Is Highbury Fields school really "outstanding" and if so why is it not more popular?

[Leopardpj]

Just that really. Highbury Fields School for girls is local to us and the Ofsted report is glowing but despite living in the area a long time, I've never personally known of anyone who has sent their DD there, which seems odd. I've heard it's strict, and there are a lot of grumbling google reviews from pupils about OTT discipline and poor food... not sure how seriously to take these!

Would love to hear some real experiences, as on paper it looks like a good option for our DD. Are the girls happy? Teachers caring? What's behaviour like? Are the facilities cramped as some say? What are the creative departments like?

Our other local option is Stokey (SNS) - again, I hear mixed reports....

StMMs is ok however I personally would go for HF if your DD can take the amount of pressure. HF very strict on attendance and homework.Which is not really a bad thing .If you support your child all the way it's worth all the stress

I’d love to revive this thread if anyone has more thoughts on Highbury Fields!

If your daughter is still in Y5 and you are still exploring options, I'd suggest you avoid HFS.
They do look like a great school at first glance, including open days etc, but the reality is sadly very different.
Bullying is at another level, the quality of teaching is quite poor and the communication is next to non-existent.

We loved the look of the school from open evenings, and even at induction meetings, but have since moved our daughter to a different school. I honestly have no idea how they manage to pass Ofsted!

Wow thank you AsteroidAvalanche -- that sounds terrible! We really did like it at the open evening so this is hard to hear. We're prepping for the SMMA tests but those are so competitive and we know too many people unhappy with Highbury Grove.

Any others you'd suggest?

Have a look at Dame Alice Owens, if you'd be happy with your daughter travelling that far, but I do know that quite a few kids from the area go there. Just like SMMA they have an entrance test but a certain number of Islington kids are given priority - from what I understand.

Hornsey seems a bit more chilled if that's what you might be after, a bit disorganised from what I heard but a few friends have kids there and are happy with it.

EGA is meant to be quite good too.

My daughter is in y7. I agree that, to my surprise, there were fights and rudeness in the beginning. Those girls were allocated that school.by the Local Authority as in the got late to the borough or due to a care plan/fostering etc. They (less than a handful) caused trouble and they had consequences as per the school policy. They were permanently expelled before April and the school is calm as normal. I agree first choice in the area is Mary Mags for Middle class as it feels like a private school. I did like it and was in por list as first choice. We didn't get a place e there abs HF was our second choice. I admit that I thought about charging schools in the beginning when fights happened. Not anymore. It is the school tou want your child to go. I don't think it is pushy or stressful compared to Mary Mags.
The comments about SNS are true. Fights (all year round, all year groups, kids not expelled) and knives, specially gangs th fight against Skinners School. I wouldn't send my daughter to SS nor SNS either and I know a bunch of girls moved from SNS to HF mid year, even after stating their GCSE. HF is one of he few tha maintained Ofsted Outstanding. Good means nothing nowadays (just see the other local schools, SK, SNS, or HG) they are he bottom in the borough and still "good". I'm.quite happy with HF once those girls were not in anymore. Teachers ste super caring. They have a mixture of older/experience teachers with new ECTs or young. There aren't teachers leaving in mass as in the other schools mentioned. There is stability and school.listend to parents feedback. So far, in my experience, they have always responded quickly (issues have been, my DD lost her lunch card, misplaced her music lesson tt and so on not big deals but they have been super helpful and accommodating). Phones, the no phones policy applies in HF, I can tell you it doesn't apply in SNS and SK and MM, regardless of what the policy says. I am a teacher and network with those schools and tutor some local kids, MM has fights and kids records them, same for SNS and SK. Not heard of anything like that in HF. hipe this helps.