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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

City Academy in NW10

1 reply

sandy301 · 31/03/2020 13:01

Hi,

My son got offered a place in City Academy in Harlesden but we wanted to know what its really like. It looks good from the outside.
Thanks

OP posts:
Which6thform · 31/03/2020 13:59

If that is Capital City Academy then perhaps get your thread title corrected to get more responses. (You report your own post to get MN to help you edit the title).

I don't have a child at this school so don't know it other than by second hand info - so I could be unfairly harsh. This school is not very popular with parents - at least not at the application stage. We live nearby but never had it on our list of 6 options. Results are mediocre to relatively poor (average P8, weak A8, high achievers don't do as well as they should) and fairly or unfairly I would worry about it taking too many challenging pupils with risky behaviour. (A tragedy outside the school a few years ago was caused by a pupil from a different school, BTW).

Of course you should give a positive and hopeful impression to your child, but I would seriously consider going on waiting lists for e.g. Holland Park (if you are very near), Burlington Danes, Kensington Aldridge, Westminster Academy, Paddington Academy, Queens Park Community etc - depending on your location.

Yes, the building is fancy but I believe the school suffers from a catch 22 of being unpopular, with knowledgable and resourceful parents often steering clear of it, which unfortunately becomes self-fulfilling.

I really hope you get some parents from the school to respond, hopefully with encouraging feedback! The school is Ofsted "Good" after having been in a state of turnaround for years.

To compare schools: www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk

I hope this is somewhat helpful even if it is not what you were hoping to hear.

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