Hornsey School for Girls

[Schoolschoice]

Has anyone got recent experiences of the school? We’d probably get in to y7 on distance and I think single sex could be good for DD. But most parents I speak to, seem to want Highgate Wood or Fortismere, or be moving for APS. I don’t know anyone with their kids at HGS or HW, so would really appreciate views. I haven’t been in to see any of them yet.

@Schoolschoice I know people with DDs at the school and they speak highly of it. Seem to have a good external mentor system to help girls get work experience in all manner of industries.

Hornsey has a wider catchment than HWS and APS. APS appeared to be the flavour of the month with Year 4 parents at Coleridge Primary several years ago. I know people with DC there, any honestly I wouldn't move to be in that catchment area, unless I lived a less desirable area. Crouch End is a much nicer area than the catchment for APS.

Which year is your DD in now? We went to open evenings in September/October of year 6, in time to fill in applications for secondary in year 6, but some parents went in year 5. I have 2 sons and am in Tottenham so our choices were different (lots of girls do go to HSG from here).

The recent Ofsted report was very positive so I think that's a good sign. I know quite a few people with daughters in the school and they seem generally happy. I went on the morning tour last year and liked what I saw so it's definitely on our list of potential schools. Happy for you to private message me if you want to ask more.

Hornsey School for Girls was undersubscribed this year, so getting in isn't a hurdle at all.

I've just read the recent Ofsted report and it doesn't describe the school that my daughter attended until I moved her at the beginning of Y10.

Our experience was very high staff turnover, huge numbers of supply staff, unmanaged bullying, leadership who didn't know what was happening in the school and poor extra curricular activities. I think the latter has improved, although I know several other families who have moved their children out for similar reasons to us.

Although most girls do okay there, if there are problems, don't expect them to be dealt with.

That sounds an awful experience for your family, so sorry Christina. Unfortunately I don’t think any of the Haringey secondaries are undersubscribed (unlike, say Camden LA) which is making this feel a bit more fraught for me. Thanks very much to everyone who has posted about their experiences.
It just seems really strange how this school is hardly mentioned alongside the other mixed ones locally that lots of parents talk about. People seem to fight to get into other girls’ schools in other parts of London, so it’s hard to get a sense of why that is in this case. I am someone really in favour of girls-only secondaries instinctively so I really want to understand what’s going on.
I saw the Ofsted ‘good’, very solid result. And thanks N4ish.

Schoolschoice

Four secondary schools in Haringey were undersubscribed this year - Hornsey, Park View, Greig City and Dukes Aldridge. See the admissions stats tables from the council website below.

www.haringey.gov.uk/sites/haringeygovuk/files/secondary_transfer_2022_-_how_offers_were_made.pdf

And, yes, I am all in favour of single-sex secondary education for many (not all) girls, if they are keen. Hornsey was an extremely disappointing experience. My daughter mentioned a few times all the photos they have of girls doing sports and other interesting things around the school are from years ago. The PE/extra-curricular was diabolical or non-existent when she was there.

Hope that your get the school that you want.

Thanks Christina, I think maybe I misunderstood the terms then? I thought ‘undersubscribed’ meant, a school with fewer kids than their PAN on roll.
And ‘oversubscribed’ meaning numbers on roll are at PAN + any extra places determined by whatever other policy is applicable + kids still on the waiting list?

The schools mentioned there didn’t fill their PAN on first choice applicants, sure, but they did fill their PAN. I had thought that meant they were less popular schools, but not actually ‘undersubscribed’ schools?

We have a Y9 at Hornsey and we're really happy with the school, as is she. As I answered on the other thread, our experience has been quite the opposite to christinarossetti39's, and I'm really sorry for her and her DD that they weren't properly supported as a family. I know my friends who have DD would recognise our experience too. The pastoral care team has been superb helping our DD when she had some anxiety issues over exams and we've always been able to speak to subject teachers whenever we've needed to. The school is small compared to others – in numbers and site! – but that's why it suited our DD. It also empowers girls to be and do whatever they want, whereas we were put off at an open day for a nearby mixed school when we found out there was a low uptake for science subjects amongst girls because they were seen as boy subjects. 🙄

In terms of being undersubscribed, it's really not a bad thing – some classes have only 22 pupils in them, allowing for more 1-1 learning. The catchment area is basically the entire borough – any girl from Haringey can apply to go there.

Sorry, meant to add – I don't think the fact that people don't talk about clamouring to get into HSG alludes to anything sinister. You don't have to battle for a place because the catchment means it can take any girl from anywhere in Haringey. You put it as your first choice, you're getting a place.

Schoolschoice - under-subscribed means that the school can't fill all its places with people who have put it as preference right through to sixth preference. All families who applied on time will get a place (so no distance cut off).

They fill their PANs through allocations - places are allocated to families whose higher preference schools couldn't offer them a place, who were late applying, just moved into the area etc ie who didn't chose the school.

The area that girls travel from is much wider than Haringey btw.

Thanks YouAreMySunshine that’s reassuring to hear. I am glad that your DD is having a good experience at the school.
Not battling for a place anywhere does seem like a real plus!

Thanks Christina, I hadn’t understood how that works.