Anyone know anything about Wren Academy Finchley?

[Echobelly]

So we will be applying for secondaries for DD at the end of this year... having thought we seemed to fall into a hole for clear secondary catchment, it looks like we are well within that of Wren. The website is very uninformative and I can only see a 2011 Ofsted, which is pretty glowing about academic performance, but doesn't seem to say too much about other aspects of the school. Being an academy, I'm concerned that a) it might not have kept up its strong early performance (I gather some academies get off to a great start but burn out their staff after a while) and b) it might be one of those that is all 'Academic subjects only, no airy-fairy arty stuff'. DD is academic, but I also think she really needs somewhere with some kind of music/performing arts life in order to thrive.

There specialism is 'design and the built environment'
'Excellent facilities in the design technology and art departments enable students to excel in design subjects including art, technology, food, textiles and photography. '

They did Romeo and Juliet last year. Oliver in 2016 and the Wiz and Alice in 2014
secondary.wrenacademy.org/70/image-gallery

They are part of the London Diocesan Board of Schools who have 158 schools across London. Since opening the Headteacher has changed, but the current head has been there from the start.

I know people who would crawl through broken glass to get in.

Their not there.

Wren is an amazing school. It's results are incredible: it's progress 8 score puts it in the top1% of state schools, and GCSE and A'Level results are high and continue to improve each year. (It is not selective, so its results are really amazing).
Staff are generally very good. Pastoral care is good, behaviour exemplary. Look at their Twitter feed and the school newsletters (all on their website) to get an idea of the huge range of extracurricular opportunities available, from their enrichment programme, sports, music, drama, career talks and much more besides.
It is, I believe, now the most oversubscribed comprehensive school in London.
As *Quicker says, people will go to extraordinary lengths to try and get their child a place there.

The Wren has an outstanding reputation. I have known people to develop a keen religious devotion when they heard of its existence!

For distance places (non CofE), it went out less than 0.4 miles so you must live on the doorstep.

We know kids there and the kids and parents are very happy. However they say sports is not that well covered. Bar getting on the main teams which is very competitive, there is little chance to do sports just for fun. I guess that's down to space.

Hi. We are in the process of moving house. North Finchley is one of the areas we are looking at and keen on Wren. However we’d most likely only be eligible for a community place and it looks like it went out less than 0.2 miles this year (April 2018 for September 2018 entry) for community spots! I’m imaging this has shrunk since last year and with siblings etc how low the catchment will go. Our DD would start school in September 2020. Welcome any insight from folk. Thanks in advance.