubscribed. Both are walkable from that location. And you might get into Walker. The catchment is getting bigger due to falling birth rates and people leaving London. For example, in 2021 it was 0.38 miles. In 2024, it was 0.6 miles. I feel your pain as I have been there but it did work out for us in the end.

Good luck with your decision and feel free to DM me if you have any specific queries.

Not sure if you’ve seen this but the catchment for Walker this year was nearly 0.9 miles which previously would have been unheard of. Other popular and historically oversubscribed schools like Eversley had no catchment at all. This just shows the impact of falling birth rates and families leaving London. I do think that future generations will have it much easier when applying to schools in this area.

www.enfield.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0034/92599/Admission-to-primary-school-2025-and-allocation-information-Education.pdf

Hazelwood is now Outstanding / Good (no overall reports for Ofsted anymore) it is a lovely school. Not sure what the catchment will be in your child’s year but they do have bulge years - it is already 3 form entry.
of you are down the Hazelwood end of Fox Lane you might be ok

Hope you figured this out OP and either picked the house you wanted or found another.

Replying after a few months past the OP as I’ve seen this question asked a few times so leaving knowledge here for others. From experience of friends yes it is a black hole round there and has caused them much stress, but that was 5 years ago so perhaps things are changing with falling birth rates. One managed to scrape into their first primary choice by September, another got their fifth choice and switched to a local independent, one went the Catholic route. So you’re right to ask the question and no it isn’t straightforward.

Secondary school is also an issue - Southgate catchment seems to fluctuate as does Winchmore but hear good things about both - there’s also Laurel Park, had a bad rep but the head is really wonderful and making huge changes very quickly so will be interesting to see when those nearby make it a choice rather than moving away to other catchments.

We’re more versed in the Bounds Green area schools - highly rate BG School - but having moved into Palmers Green I walk past Hazelwood every day and it looks lovely, kids skip in happily. DD goes to holiday camp at Walker and loves it, great facilities and never heard a bad word about it.

Hope that helps. We picked a nice house with a tricky catchment rather than a doer upper but if I had the choice again I would go for safe catchment over nice house because we’re now planning to move for secondary 🤣