North London secondary schools - faves please!

[ZucchiniPie]

DD is in Year 4 so the secondary school question is beginning to loom. Having rented for years in Whitehall Park N19 and driving myself crazy that we haven't bought, I guess it does mean that if we want to think about moving house for schools, we are in a good position to do that.

So, without any dramatic geographical shift (i.e. I don't think we're contemplating a sudden move south of the river or way out to the west), which schools/areas might we want to consider?

I know bits about all the usual suspects near us (Highgate Wood, APS, Fortismere, Acland Burghley, Parliament Hill) but not necessarily the most current information. But for instance I only even heard of Hornsey School for Girls' existence yesterday and it sounds quite good! So that's an example of my general ignorance on schools.

And no doubt there are others further away from us (Hackney, etc.) which we might seriously consider doing a house move for if we found out we loved them.

No definite preference for mixed or single sex. The main concern I have (other than wanting a good standard of teaching and value placed on music, art, etc., not just strict academic performance) is behaviour. Just somewhere where kids treat each other with decency and respect.

Thanks all!

[christinarossetti19]

ZucchiniPie yes Hornsey School for Girls is a good school, and not quite over-subscribed but becoming more popular again.

A previous poster commented that 'it has a large Muslim intake from outside the area'. I don't see this as a problem or anything to deter families with girls applying, even if it were true (although it's not - most of the girls live in Haringey/Islington).

[Echobelly]

My nieces are at Parliament Hill (Y10) and Highgate Wood (Y8). Both very happy. I think PH may be the higher performing of the two, but youngest niece is extremely bright and still happy with HW, and has found a good bunch of friends there even though she is rather unconventional.

[avel]

Right, BHSTowel - seems like a really good appeal logic to me (plus sensory issues related to clothing and no other non uniform schools in shooting distance...) but we will see!

[BHStowel]

Blimey!

It’s lovely that AB has become more popular, shows they must be doing something right? I only hope they carry on doing it. I am a bit concerned the head will get it up to speed and move on. I’d need a lot to convince me that all the other teachers were on board.

Not great for those children who would have historically got a place.

I guess you’ll appeal Avel? I’d assume your case would be strong seeing as how your child has autism and the school is the secondary autism base for Camden ?

[JC4PMPLZ]

bloomin' heck. Incredible!

[Zinnia]

Yikes avel! Sounds like you will have to hold your nerve...

[avel]

0.94 from AB gets us #75 on the wait list :o oh dear!

[Zinnia]

Regent High was South Camden Community College. It's the one school in Camden that's never been very highly-regarded AFAIK.

0.94 from AB should give you a decent chance avel? Fingers crossed for you.

I hope Haverstock gets its mojo back too, it's been really knocked by UCL opening up and the new Harris at what used to be Quintin Kynaston will have had an effect too (though not everyone is keen on the Harris way).

[avel]

We are 0.94m from AB and didn’t get offered today. But a lot of hope of the wait list. At 2 miles I don’t think I’d even hope.

[CrackingEggs]

Maybe 2 miles is a bit of a stretch from AB, at least on offers day. You may be lucky with the waiting list, I do hope so.

We didn’t look at Haverstock as it’s too far from us. There were parents and children from there st Meet The Parents events though. They only had good things to say about it. I do wonder if it’s going to do an AB turnaround. It would be great if Haverstock could get back it’s old good reputation.

I’m afraid I can’t even remember what school Regent High used to be.

[JC4PMPLZ]

I didn't know that about Haverstock. I should take another look.

[Zinnia]

Haverstock has a new head and they are throwing everything into turning it around I hear. What about Hampstead? Catchment is a mile or so usually (though it did halve last year from 2017)

[JC4PMPLZ]

We are about two miles from AB. Haverstock seems to be doing really badly at moment, on a par with Regent High. I used to quite like it.
Interesting about UCL AC and gangs. I had no idea. Probably the case with all of them though! I love the vibe at AB. I put RH 6th, because at least it is a closer crap school than others.

[avel]

AB wait list being the key question for us too...

[CrackingEggs]

JC4PMPLZ I’m so sorry. Was it a choice or was it something you ended up with?

I know the AB wait list moved a bit last year. Do you know what the cut off distances were?

[JC4PMPLZ]

Oh f**k. Just got result. Regent High. A school I absolutely hate. Really wanted UCL Academy or AB, even with druggies! Damnit.

[Zinnia]

Ha! Know the feeling! We're too far from AB but I'd have definitely looked at it if we lived closer.

[CrackingEggs]

I’ve only heard good things about PH too Zinnia. Lots of people choosing it over CSG.

I agree the head at PH had really learnt a lot since the previous year. Her talk was better as was the organisation. I just preferred AB to PH which I was surprised about.

If I REALLY trusted my instincts I wouldn’t be here

[Zinnia]

Thanks @londonista1, have to say that's contrary to what people I know with kids there are saying. Pretty much universal positivity - one girl I know with a string of 8s & 9s at GCSE from Parli has recently gone back for A Levels, having initially switched to a different, much-hyped, school. Which probably goes to show it depends who you talk to about this stuff, as ever.

Cracking, I didn't pick up the same vibes as you from the open days - agree the head's speech last year wasn't amazing but thought she was much better this time round. And the results are improving year-on-year. Also seem very hot on pastoral care which I'd be particularly on the lookout for in a girls' school. But we've all got to trust our instincts on these things!

[Vinorosso74]

I'm interested in PH too (tho if cut off shrinks won't be an option). DD is currently Y4 so have done some research/talking to people with older kids and I thought it seemed a good bet....
I just don't know! Any recent thoughts on Highbury Fields??

[londonista1]

Just from parents of girls I know who went there @zinnia. Bright kids not being stretched and the usual girls school cliques. Got decent GCSEs but went to CSG for A level.

[CrackingEggs]

@londonista

I’m interested about PH too! Their progress 8 report is very good, and their GCSEs seem to be too. I really wanted to like it, but, I really don’t. The new head is not to my taste. The vibe of the school on the two open mornings I’ve been to so far left me a bit, meh. The only other time I felt like this was when I went to see an Outstanding infants school a few years back and walked your mud tour as it was so awful. A year or so later the school crashed to the bottom of the Ofsted rating and had to be saved by its junior school. I trusted my gut then and do now.

However I’m up for others feelings or cold hard facts.

As for a drugs problem at AB-that sounds like its has insider knowledge and I want to know! After all, all schools have drugs, so she must know something to single out AB. Please tell

[Zinnia]

I'm interested to hear you say that about Parli @londonista1 - why do you think it's on its way down? The GCSE results this year were really good and the progress better than St Marylebone.

[londonista1]

I live near Burghley, don't have kids at the school but know plenty who do. I too see "gangs of boys" hanging out after school. They're unfailingly polite as you pass them on the pavement and no trouble at all. "Groups of teeneage friends" would be a more fitting description than "gangs of boys".

Burghley's head is incredibly impressive, he's turned the school around in terms if teaching and finances and it's much better equipped to face the next wave of the funding crisis than neighbouring schools. It's on the up (with Ellis and to a lesser extent Parli Hill on the way down) to the extent that it was oversubscribed (180 roll} for the first time in years last year. Think the poster has a weird grudge.