Northwood secondary schools

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We're thinking of possibly moving to Northwood in a year or so. Can anyone recommend good secondary schools? I have a girl and boy, am not overly fussed on whether school is single sex or co-ed.

Thankyou!

Girls
You have St Helens and Northwood College in Northwood itself. Northwood College has just merged with Heathfield and may be going through a transition but will be a GDST school which may be good in the long run.

St Helens has had 3 heads in the past few years and the latest one is ex HABS. I have heard that the school, although academically middle of the road, is getting very results focused which may put unnecessary pressure on girls that are not very very academic, and that hasn't been reflected in change in teaching staff or methods so the girls might be being pushed to achieve what they can not without super human effort.

Northwood College gets worse results, but they are similar results, in a less pressured environment. You could bus her out to HABS or North London collegiate (both top academic schools and high pressured with all that go with it). You could put her on a train to Baker Street and she could go Francis Holland Regents Park or Queens College. You could get the train out to the Royal Masonic School at Rickmansworth - academically strong in art and design but not strong if you look at their results in science or humanities ( I guess it depends on your definition of strong). You could coach them both to Aldenham ( a mixed but not very academic school. You could also do St Albans Boys or St Albans Girls.

With regard to maintained schools Noah Hill has a very good reputation.

Boys
For your boy you do have less options. HABS boys, Merchant Taylors or John Lyon. I personally if you were staying local would go for Merchants over HABS because less sausage factory more teaching to think. You could also get your boy on the train to Finchley Road and he could go to UCS or indeed change at Finchley Road and go to Westminster thebestschoolintheworld

Are you looking at independent schools or state schools?

Independent schools: Habs is easily commutable from Northwood, coach service provided by the school. I was v.happy at the girls' school and my dad was happy at the boys' school.

State schools: I can recommend WBGS. DS1 & DS2 both v.happy there. Pastoral care is outstanding. Again, easily commutable from Northwood. Watford Met tube station is closing in a couple of years but there will be a new tube station a short walk from the school. No direct experience of WGGS but it will be our first choice for DD.

I was certainly taught to think for myself at Habs and it was a lot more than just an A* factory. However, I will admit that my experience is twenty mumble years old.

And there is Haydon, which is the state secondary with Outstanding Ofsted in Northwood Hills.
You might not get in from Northwood itself though....check catchments.

Northwood children always used to get places at St Clement Danes in Chorleywood which is a v good and naice comprehensive but you would need to check the current catchment. It's also in the catchment for both the boys and girls Watford Grammar assuming they pass the exam. I'm fairly sued that you can also do the Bucks grammar exams so Challoners is an option. Private as above: St Helen's, Masonic or Northwood College for girls, Merchant Taylor's or John Lyon for boys or Habs / Aldenham for co-ed both have coach service but bit of a journey and I wouldn't do it if I had somewhere closer.

I think Haydon is the language college where you can take Mandarin, Latin, Japanese or 4 other MFL. Not all at once, you start with 2 in yr 7.