What's wrong with Friern Barnet School?

[SpaceInvader321]

We very recently moved to the area so haven't had a chance to visit this school as we missed the open day/evening. I've seen some comments in local online groups that say it's a nice school and their kids do well, but I've also heard vague comments elsewhere that imply it's awful and parents would be crazy to send their children there. So I'm wondering: what is so bad about this school?

Is it the focus on performing arts? Is that at the expense of maths and science?

Is it the quality of teaching?

The behaviour of the children?

The facilities?

I understand that the Head was a former APS Assistant Head, so you'd think that might make it a promising school with high chances of improving. Instead, I see that Barnet is considering cutting the yearly intake down to 150 because of the low demand

Not sure the demand is low just because it's bad, just that bit of London has lots of schools and isn't as densely populated as say, Haringey.
There's lots of v good schools there that probably cream off the stronger pupils.

Does anybody have any views or children currently at Friern Barnet School? We liked the open evening and were impressed with the EAP programme.
However, Dd is relatively academic and quite sensitive. Is pastoral care
good? Thanks

It seems so hard to get insight into this school!

We also liked the open evening. It wasn't as polished as at schools like APS or Compton but, in a way, that felt refreshingly honest in comparison.

However, I have the same concerns as you as our child is also quite academic and I wonder why the school's results haven't improved more over the years. The Head has been there a long time... Looking on the .gov compare schools tool, I think they have more disadvantaged kids than other area schools, so maybe that plays a part in results.

The teachers seemed nice, many had been there a long time, and there seems to be a focus on their SEN provision, but I don't know what pastoral care is like for kids without SEN.

DC really liked it but my gut feeling is that the Compton would be a better fit. Have you made any decision since posting, @Clenguas ?

Hi! Yes DC is going to do the EAP audition. I think class sizes are slightly smaller as undersubscribed. We are not in catchment for APS or Compton. We will try Ashmole aptitude music test and usual round of North London grammar schools. Quite daunting!

I'm on the other side of Haringey, but even schools that have been oversubscribed for the last decade or so aren't any more - birth rates have been dropping. Also, house prices and other pressures may have been causing more families to move out from Barnet as well as Haringey - 10 to 15 years ago when my kids were babies/small lots of people were moving out from Islington and Camden to Haringey/Barnet/Enfield - quite a few of those and others moved right out of London as well.

I don't know Barnet schools well, but if new "free schools" and academy chain schools have been set up as well as the longer established grammar provision, they may be creaming off students as well.

My kids went to an undersubscribed secondary school near our home. Attainment there isn't going to compete with oversubscribed schools in much more affluent parts of the borough (for example APS and Fortismere in Muswell Hill - students of both have to live quite close to meet the distance criteria for admission in year 7 - they both have larger sixth forms and DS1 has started his A levels at APS, as have many of his friends from school who mostly live quite close to us. But his school has a relatively stable staff who are very committed to helping students do the best they can, so if Friern Barnet has that and pastoral care, I wouldn't dismiss it. If your child is quite sensitive, good support might be more important to help them focus on the academic work.

Good luck, @Clenguas . I think it's too late for us to try the music option at Ashmole, unfortunately.