Haydon school vs Northwood school vs Bishop Ramsey

[Ari83]

Hello, we are in the local area for these schools, the most local one being Haydon school. Does anyone have experience of any of these schools? The time to pick is running out and I'm still very confused...

Haydon is an ofsted outstanding comp, it is a big school I think 13 form entry and has done well in exams continuously. It is easy for my child to get to as its a 5 minute walk but in worried about how huge it is and it has a bit of a reputation for unruly children in the local area. However, they offer the most in terms of subjects for gcse level.

Bishop Ramsey is a faith school, we are not even sure if son will get it as we are Muslim but it did strike me as very organised when we went to see it. Though the headteacher did say we should put it as first choice to have a chance of getting a place which put me off as this is not true...

Northwood school had a bad reputation in the past but since a new headteacher has taken over and with new buildings etc it has really come up, it's ofsted rated good but is on set to become outstanding with great recent gcse results. Alot of parents are waxing lyrical about it but I didn't get the best feeling there, I'm not sure why... I can't put my finger on it, maybe it's just the girl showing us around couldn't really answer many of our questions and so it put me off the whole school, I guess I shouldn't base it on that so much though..

Anyone have children at these schools and have first hand experience??

Thank you for reading this far!

I don' t have recent experience of these schools I'm afraid but my DH went to one of your schools (many years ago of course!!) so I've been watching this thread with interest. I went to (another) school in the area myself so am well aware of the differing reputations of all three, but they obviously decades out of date!

From a quick look at the stats, on www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/schools-by-type?step=default&table=schools&region=312&laname=hillingdon&geographic=la&for=secondary&datasetFilter=provisional, Northwood's progress 8 score is much better than Haydon's and BR's, and was last year as well, which is interesting. And their results seem to be broadly similar.

BUT there's something odd about the number of pupils at KS4 stats, which I would definitely query with Northwood directly; the Hillingdon admissions brochure gives the number of places for next Sept as 180, yet there were only 56 pupils at end of KS4 last year, 75 this. That seems very odd. Haydon is certainly big (312 places for Sept 19, so 10/11 form entry? but the Hillingdon site says they're consulting on reducing the number of places.

I wouldn't let the girl who showed you round Northwood put you off completely, that's just one child. Equally the head at Bishop Ramsey is just saying what a lot of heads at oversubscribed faith schools seem to say, although as you rightly say, they shouldn't (see many previous threads on here!). It must just make schools' lives simpler if people put them first.

There is also a theory that says everyone thinks their local secondary school is rowdy as those are the kids everyone sees spilling out of school on a daily basis.

I do hope someone with personal experience sees this thread and can offer you some advice. As a fellow applicant in a different part of London, I sympathise with your dilemma!

Thank you so much for your reply @Zinnia. The deadline is looming and I'm still confused!! This secondary school stuff is very stressful!!

i'm 25 and from the area

Bishops Ramsey has always been the fave by far.

Hayden is the biggest no no and has been for years.

Completely agree @Ari83 it's extremely stressful!

In the end we have gone with our gut, put the school we liked best and felt would suit DC first, even though our only hope of a place is via the (very long) waiting list. Then we've put a school we like and would have a decent shot at, and finally the one we'd be perfectly OK with and are as certain as you can be in this process that would come up, as it's our closest. That's our "banker". There are various excellent threads here about how the allocations process works, if you are wait-listed for a school higher up your preference order after offers day, you can choose to accept or refuse it (AFAIK!). So that would give you more time to reflect/canvas opinion locally. In my experience people are usually happy to go play up the positives of their own schools and often to play down local rivals !

@Justanotchinyourbedpost why do you say that about Haydon? What is it about the school that's a big no-no? I have decided to put Bishop Ramsey first, then it was Haydon and then Northwood but those last two are always changing... I feel like Haydon offers much more but the not sure if it'll be a good fit in terms of how the school is? It's constantly rated ofsted outstanding but so many people are on the fence with this school? Did you go to any of those schools yourself? What's you experience with them please? I need all the advice I can get!

@Zinnia, our first choice was Watford Grammar Boys School but unfortunately my son just didn't do well in the test at all and so we are looking at our more realistic options... I think my despite all this my son will probably get placed at Haydon as that is the one we are in catchment for and the closest so I don't know why all this angst, but then at least he might have a hope if the other schools place him on waiting lists... I'm not really sure how the appeals process works but we'll get to that when we come to it. It's just that whatever school I choose for my son my daughter will also start attending the following year, so I have to choose carefully with both in mind...

Looks like the disparity between Northwood's intake and no. of pupils at GCSE is down to the capacity having been doubled in a big re-build a couple of years ago www.getwestlondon.co.uk/news/west-london-news/northwood-school-celebrates-35m-expansion-12036129.

Sorry @Ari83 posted without seeing your previous one..

So if Haydon is your nearest school, but you prefer (eg.) Bishop Ramsay, you can put Watford 1st (being your actual first choice), then BR 2nd, Haydon 3rd and wait list for BR (assuming you fulfil the entrance criteria, I've not looked at their proportion of religious to open places). Or you could do 1) Watford, 2) BR, 3) Northwood, 4) Haydon and then wait list.

It's obviously more convenient, but not essential, for your DC to go to the same school. Especially as they travel independently at secondary level. After all, if your DS did get a place at Watford your DD would have to go somewhere else anyway. And would you not put her forward for the girls' school when her time comes?

Thanks @Zinnia, your post has helped me so much! Really appreciate the time you took to answer, it's helped making the decision that much simpler! Xx

My pleasure! There's lots of us in very similar boats! Happy to have been of help xx

There is also a theory that says everyone thinks their local secondary school is rowdy as those are the kids everyone sees spilling out of school on a daily basis.

That's very true!! DD goes to a school in a town where there was until recently only a boys and a girls school so we know whenever we see girls behaving terribly in the town that they are almost certainly from her school! It's still a fantastic school though.