Racing against time with choosing secondary schools in Islington / surrounding boroughs

[Queen4Life]

I'm totally out of the loop with all the secondary schools in Islington and neighbouring boroughs, so I'm struggling to pick a few in time for the deadline on the 31st of Oct (this Saturday!!!).

Have heard that Stoke Newington & Sixth Form is a good school (although i'm aware it is in Hackney borough), so will be putting this school as my first choice, but unsure about other schools locally to list! I'm conscious of catchment areas so am skeptical about listing further out schools in like Haringey for example, just really need to hear from mums who's kids currently attend schools like City of London Academy Islington (Prebend Street) and St Mary Magdalene Academy. I've heard negative reviews about Beacon High, Islington Arts and Media and of course the 'stigma attached' Highbury Grove - so will be steering clear of these! Also wondered if there any positively reviewed schools on the border of Islington, like Camden, City of London, Haringey boroughs?
Anyone got any suggestions on any decent schools that have a no nonsense approach to things, not have a headteacher that's been there donkeys years who has zero passion, enthusiasm for making the school the best it can be, have a certain level of strictness so pupils are disciplined and well mannered, have a good teacher turnaround each year (not too many leaving / starting each year), a decent and over subscribed school normally does indicate the school is in high demand for parents - as i've learned from my child's primary school being constantly under subscribed = making it a bad school no one wants to go to! Any schools that specialise in competive sports, the arts (drama orientated), music (preferably teaching drums) and really into coding (computing) would be very welcomed as my child is into all of these.

Many thanks in advance for your help!

None of the schools have defined catchments. It's just the furthest distance a child lives from the school.
I quite liked Acland Burghley when we looked around it last year. The head seems to be taking the school in the right direction and they do have some good facilities. They offer quite a range of subjects at GCSE. I know a couple of people with kids there who are happy with the school and are putting it down for the younger siblings (it's not 1st choice for one however). It is boy heavy (mainly due to good local girls schools). It is a popular choice around our way but most kids will just miss out unless they have siblings there. There isn't much movement in their waiting list so you may not have much chance of a place where you are. I got the July cut offs from Camden council and it was still less than a mile (would need to find email for exact distance) for the last couple of years.
I would certainly put somewhere like Haverstock (or possibly AMSI) on your list as your DS would get a place there and stop you being allocated a place at Highbury Grove or Beacon High.

Sorry for the typo in my last post - I obviously meant UCL Academy

UCL is heavily oversubscribed mystifyingly, one of the smallest distance cut-offs in Camden. It's our second nearest secondary yet DD would not have got a place there (even if we had applied!).

Hampstead is a good school, new Head this year of whom I know nothing but do know a lot of kids there who are happy and doing well. However its distance criteria would be well beyond where you live - Camden's secondary school brochure lists the 1st March offer distances for all its schools (downloadable from the council website)

The other undersubscribed school in Camden is Regent High but I don't know much about it - too far away - and tbh Haverstock has a better reputation and is closer to where you live.

Haverstock is still a bit undersubscribed (more applicants now that the area from which Burghley takes has shrunk so much), but as PP says it's got a lot going for it, the head who has turned it around after a rough patch about 5 years ago is staying put which is a good sign. I know a number of families with DC there who are really happy with the school. If it continues not to be oversubscribed you'd get your DS in no matter where you lived as long as there was a place for him.

"Catchment" is often a misused word and certainly in this neck of the woods secondaries don't have them at all, it's purely a matter of how far you live from the school (assuming no overriding factors like SEN, looked after children, siblings and not accounting for religious places)

Thank you Terentia, I will check out COLA shoreditch also. Much appreciated!

I'll take your word for it LarkDescending on Burghley and Regent. And I appreciate your honesty on having no knowledge of Hampstead and UCL. Very informative info all the same, can't thank you enough!

Thank you ExhiledinIslington, very informative bit of info on Burghley school. And yes, you're right
..I'd do well to list perhaps Haverstock / AMSI or risk getting allocated Beacon or Highbury Grove!
Thank you again!!

Very helpful information Zinnia on UCL, Hampstead and Haverstock, can't thank you enough! Having read all you and LarkDescending have said, think i'll put Haverstock on my list. The only thing that does concern me about the school is that according to the school stats published on Gov.uk, there is a high percentage of kids that go to Haverstock who speak English not as a first language. I'm just concerned that the teacher's focus will be more leaning towards these children who may need more support, 1-2-1. If that makes sense?

I honestly don’t think the English as an additional language aspect is something you need to be worried about. One advantage of a historically undersubscribed school is that class sizes are smaller than you’d get elsewhere. From my knowledge of Haverstock they have ample capacity (and energy) for supporting all the children in whatever ways are needed, whether with language, mentoring, subject support or otherwise. They are also very IT-savvy and as I understand it are able to beam all relevant lessons, live from the classroom, to any children who are having to self-isolate at home in current circumstances. It is impressive.

Bear in mind that many children with English as an additional language will have been through local primary schools and arrive at secondary school as fluent English speakers.

I wouldn't waste a place on the application for somewhere like APS or fortismere. You're well outside the last distance offered by more than double. Put down schools where you would have been inside the last distance offered or you're just wasting places on the list.

I also wouldn't worry about the EAL either. Good luck with it all! We got our application in last week. DD has her heart set on the 1st choice but cut off has really reduced in last couple of years so it would be waiting list dependent. It has been tough not being able to visit schools this year. I did visits last year but DD only saw some of the schools and it isn't the same.

@Honkandhoot

I wouldn't waste a place on the application for somewhere like APS or fortismere. You're well outside the last distance offered by more than double. Put down schools where you would have been inside the last distance offered or you're just wasting places on the list.

Absolutely. Start with distance from home in all directions and eliminate those you really don't want eg all boys and hopelessly oversubscribed and too far away eg APS.

Don't discount schools like Islington Arts and Media especially if you haven't looked round them. I've got a few friends with children there who are really doing well and benefit from its relatively small size.

I went to look round a couple of years ago. Was impressed with the pastoral care and how well they seemed to know every child. It was a bit far for us although my son has gone to another very undersubscribed school that most parents don't even bother looking at and it's fab.

Does anyone happen to know how far up the list offers tend to go for the Mary Mags aptitude test? For what it's worth, AMSI has a really friendly, warm feel to it, and the staff seem enthusiastic. Great facilities including a theatre and a proper gym with treadmills, cross trainers etc. I think it has a good pastoral ethos. But it's a small school, so it depends what you're after.

Have you considered Haggerston or Bridge? They won’t be far. Lots of friends dc go to both and they are happy. Kids seem happy.

They were undersubscribed last year, but I don’t think that’s reflection of their reputation.

You have to think about your dc though - do they like rules (then Shoreditch park might suit (distance is based on the new location at Britannia). Haggerston more free like Stoke Newington.

You do need to sit the banding test for all hackney secondaries.