Highgate Wood, Fortismere, APS

[SneezingCat]

We're in catchment for HWS but would consider moving, so I'm wondering if anyone knows about these 3 schools?

My DD is academic and creative - top sets for everything at her primary, and G&T for literacy and art. She's also mildly dyspraxic and quite dreamy, eccentric and not 'driven'. She's bad at group situations and when they do group work at school she doesn't really contribute as she can't see how to make it work.

Does anyone know what school might suit her? I worry as I don't think she's the sort to happily slot in just anywhere and I do so want her to be happy and achieve her potential.

Why would you move? HWS seems like just as good an option as the other two, certainly not enough of a difference to merit moving.
In fact, I've heard that HWS has better teaching than Fortismere which can rely on parental pushing.

Really, Farewell? I would love that to be true. My ideal scenario, obviously! Have you got DC there?

I'm interested in these schools too... Any other opinions?

Farewell's points are interesting.

We are in catchment area for HW but not Fortismere. I would have sent DS there, but not HW.

I worked in Crouch End for about 5 years. I was extremely unimpressed with the behaviour of the children at lunchtime. There was very often (I cannot say every day, but I can say every day I went to/walked past Tesco, which was most week days) a community police officer outside Tesco and when I asked why, I was told because of the HW school children, who had racially abused a staff member, and physically assaulted another (kicking them whilst on the ground). I didn't see this, but I was told my a Tesco staff member whom I'd known for years. I was also told they'd contacted the school and the headmaster has told them that what the children do outside the school premises are not his responsibility or concern (words to that effect). The children were so badly behaved that they had the police there to keep control of them.

There was also community police putting the children on buses in the afternoon -this I saw myself. They were extremely unruly. And a very nasty incident when I tried to intervene when HW school children were kicking an injured pigeon to death near the Town Hall. Really unpleasant.

It may have changed, but the local parents who reassured me that it was getting better and was now really good did not send their own children there. QED.

I appreciate this is very negative, but I judge a school by how its pupils behave, and I found the children appallingly ill behaved. As a consequence I never even considered it.

It may have improved vastly now (3 years since I have worked in CE). And no doubt HW parents can discuss their academic standards.

But I can't imagine it's very suitable for a dreamy eccentric girl.

Sorry, just read over that post and there are lots of grammatical errors.

Also, when I said 'Farewell's points are interesting' I didn't mean to imply I didn't believe Farewell. The parents I know whose children are in Fortismere are highly educated professionals, many of whom could afford to pay privately, and some of whom actually work in private schools themselves. I hear that it is particularly good for children who are 'arty', and know of 2 children who are child actors who are happy there. However, i recently met some parents from DS primary school whose children go to Fortismere, and they were rather shell shocked at the size of the school and 'roughness' of the other children. BUT, when I asked the children about the school, they were both really happy, had found their way around, made new friends and quickly developed an outside school social life, having milkshakes after school in local cafes.

Some children who went to HW from DS primary school floundered badly and one in particular was badly bullied. I am told that when this child's father told the school they were withdrawing the child to send him/her to Fortismere (following an appeal in Yr 8) the teacher actually said they were doing the right thing! This was 2 years ago.

BTW, I don't have a vendetta against HWS. It wasn't for us, and I was lucky enough to have an alternative. No doubt HWS parents will post about its virtues, and obviously I am not in a position to do that.

I have 2 boys at APS, yr7 and yr9. The school is excellent in many ways particularly the standard of teaching and the pastoral care. Both boys are happy. The older boy is severely dyslexic and the school is excellent at trying to make his learning as stress free as possible. The reputation the school has for being inclusive and supportive of special needs has a huge effect on the general culture of the school. Their Ofsted was outstanding and their results are great.

I was not drawn to the whole Fortismere thing. I have left many messages for their Senco in the past 18 months and never had a call back. That speaks volumes about their attitude to SEN. And this doesn't just effect the kids who do have SEN!

I visited HWS a few times and didn't like it. There seemed to be "an attitude" about the place which I didn't feel was beneficial for teenagers.
Of course, it's results are on the up because it is attracting many of the Crouch End set.

We have a boy in yr 8 at Highgate Wood and have been very happy with it. The teachers work hard and are dedicated and the discipline is good. We have some issues about homework admittedly.
If Tululah's friends were shocked by "rough kids" at Fortismere, well yes, there are some of these at Highgate Wood like an other London school. If you want something insular and no kids from council estates to sully your offspring then go private. HWS is fine and close to Fortismere in the ratings, the gap is closing year on year and while plenty of children have private tutors for different subjects I am told that is almost always the case at Fortismere. I haven't seen HWS children behaving any worse out of school than the Fortismere ones at Sainsbury's MH actually.
You could move to Wood Green and send DC to St Thomas Moore, that's the best school in Haringey isn't it? Have you seen their results? They do have rough children in Wood green though so may not suit Taluhlah.
I honestly can't suggest what is best for your daughter, good luck with your decision.

Wow, this is all very interesting. Lots of food for thought there.

Those STM results are rather disingenuous. Dig deeper and a less impressive picture emerges. They had a tiny cohort for a start.

Bump

Very interesting thread. We are in catchment for HWS (just) but not Fortismere. I was thinking of moving (either renting or buying) to try to get DS1 into Fortismere. We are still a couple of years away as he is only year 3 but trying to get a plan of action here. Do people actually move house or rent in the area to get into a schools? Do they schools not clamp down if they think this is a temporary address? Also, why are there a many many outstanding state secondaries for girls in London but so few for boys?

A lot of my friends are moving into the catchment of Highgate Wood to get their children in. The catchment has shrunk right down and many families living in Crouch End are finding themselves outside the catchment now. CandyCrush77 have you been to see Fortismere and Highgate Wood. Or any other schools. I also think it depends on the type of child you have too. Friends of mine have moved to get their boys into the outstanding and highly rated Alexandra Park School.People do rent and also buy. We want our kids to walk to school so we will move and stay!

Thanks Crouchendmum. I've seen HW (not formally but have been there) and have walked past Fortismere. I totally agree that it depends on the type of child you have and think it's too early to tell at the mo. I would also love them to go to a local school and not have to travel miles each day. I always thought we would have to go private as there would be no way of getting them into a good school otherwise but I hate the thought of sending them to a snooty independent school, not to mention the cost, but if it is indeed possible to rent or even buy then I think we will do that.