North London Schools

[campahannah]

We have recently bought a house in Hadley Wood (EN4) and I'm trying to find a good school for my three kids. Statistically, we could afford private education but we aren't legible for any form of scholarship. By the time we factor in our mortgage, taxes and other costs, we are left with about £200 a week, which might just be enough to live on (don't forget it's a weekly shop for 5!). Neither myself or my dh will be able to drop our dc's at school so it would have to be commutable. We are currently looking at UCS, South Hampstead, Highgate or Mill Hill. So I'm just wondering if it is worth sending our kids to a private school but have less to live on or send them to a (good) comprehensive one. Any school suggestions in this nearby area?

Will you have £200 left after private? I would never. Hadley Wood has excellent schools and you'd be crazy to pay the premium to live there but not take that options.

How old are your kids? Are they academic? You have several grammar choices as well as good state in the area depending on aptitude.

@meadowbreeze yes, £200 after private. Do you have any suggestions for schools in this area. I'm not originally from around there so i have no clue

@stokey currently, they are 10, 12, 14. Eldest (boy) isn't very academic but very sporty. Middle (girl) is academic and enjoys music. Youngest (girl) is also academic, maybe even more so, and also sporty

You'd have £200 left over before you've factored in food shopping? Do you have lots of savings? If not you are crazy to consider private school, sorry OP.
What kind of school are your DCs at now? I presume you'll be looking at an in-year transfer which makes things a little trickier.

Sorry you're nuts to even contemplate private. Apply to Barnet now for an in year transfer. You might be lucky and get a place at Mill Hill county. The girl is easier as QE girls is close and v v good. You're at the mercy of the LA having a space but nothing near you is bad enough to worry or even contemplate having £200 pw to live on.

www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/find-a-school-in-england

Put your postcode in here. It'll give you the closest schools. Jewish is the closest. Apply to all as in year and stay on the waiting list of the ones you really want. Again, you're far from any schools people avoid.

The way private school fees go up (way above inflation), that £200 will get wiped out up very very quickly. Just don’t do it.

The Totteridge Academy in Barnet is now an excellent school and everyone I know who has children there are very happy. I know a few girls from Y9 QE Girls moved to TTA this school year due to how horrendous the provision from QE during the first lockdown and are very happy. We would have moved DD if she hadn't been going into Y11.
The Ark Academy in Barnet is now in its second year but I don't know too much about it.
For your bright and musical child you could try for Dame Alice Owens (selective) in Potters Bar.

Would North London grammars be worth a shot? Latymer in Edmonton or Queen Elizabeth's in Barnet for your academic children?

Just realised that you might be out of catchment for the ones I suggested.

i've just done the math and per week we'd have £1383 after paying for schools and mortgage, usually I put away the grand for savings and then live off the hundreds and pennies, I'm sure we can eat in to that with no problem. I've had a few friends with children at QE girls and they weren't very happy. I think it's too late to apply for any selective schools as kids are past entry years. Also not a fan of TTA, they're improving but still not great. Grandparents also willing to chip in and pay some of the school fees. Very stressed at the moment . Any one have opinions on Archer Academy?

Archer Academy is very good, but isn’t it a bit far from where you are living?

Maybe, google maps says 49 minutes and to be honest when I was younger, I had an hour's commute so I think it should be okay. I'll have a further look at archer academy then

Mount House? All 3 could walk to school.

I think whatever you decide you're at the mercy of in year places being available so you don't have much of a choice, state or private.
There is a very very big difference between UCS and Mill Hill.

If the youngest is in Y5, she could try for Latymer or DAO. There may be girls or mixed private schools that still do 13+ entry for the middle one, but think these are normally boarding. Not sure what would be best for the eldest as it would just be mid year admission.

OP I'm not sure you understand fully about state school catchment areas. There is no way in a million years you'd get into Archer living in Hadley Wood.

Most of the private schools in your first post are extremely academically selective. Add in that you are looking for in year places and you want them easily commutable but are not on the right tube line for most of them. I fear you might need to do a bit more research first.

Just to echo what LondonMummer said, your biggest problem is actually getting school places. Yes, in year places do come up, but your dc would need to sit an entrance exam for the private schools mentioned.

You haven't a hope with Archer - people on the same street in East Finchley don't get in. East Barnet, QE Girls, TTA and the Ark (youngest two only) are your best bets for state provision.

You should consider Mount House which is co-ed in Hadley Wood and also has reasonable fees for independent (£16K). It is also basically non-selective. I know happy kids there.

@London1305f

Archer Academy is very good, but isn’t it a bit far from where you are living?

Isn’t that supposed to be the best non selective in Barnet? The only take people who live in East Finchley. Their catchment is tiny.

@NOTANUM

You haven't a hope with Archer - people on the same street in East Finchley don't get in. East Barnet, QE Girls, TTA and the Ark (youngest two only) are your best bets for state provision.

You should consider Mount House which is co-ed in Hadley Wood and also has reasonable fees for independent (£16K). It is also basically non-selective. I know happy kids there.

That school has become so oversubscribed. Isn’t it the most wanted school in Barnet now? Their catchment is probably the tiniest as well. Is the school that good, like better than The Compton, Mill Hill and Wren Academy.

@IrishMamaMia

Would North London grammars be worth a shot? Latymer in Edmonton or Queen Elizabeth's in Barnet for your academic children?

You're extremely unlikely to get into either of these as an "in year" applicant; places almost never come up and when they do there will be an exam sat by multiple children for the one place. Apart from for the ten year old, if she's still in Year 5. Too late for Latymer for this September as places have been allocated. QE Boys is a boys school (obviously!). Henrietta Barnett? (even more competitive!). But there are plenty of decent schools in LB Barnet; I absolutely wouldn't be bankrupting yourself with school fees.

You don't seem to have given these important issues much thought.

Hadley Wood is in Enfield, not Barnet. I think you will struggle to get into a Barnet school from Hadley Wood. It's a bit far away.

It is quite rural by Enfield standards and so they tend to use priority roads for state schools admissions. If they didn't, kids from Hadley Wood would never be assigned a school as they are too far away & the other areas too densely populated. Your catchment school would be Southgate School. I don't know much about it but looking at Progress 8 and Ofsted, it looks like a slightly above average achieving school.

I found this here: new.enfield.gov.uk/services/children-and-education/guide-to-secondary-schools-in-enfield-september-2021-education.pdf

Your other options selective state options already mentioned.

If you don't fancy Southgate School, you could try Hertfordshire private schools. The fees are lower than UCS / Mill Hill. They run coaches from Hadley Wood/Cockfosters. For example St Albans High School and St Columbas (£5,703)