QE Boys and QE girls schools, Barnet?

[Spainintherain]

I'm thinking of moving to or near High Barnet for various reasons. I wonder if anyone can tell me if QE boys and girls schools are still as good as they were when I last knew of them, twenty years ago! Are they still selective? Is the pastoral care very good? Is bullying handle well? What type of child would do well there? I have heard that the girls school is not as good as the boys school? I'm very interested in sending my children to single sex schools in that area or nearby.

If son is musical or academic, EN5 postcodes are also eligible to apply for Dame Alice Owen, Lattimer and Mill Hill. However, given how good Totteridge is becoming plus the option of the Ark Academy, I really wouldn't be worried.

I didnt know Totteridge academy is good. I will find out about the ark school. I really would like them to have a single sex education at secondary but I suppose my greatest concern is pastoral care at that age and how they respond to problems like bullying

Spainintgerain, my son probably was in a position to be the UK's most envious lad - he had a choice of 3 top schools - QE Boys, The Latimer School (Enfield) which is also a super-selective but mixed sex, and Eton College from where he got two full academic scholarships. So he went to Eton.

most envious?!

The St olaves case was different though - it was the imposition of random targets in the internal exams/AS levels and asking students to leave part way through the A level course that caused the issue.

Any school can publish and apply entrance criteria for Year 12.

i think she meant enviable

thats pretty impressive, i didnt know you could get two of the same scholarship

I certainly did mean "enviable", malmontar. These night shifts that I've been doing is really doing my head in! This is really my sleeping time now but I thought I'd give OP a quick reply to his/her specific question to me as a matter of courtesy. Thanks for the correction.

The two Eton scholarships I mentioned were not quite the same. DS first won the 'Junior Scholarship' at the age of ten - a scholarship specifically designed for state school kids (4 places) - which guaranteed him a place at Eton to go there at the age of 13. He would be pulled out from his state primary school to go to a prep school of my choice (but working closely with Eton and only to one of their many "approved" prep schools). I thought I wanted the local highly reputable Highgate School because it was near me but Eton's immediate reply was, "No - Highgate is not suitable". I was then given a list of some of the UK's (now I know) premier prep schools to consider, both boarding and day. We finally decided full boarding at a top Berkshire prep school.

The 'Junior Scholarship' is now replaced by the 'New Foundation Scholarship' when successful boys go straight to Eton from their state school(s) at the age of 13. Eton don't sponsor the 3-year prep school element any more in order to distribute the funds more widely, e.g. Sixth Form Scholarships, etc.

For those sharp-eyed MNetters spotting the 'discrepancy' of DS winning the Eton JS aged 10 and gaining a "11-plus" QEB/Latimer grammar place at the same time, there's no discrepancy at all. DS was allowed as an exception, to sit the grammar entrance exams at both schools after a challenge by me. In the end, I didn't need the places.

The 2nd Eton scholarship that DS won was the 'King's Scholarship' when aged 13 just before he entered Eton. This pot of scholarship funds is entirely separate from all other Eton's funding pots - each pot serving a specific purpose it is designed for. Again, the KS itself can be a 100% (or more) scholarship for the boy's entire career at Eton.

Was allowed as an exception to sit the grammar entrance tests because he was underaged!

Well, if all of that is true im very happy for you.

Thank you. Every word is true. Hope you won't ask for "evidence" as I can also provide which means digging up some old long-forgotten files and reviving some antique computer hard drives.

haha i don't think anyone cares that much. Well done to your son nonetheless.

Thank you all and peteneras thank you for writing to explain all that, which I have no clue about.

It’s Latymer school btw.

You stated you were considering moving to High Barnet for various reasons, Spainintherain. Schools would be one of the top reasons, I guess. I gather you have your heart set on QE Girls for your DD but rather put off by QE Boys because of their policy and that you prefer single sex schools – so do I.

Please be under no illusions about QE Boys – they are arguably the UK’s most academic state school and their academic results are more than stunning; often outperforming many elite public schools including Eton and definitely Harrow (not to say Harrow is all that academic); sending dozens to Oxbridge each year including my own GP, a young lad of about 30 years old but one who I’ve known since he was about 5 or 6 when I used to school-run him for his family. As someone said above, QEB is massively oversubscribed even though it’s an ultra super-selective school. Please do not misunderstand me, I’m not saying or suggesting your son is unlikely to succeed – I do not know him at all.

I once happened by chance to drive past the school on a late morning - obviously immediately after an examination session – when I saw hundreds of eleven-year-olds streaming out of the school, most clutching their school bags, etc and some already waiting by the road side. There were a few of them sobbing uncontrollably, the sight of them and their parents’ faces till this day has etched itself a permanent place in my heart. Unfortunately, this is the sort of ridiculous culture we have found ourselves in today.

Anyway, not a million miles away but just downhill from High Barnet is North Finchley, another village of the LB of Barnet which I think is a borough blessed with fantastic schools. Here you’ll find St. Michael’s Catholic Girls’ Grammar School which is only a short distance from another Catholic boys’ school, Finchley Catholic High (non selective). So, if you’re Catholic you may like to have a look at these schools.

A short walk away towards the north-eastern side of the village is where you’ll find another excellent school, the Wren Academy, a non-selective mixed school. I just had a quick look at their latest Ofstead Report (Sept 2018) and was amazed to see they scored ‘Outstanding’ in almost every category of the report. Have a look yourself. You may be killing two birds with one stone if you can get both your kids there.

Next door to the Wren Academy is another excellent institution, Woodhouse College, for sixth forms, should you ever need it in the future. Good luck to your searches!

I wouldn't envy anyone who went to QE Boys or Eton!

Wren is a faith school. Have a look at their requirements - you get points for distance, feeder school, church attendance. They split the boys and girls for some of the lessons. Pastoral care good (have friends with children there).

Thank you all and I know the Finchley schools but I can't afford to live in north Finchley. I think it's awful what I'm reading about the boys school and very glad I asked!

I don't think that the pressure on the children after the exam is the fault of QE. Many of the families who apply are 1st generation immigrants who live in poorer areas of London, out of catchment to the good state schools & can't afford to move.

Yes, maybe there is a pressure on the tests but if QE is your only good option, surely that's the fault of the system where the odds are stacked against you, not for the 1 school that gives you an option.

There is one open day a year for QE at the beginning of July - why not go and make your own mind up? My son and his friends are really very happy there.

I wasn’t going to comment on this thread. I’ve heard it all before about QE, usually from parents who don’t have a DS there. However, I very nearly prevented my DS from sitting the QE exam as I had listened to and taken on board many negative comments from people with little connection to the school. He is now in year 11 and had had the most fantastic educational experience. Yes, there are many pushy parents at the school who pile the pressure on their children. The school tries to address, repeatedly telling parents not to be concerned about setting or not to try to push their DS’s into certain career pathways and to let them find their own passion. It’s hardly the schools fault if parents force long commutes or take subject choices away from their child or limit their social lives for fear of detracting from their studies. As said above, go to the open day, you and your DS might like the school, or not, but at least make an informed decision.

if QE is your only good option

Which says a lot for ilford County High, given that QE runs two buses in for boys living in the London Borough of Redbridge. Although yes, its Progress 8 has been known to be less than that of at least one of the Redbridge comprehensives. (But oops, that doesn't support the idea that for those boys, a achool miles away in Barnet is their only hope of a decent education, either, really). Presumably the partially-selective Watford Grammar School (also 2 buses from Watford on the QE list) are pretty crap, as well?

Though you might also ask why JCoss is also sending 4 coaches to pick up kids from Redbridge/Essex when there is the perfectly good and local King Solomon High School nearby and many Barnet and nearby Herts kids don’t get a look in?

You can’t stir negativity about QE without a full picture and comparison of the practices of other schools.

JCOSS have changed their entry criteria, @Applepieco. There is significantly less emphasis on the feeder schools and more on distance to the school and Jewish faith. I understood the feeder school idea was in case there wasn't enough interest in the local area, which turned out to be rubbish of course.

But I think that's missing the point somewhat. Most people on the thread are not talking about the entrance criteria but the planned and systematic pruning of boys going into the sixth form.

Other schools set a minimum entry (As in chosen subjects, 6 A/Bs etc ) and everyone who reaches it will continue at the school. Not so at QEB.

I have a DD at Jcoss. I’m not sure where you get your information from and this is my point. Information swirls around around schools which parents pick up and use to make decisions about their children’s future. So let’s be clear for those parents that might want to consider either school and having a DD at Jcoss - just finishing so I have watched the development of the school over the last 7 years and a DS at QE, I think I’m in a pretty good position to comment on the credibility of information.

Jcoss have NOT changed their criteria to place emphasis on distance to the school. Jcoss has always offered just 18 places on distance out of 180. This remains the case. It is misleading to suggest otherwise.

There is not less emphasis on feeder schools - it has been removed COMPLETELY. The feeder system was to give those children at liberal/reform Jewish schools (the 3 feeder schools were under the auspices of the liberal/reform movement) priority at Jcoss as the founding governors felt that Orthodox families had a choice of established schools. It was nothing to do with seeing if there was interest in the local area. It is misleading to suggest Jcoss is a local school. Jcoss uses the admission lottery system for its admission. It’s catchment is far & wide and will continue to be so. There are no changes to this. It is misleading to suggest otherwise.

The OP asked for insight into Barnet schools, with particular reference to QE boys and QE girls. The point of her thread was not to only discuss how the sixth form at QE operates. Marchingfrogs made a point about the wide catchment of QE, I answered making the point that that other Barnet secondaries had similar wide catchments. Marchingfrogs has made some pretty vile comments up thread about QE.

My point is, unless you speak to a range of parents at a school you are considering or visiting a school yourself you run risk of discounting a school which might be a good fit.

The sixth form at QE operates uniquely. It does not take external applicants and has a transparent policy of how boys are offered a place. This policy was discussed at the open day way back when my DS visited and again at the parents induction before DS started at the school. If the OP would like to keep this OP to the narrow point of QE’s sixth form entry I am very happy to discuss it, our experience, comparison to other schools policies and the like, but first perhaps you need to give a further, detailed explanation of how you perceive the ‘planned and systematic pruning’ works? That is quite a statement to make about a school which I’m assuming you do not have a DS attending?

Thanks again. I will go to the school open day and have an open mind of course.

Re Jcoss, the only thing I know about it is that the headteacher is a lovely man who was once my teacher many moons ago! And the most inspirational and memorable!

@Applepieco isn't the point about JCoSS that it's the only cross-communal Jewish secondary school? So those parents choosing it over King Solomon - or indeed JFS or Hasmonean etc - might just be actively choosing the pluralist ethos. There are no other Jewish secondaries for Progressive or secular families in London who don't want their children educated under Orthodox auspices. But you will be well aware of this as a JCoSS parent of course.

I don't know why the phrase planned and systematic pruning upsets you so much. There is a class worth fewer places in the 6th form and entry is predominantly based on internal assessment. If that's not a planned system for 6th form entry, I don't know what is..
As I said up thread, it's fine if parents know from the start which now seems to be the case according to those who have attended recent open days.
JCOSS - my point was that this is fantastic school and definitely worth a look. Debate at length if you consider it a local school or not - I don't care either way. My point was that the OP should consider it if she is Jewish.