Haverstock School

[masjid85]

Hi,

I wanted to ask if anyone has any experience with Haverstock School in Camden? cant really seem to find any parent feedback

My DS goes there. Have named changed for ID reasons. What do you want to know?

He is Y7.

Anything you are willing to share please. Good school? I know there is a new head teacher, considering putting it on list of schools for next year, so anything would be helpful

I like it. Bit of backstory. We all wanted UCL or AB. Some of our friends were hoping for UCL. We also tried Westminster AC as his best friend was going there. But we got none of them, and were far far down on waiting list. We were given a school that I have really disliked for years because I find it strict and unimaginative with an arrogant and unpleasant head. So I was depressed and thought, anything but that. So on thinking about other local schools and Haverstock, which I had considered years before for my DD but saw fall into doldruns, I took another look. DS loves modern music and film and stuff like that. They have a great music and culture programme and links to Roundhouse. They are pushing cultural Camden and that made me think, yes. Let's give it ago. There are quite a few good clubs and opportunities for extra curricular things It was very undersubscribed, so we got in no problem.
So how has it been? Fine. He has enjoyed it. Teachers are very attentive, very kind. He didn't have friends from school there but found a couple of friebds quickly.
He has been able to follow up his interests. He says that the atmosphere is calm. He enjoys it.They have kept the work up pretty well under recent challenges. I think he would probably be pushed a lot more at another school, though not necessarily in one of the Camden schools, only PGS and CSG seen to be very academically ambitious. But he has room to do stuff, or did, till this all happened.
The exam results are on an upward curve since a drop a while ago. The new head has been good and put lots of incentives in place to make for a studious and friendly competitive atmosphere. He was meant to be moving in to a school in Malaysia at end of this year but that is scuppered, so headship is unclear.
I think it is a good school with lots of potential with some great teachers, and pretty good communication, in short.

@Kefirkiller so pleased it's working out for your DS, your report ties in with what I've heard from other parents with DC at Haverstock. I think it's underrated locally at the moment, but with AB now so wildly popular again that people are having to look further afield, that might start to change.

Hi - I hope it’s OK to bump this thread as we are considering Haverstock for an in-year application (Y9). It is one of very few schools in north London with vacancies in the year group.

I’d be particularly interested in views/updates on:

News on leadership - is the head moving elsewhere?
Academic stretch for able students - is the curriculum delivery truly ambitious for them?
Sport including girls’ football
Cultural & performance opportunities
Anything else!

Thanks in advance.

Head is staying. Now is not a time to move abroad. My DS is very able and has been stretched, but is only y7. He would also admit that there are not huge amounts of children quite as engaged as him, but it does mean he stands out and gets lots of opportunities and responsibilities and extra nice things to do.
No idea about girls sport.
Cultural and performance opportunities were pretty good, especially the tie ups with the Roundhouse and there is some fantastic music work there, modern music, but my big fear is that the pandemic has put the kibosh on a lot of things. I hope not. We went there because of the commitment to performance and the arts.

I still have a lot of hope for the school, can't fault the area and general atmosphere and the head has gathered a good senior leadership team and seems open to trying new things.

Thank you kefirkiller - that’s very helpful and encouraging.

Can you please explain what PGS and CSG stand for?

PGS probably a typo for Parliament Hills School, CSG is Camden School for Girls.

@Kefirkiller, can I ask which school you were given that you disliked? Thanks.

Regent H

Hello! How is Haverstock five years on?!?

Well he came out the other side with near perfect GCSEs. He has stayed into sixth form. Cant fault the place.

Oh thank you so much for replying so quick! That is really great to know. And well done to him :)