can anyone talk to me about secondary schools in Islington? I am in pretty desperate need of advice...

[curableromantic]

DP's DN is arriving to live with us next week permanently. He's quite vulnerable (parents both dead, granny has been failing to look after him properly). He's 12.

I have the booklet with the schools but don't know what preferences to put. I've looked at the ofsted reports but I would really appreciate any feedback on how 'nice' schools are, because DN is a bit wobbly and I want him to feel as safe as possible wherever he goes.

The admissions office, at this late stage, say they will stick him in whichever school has a place near us and then work on finding a place at the school deemed best suited to his needs. He is not technically a looked after child, but they are prepared to consider him as such so we may get our first choice.

I'd really appreciate any help as I have to hand the form in tomorrow which limits the potential to visit the schools etc.

In a bit of a tiz, we didn't mean to leave it late obviously, but we've just found out he's missed the last 6 weeks of school so things have been accelerated a bit.

In practice we would probably home-school for the time it took to find an appropriate place...

Oh gosh ,you poor things - that's a lot to cope with .
I'm not familiar with schools in Islington so not much help ,but hopefully someone will come along soon with advice and knowledge .
You don't have to restrict yourself to Islington if other boroughs are accesible by transport and offer more options .
Good luck .

If he's 12 you'll be looking at a vacancy, a waiting list place, or an appeal, presumably.

I don't know that much about Islington secondaries, other than that Islington parents I know have their dc in Mossbourne in Hackney. Or Ackland Burghley. Or the Anglo-European in Ingatestone. Or Dame alice Owen, which is ... somewhere or other.

I hope that's not a controversial statement.

Definitely give Mossbourne a call.

You know, I'd get a copy of the "Good School Guide" and see what's recommended near you, and then call the admissions secretary. I think you should look for schools that have a good pastoral record, too.

And perhaps talk to the Schoolappealsservice (google them) to see what you can do for him. He sounds as though he'd meet the criteria for social/medical need on the grounds of pastoral need, so you might really want to prioritise finding a school that is excellent at that.

And violetqueen is right, you don't have to restrict your search to Islington secondaries.

Not quite Islington, but I know some 'nice' boys who have gone to William Ellis. Think it comes under Camden, but is not too far. Are you anywhere near Fortismere or Highgate Wood? I would have thought in the circumstances you would get some special treatment regarding a place - it is very similar to a 'looked after child'.

Good Luck. Have you got any other kids?

Coopers in Havering is commutable (I think) and famously pastoral. It is C of E, but, who knows, you might be able to argue a place on pastoral grounds.

It is a caring school.

thanks for your replies -
We could try to go out of borough - I could check out the schools in Hackney as they're meant to be better.

ANimula, good idea about the good school guide. I went to the Anglo-European (many moons etc.)! Nothing against faith schools either, I just want him to have a caring environment.

Lazy, we have a baby, 10 months.

Off to google...

Look at the school closest to you - at the moment you are going to be his base and he will settle into your community better if he can live and go to school in it.

If you can get him treated as a looked after child (are you going to get guardianship?) then you will get your first choice with no waiting.

We foster and we live in the catchment area for the best school but if we didn't our foster dd would get whichever school we chose. LAC are treated as number one before anyone else.

Good luck and well done you!

Ok - what you need to know first is the schools to avoid. If it were me the main ones on this category are Islington Arts and Media and Holloway School. These are the schools that I would leave my job and home educate my kids to avoid
Schools in the area (not necessarily islington but reasonably close) that I would be happy with are St Mary Magdalene, Acland Burghley, Highgate Woods and William Ellis (the latter can be challenging but its small and the pastoral care from the staff is good).
I think your chances of getting him into Fortismere are probably very slim as they have a long waitlist and you have to live quite near.
Hope that helps.

Curable - just noticed your other posts about bullying. Acland Burghley is one of the best at dealing with this. They are a model school that others come to learn from so you might want to go and talk to them. Thing to remember is not to judge too much by external impressions, it looks like a dump and there are kids that hang around the area in large groups but I know a number of lovely families with children there who are very happy with the school and the kids are well behaved and focused with an added touch of streetwisdom which you need to survive as a teenager in islington/camden

St Mary Magdalene is an Islington school. Its an academy, going right from reception to sixth form. Unlike many academies it hasn't been developed from a failing school. It has for many years been a very successful primary and 3 years ago began taking secondary age children. It has just had a vry good Ofsted, with 12 outstandings, 17 goods and just 1 satisfactory (attendance, which is right on the national average)
It is co-ed, church of England school though you don't have to be a church-goer to attend.

Highbury Grove which for many year no one with an ounce of sense would send their kids to, has also just had a brill Ofsted, but I still feel a bit scared if I walk past there at chucking out time (which I don't at SMMA)!

I know a couple of older boys who went to Central Foundation, who both were, and remained, very nice boys, and did well there.

Hope that helps a bit.

I used to teach at Highbury Grove. The head is absolutely inspirational. It used to be dreadful, but is so much better now - I can hardly believe the difference compared to when I started there in 2000.

I'm currently living on Islington/Camden/Haringey border (though moving to West London in two weeks).

A lot of Islington secondaries are dire. Poor results, unruly pupils etc. However, if your nephew is RC, then St Aloysius RC College in Highgate/Archway borders is very good. Also, I know a woman living in Hackney, not RC, whose son went there because he didn't have a place anywhere else. If you have a friendly priest (RC or CofE who could write a note, that might help with the admissions, especially if there are other family circumstances to be taken into account).

I know families with boys at both William Ellis and Acland Burghley, all of whom are doing fine.

I've heard good things about St Mary Magdalene, but as it's so new, I have no idea what kind of results etc it's likely to get. But, possibly worth a try?

Not sure I would agree with you Rockinsocks regarding st aloysius. Its certainly much improved since it came out of special measures but is still a long way off from being 'very good'. The teachers are mostly good but there are still problems with some of the intake as its unsubscribed and so has to mop up lots of the more difficult kids.
I think it would be ok for a focused confident child, but anyone with vulnerabilities might be more exposed.

Thanks again. We live between Highbury Grove and the Academy, both just a few hundred yards away. The problem with the academy is that they run their own admissions and have no social/medical policy, so in difference to a community school the council can't 'make' them take DN although they can't put his case to the board.

Eviltwins, thanks so much for your post, it's really good to get your insider view. I looked at their new ofsted report and it's really pretty good. I suppose I was put off it by walking past at chucking out time but I suppose ultimately it's a bit par for the course with hoards of teenagers! I'm going to try and get an appt today to look round.

DN could be described as RC, his family are although he's never been baptised.

He always seeks out the naughtiest kids to make friends with and in Islington he's going to find that pretty easy I think.

Lauriefairy, sorry just read your post again. I hope we can get him treated as a looked after child. The angle I'm taking is that he's only a step away from being taken into care since granny has failed to get him to school for 6 weeks. I think they would give me my first choice apart from the academy. I'm just trying to work out the order of my three preferences.

I do agree that close is good so we can keep a close eye on him. I think the traveling to and from school, bus etc. is where a lot of the negative stuff starts.

I just wish we had more time. I can't bear thinking he'll have to start a new school, year 8, after the beginning of term.

I suppose we're back to thinking of home-schooling him for a year till we move.

I'd think that maybe home-schooling, for a year, might be a good move. I know that I'm the voice of doom and gloom, but I know boys at Holloway, Highbury Grove etc and the schools are rough - very low achievement etc.

If your DN is likely to seek out troublemakers, then I'd worry a lot in Islington, because there is so much crime and violence here (stabbings, shootings, drugs etc) and if you can avoid that, either by choosing a 'better' school outside Islington, or going independent if that's an option, or home-schooling, then I think, given the circumstances you've outlined, that might be the best option.

Hi Rockin, I agree. The problem with homeschooling is I work freelance and have a 10 month DS. It's such a hard situation, I really want to do the best for everyone. We're looking for networks so we could share the lessons.

I have to say though that Highbury Grove has changed a lot and as lauriefairy above says, there's a lot to be said for having him very close by.

In one of your posts you talk about moving. Where are you moving to? Could he start in a school there so that he is settled when you move?

lazy we don't know where we're moving to yet. We've signed a lease here for a year and can't get out. Before that we lived in Brighton where I arranged a fantastic school place for him then Granny said she couldn't bear to send him away etc. so we drew a line under the whole affair and moved to a tiny flat in an expensive area with bad schools. Only to have her change her mind.

When we move we'll factor in the schools of course.

Rockin - I'd like to know your definition of "very low achievement" - Highbury Grove was 74% A-C last year. I know I'm biased, having worked there (and I started when it really was* rough) but it's worth a look. I don't think the OP should be encourged to dismiss it without at least having a look around and meeting the head. There are a heck of a lot of really dedicated and talented teachers there.

EvilTwins, I'm really impressed with Highbury Grove and the turnaround it has achieved.

I've just got back from a meeting at the council - I haven't been able to look at any schools (HG closed early) but I put St Mary Magdalen Academy then Highbury Grove then St. Aloysius. I talked to the appeals manager and she said I have at least a chance of getting him into St. Mary Magdalen on appeal or reading between the lines they will make Highbury Grove take him.

I also spoke to a social worker and they're going to talk to his old school and compile a report to back me up.

Felling much more positive!

You will definitely get a place at st aloysius as its always undersubscribed (v few local RC families would send their sons there). Take a look at the school v carefully before accepting a place.

Thanks creditcrunched, I just put it as choice 3 to fill the space really. Kind of regretting it now, because if they offer me a place there I won't want to take it. But in my covering letter I said I didn't want to be bound by my preferences because I hadn't had a chance to visit the schools and make an informed choice..

Sorry, EvilTwins, I was basing judgement on BBC league tables which indicated only 42% pass rate, whereas St Alosius has 68% (and I recall reading an article in Ham & High or possibly Islington Gazette about the good success rate there). I stand corrected

OP - hope all goes very well in your search.

League tables and their stats are a very unreliable indicator and it is a case of caveat emptor. Much of the stats at "turnaround" schools like st aloysius are based on BTEC equivalents not proper gcses. It is much better to ask the school what their results on pure GCSEs are and how many of their pupils sat gcses. Another useful one is the percentage of A and A* grades. If you looked at st aloysius stats on these bases it would explain why it is shunned by so many local catholic families.