East Barnet School and Ashmole Academy

[DespairingInLondon]

We're planning to buy a house in the next year or so and are curious about East Barnet and Southgate as possible destinations. I know Ashmole is very well regarded but I haven't heard as much about EBS. Does anyone have first-hand experience? DC1 is a very good student and loves science, English and languages. EBS seems to offer more language choices than Ashmole.

Grateful for any insight into these schools.

Also, what are the areas like to live in? We're in a North London town-centre right now, quite central with everything we need within a 10-minute walk.

TIA

bumping.

Ashmole is the better school especially grades wise. I think its very hard to get a place as the catchment is tiny. Southgate where the school is an fairly wealthy area so the majority of the intake is fairly middle class.

Thanks, @sammyvine. Yes, from the Ofsted and .Gov info it looks like Ashmole has better results than East Barnet School but I'm also curious about the vibe at the different schools. I've heard that Ashmole can be a bit rigidly academic. But the facilities look great and the reputation is solid.

Does anyone have personal experience with EBS they can share? Is the teaching good? Are the kids happy? Is it progressive or conservative? Strict or lenient? How is the Head? Thank you!

Buy in Southgate not east Barnet if it’s firmly between the two
I don’t care for east Barnet… it’s should be nice but it’s ropey. High barnet is much better.

Oakwood and Cockfosters are also nice enough or over toward Enfield (chase)

The catchment is small for Ashmole is pretty small.

Have you looked at Dame Alice Owen or QE girls/boys?

My DD has just left EBS 6th form. Absolutely fantastic school. Very good pastoral care and they care about the students, where Southgate and Ashmole don't. They are more concerned with keeping their reputations and places in the league tables. Southgate went downhill when the new Head took over. Ashmole is ridiculously rigid. EBS puts children's welfare first, but also the teaching is second to none. They also recently had a new Head, but thankfully she hasn't bought the school to its knees. Strict when they need to be, but were incredibly lenient with my DD as she had health problems. As for the surrounding areas, Oakwood, Cockfosters and Southgate are lovely

Not first hand experience of either but just gone through secondary applications, we loved East Barnet, we were very impressed at the open evening. We also have friends with children there who are very happy with the school.

Thanks, @Whywonttheyletmeusemyusername, that's really helpful insight. I missed the EBS Open Day, TBH East Barnet wasn't on our radar at all until we started looking at buying and the combination of school + house prices is very appealing. We're in a great school area now, and a part of North London we'd be really sad to leave, but it's also an extremely expensive area ... Do you live in EB yourself and how do you find it?

@Totalwasteofpaper I don't know Southgate or EB very well, tbh. Would like to get out and explore a bit but Covid keeps wrecking those plans! Unfortunately, we're not in the catchment for DAO; still have a couple of years to decide if QEB might be an option for DS (as well as DAO, if we do move farther north).

I live on the border of East Barnet. Within walking distance of EBS, but also within walking distance of an underground and various shops. It has its problems, but not as much as somewhere like Wood Green or Edmonton. Both places I love btw, but wouldn't actually live there anymore. Feel free to DM

@Whywonttheyletmeusemyusername

My DD has just left EBS 6th form. Absolutely fantastic school. Very good pastoral care and they care about the students, where Southgate and Ashmole don't. They are more concerned with keeping their reputations and places in the league tables. Southgate went downhill when the new Head took over. Ashmole is ridiculously rigid. EBS puts children's welfare first, but also the teaching is second to none. They also recently had a new Head, but thankfully she hasn't bought the school to its knees. Strict when they need to be, but were incredibly lenient with my DD as she had health problems. As for the surrounding areas, Oakwood, Cockfosters and Southgate are lovely

EBS progress 8 scores isnt very good (minus last time i checked). I think it's concerning.

How do you know Ashmole and Southgate don't care about their students? Thats a very bold claim!

I wouldn't have made those "bold" claims if I hadn't had DC that went thru both schools @sammyvine. Obviously

My DD loves it at EBS. Highly recommended. A good virtual tour:

I have worked in a professional role with Ashmole, East Barnet and Southgate schools. Ashmole pushes children very hard with a lot of homework and very little enrichment activities. Therefore it gets good results and parent/carers move or rent to get in there. I would consider it’s pastoral care to be quite poor. I would say that East Barnet and Southgate are similar with East Barnet improving its pastoral care and Southgate always having good pastoral care and both having a lot of enrichment activities. Southgate buildings are not as impressive as the other two as they are both fairly newly built. I did not notice any marked difference with the new heads. All three schools have suffered with budget cuts for example reduction in support staff which both East Barnet and Southgate use to have a lot of.
There are lots of nice areas such as Oakwood and Cockfosters. There has been several muggings of young people coming home from school around Southgate underground station which has been going on for a number of years so if you can I would avoid my child having to go past/around the underground station
Good Luck

Thank you for the link, @squirrelpotatmus. Great to know your DD loves the school.

I really appreciate hearing your perspective on the various local schools, @kkneat. Do you happen to have any experience with schools in Haringey that you could also compare with EBS (Fortismere, APS, Highgate Wood)?

I like so much of what I'm hearing about EBS and seeing in their online tours, but I'm still not sure about relocating to the area, although it would make absolute financial sense to do so.

I have limited experience of Fortismere and I know you have to live on the very expensive doorstep to get in! APS had strong pastoral care and SEND provision. My nephew goes there and enjoys school. Don’t know anything about Highgate Wood.
I know it’s difficult to do I always advise prospective parents to try to speak to students at the schools as some parents aren’t always honest and some parents place too much emphasis on results in my opinion.

Have you consider living in the roads coming off Mays Lane (Elton, Milton, Normandy etc)? You get a lot of house for your money and are within easy walking distance of High Barnet tube and the high street.

You’re also within catchment for 3 great schools : Totteridge Academy (which has become the school of choice after a tough past with a great head), the new Ark and the girls school QE Girls.

Live in the area but my kids go to a different school, local chat is that Ashmole is good but pushy with a bullying problem, Southgate nice school but poor facilities and buildings, East Barnet getting a better rep but new head has unforced quite stringent behaviour rules. I would choose Southgate if the 3