Advice on secondaries in Haringey

[EllaPr]

Looking for advice on / experience of secondaries in Haringey. We could get into Heartlands, Park View, Highgate Wood (at a stretch if went on waiting list). My daughter is academically bright but needs encouragement to focus and not that street wise socially so keen to find a supportive school with decent pastoral care and also one that encourages her to put the work in academically and stretch self so can achieve potential (so basically what many parents want I imagine!). Has anyone got views on or experience of those schools that they would be happy to share? Thanks so much in advance

Hi,
Currently seeking some advice on Haringey secondary schools.
We keep hearing disturbing news of drug use and bullying at Fortismere. Also APS has a similar problem and at Highgate Wood there's bullying and lack of extra curricular activities. Does anyone have recent experience?
We live close enough to get into both Fortismere and HWS, although APS is the furthest.
Thanks.

I think you'll find drug use at all of the schools. Bullying happens everywhere too, it's largely about how the school handles it.

I've only heard positive things about APS but the catchment is now so small, it's really hard to get in. Otherwise, I'm really not impressed with the other schools.

I know kids and parents who are happy with Fortismere but it struck me as completely chaotic and pretty run down when we went to the Open Evenings. I've also heard horror stories about bullying, fights, smoking, drugs, etc.

HWS is very similar to Fortismere these days. DC is doing well there academically but pastoral care is not the best. There are some really good teachers but also quite a few disappointing ones.

If your child has any SEN or other needs, I wouldn't send them to either school.

I've heard that Heartlands is up and coming,but I've never seen it and I don't know anyone with a child there.

A lot depends on the individual kid. Some really thrive in these big schools and Fortismere does have better extracurricular options than HWS. Other kids do better in smaller schools; but, unfortunately, there aren't really any good options for those kids. There are some smaller schools in Barnet but other than Friern Barnet School, the catchments won't reach into MH.

APS and Heartlands are basically fraternal twins. Very strict, APS more so. Both popular for Sen although Heartlands has had massive changes in SEN provision. Both have heads up their own arse tbh. Both have huge problems with drugs that are unaddressed and 0 tolerance approach has meant kids are scared to seek help.
HGW is very cliquey and kids don't mix much. The middle class CE kids stick together.
Extra curricular is much of a muchness, past Y8 they don't go anyway even if there's 100s of clubs on offer.

Know someone whose child goes to heartlands- very happy with it, child was happy and settled and has just got great GCSE results

If those schools are all options, I have friends whose daughters have gone or go to Hornsey School for Girls as well, which is not far from Wood Green. One of my young local councillors went there and got to Oxford University. Obviously HSG wasn't an option for my two sons.

We live in Tottenham and DS1 has just come out of Park View, local school 5 minutes walk away, with quite a good crop of GCSEs including several 9s and only one below 7, and meeting/exceeding offers from all the 6th forms he's applied to (he's still dithering between Alexandra Park and Woodhouse which is 6th form/A level only).

I think our local school - Park View is underrated because the intake of kids is so mixed, and lots of parents worry about the school not using sets for subjects, even Maths, but I've been very impressed by many of the teachers - and the detail of our conversations during Parents Evenings suggests that they really know the students and support them. It's never going to compete in league tables which reward schools whose students face less challenges, His form tutor really looked out for him and always helped direct any queries or concerns to the right person and made sure appropriate colleagues got back to me. I met another Park View mum who I originally know from baby groups, - her son's also done well, and so have a lot of DS1's friends. DS2 is about to start GCSEs - he's a very different person from DS1 - shyer and geekier but has joined the Parkestra and been quite involved with the School Council. There is pastoral support including an anti bullying project in which students and staff work together.

Thanks that's helpful, as it reinforces our original views. I'll wait for the open evening's next month to make a decision. Fingers crossed!

@elkiedee I've actually never met someone unhappy with PV. There is a mass of snobbery about it but I feel they do really care and the kids have tons of opportunities.
@MHmumbest I would say open evenings are pretty rubbish tbh APS one is insane. It's so busy you can't move.

I've found you have to take the Open Evenings with a chunk of salt. Many of them are just super-polished marketing events (eg, APS, Archer) with everyone telling you what you want to hear but then the reality of day-to-day school life turns out to be very different.

Others (like Fortismere's) are tangled strands of chaos, which can be helpful because their lack of preparation does tell you a lot!

Unless you are miraculously positioned in more than one catchment, or you have an EHCP or meet some other high-priority criteria, there really isn't any choice of schools, but you can go on waiting lists.

@solario I agree, however the best open evening we ever went to (I'm including private schools in this) was Park View. Honestly it was incredible. Not packed, we had a lovely lad who showed us around and accidentally swore at one point lol it was just so authentic and nice it made me smile. DD has an EHCP so we really made the rounds. I think in total we went to 10 different schools!

@Foxesandsquirrels That sounds lovely. I really don't know anything about Parkview, as it's nowhere near us, but it is heartening to know that there are schools like that out there.

had to remove my child from Highgate woods along with 2 other parents constant bullying which led to mental health issues

Can someone share opinions regarding St Anns Catholic school for girls in Enfield and any decent school in haringey or close boroughs for girls?
Thank you for any opinion