Wondering what Stoke Newington Secondary is like?

[AngryAngie]

I know about the banding, just looking for opinions about what the school is like (have one DD).

Bumping in case anyone can help

its seen as one of the best secondary schools around.

it looks amazing. i know some child actors like asa butterfield went there because they have great creative departments.

Dolphin where on earth do you get the idea it's "one of the best secondary schools around"? There are, IMO, a lot of problems, and the results (I know, I know, it's not everything, but it counts) are pretty dire, given the intake.

Cingolimama do you have children there? Be interested to know more about those problems.

I wouldn't never send DD there (even though it's really close) but almost all her friends from primary went there. I know there are kids who do well at SNS, but personally, these are the things I have an issue with:

1. Results are poor to average, given the intake. There's, to my mind, a real lack of academic ambition.
2. Lack of social interaction between racial, religious and socio-economic groups. Sorry that sounded a bit pompous - but what I mean is that the kids don't really mix. At home time you see them break into their tribes.
3. A lot of bad behaviour (including sexual harassment) is not dealt with harshly enough (they pride themselves on being inclusive). I know of two girls who transferred out of the school because they couldn't take it anymore. Guess what? The boys are still there.
4. Pastoral care isn't good, imo.
5. The so-called creative departments aren't all that.

I used to work there. It was a great school in many ways. They didnt even have a uniform until relatively recently.

The population is liberal Church Street dwellers who don't do private schools and some from the local estates. There is quite a divide in that sense but they scrum along together.

As one hilarious colleague said, as least Tabitha will know the guy she buys her cocaine from in a few years time. But we have a very dark sense of humour.

It's a great school for performing arts. I'd send mine there. Even now. I'd either go somewhere like Stokey or Home Ed.

Honestly, if you're relatively privileged and your kids have benefited from that until now in terms of their academic capability being in line with their potential, they'll definitely be better people for going to somewhere like Stokey. It will give them the life experience they don't get eating organic dried fruits in the Waitrose Trolley. (I'm speaking about my kids here)

www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/school/100279/stoke-newington-school-and-sixth-form/secondary

The progress is above average given the intake. Consistently. I don't know the school but thought I'd share some factual info.

But it’s significantly worse than local (stricter) academies despite having the most middle class intake. Boys do particularly badly and the GCSE options prevent a fully academic set of choices. Not much setting, also unlike other local options- only in maths.

Those stricter academies off roll lots of their students. Statistics are deceiving.

I thought evidence showed that setting was a “bad thing” ? I only think that because the local school that DD will probably end up at told me as they don’t set! They get great progress 8 etc.