north london state options - wwyd?

[lemontreeleaves]

Namechanged as a little outing.

My 12 year old dd is currently at a fantastic private school which she loves. She's currently in year 7 and moved up from the school's junior department - she has a great group of friends she's known since she was 8. She's also, without meaning to boast, highly academic - in all the top sets and does very well.

Upsettingly, however, the fees are becoming very difficult for us due to various circumstances - and things are only set to become worse with the labour VAT hit on fees. We are currently in conversations with the school bursar, but not sure what the ultimate outcome of this will be, and I am exploring our options...

Ideally, I would like to keep her in this school until the sixth form, when a move will feel natural, but I am wondering about the following schools -

Parliament Hill - this is our local. Have heard mainly good things but also a few reports that teaching is a bit hit and miss, and the GCSE results reflect this. I know results aren't everything but DD seems set on studying a particular course at uni which is highly competitive (aware this is a while off, but still...) Also heard it's a bit cliquey and bullying can be an issue - though the same could probably said of any school I know.

Henrietta Barnett - would be my top choice for sixth form. I know in-year admissions are extremely rare, and even if a place came up she'd have to sit the test, competing with lots of others. She's never been tutored so I don't know if she'd have a hope in hell anyway!

Camden School for Girls - I think CSG has a more academic reputation than Parli? I don't know anyone at this school with a dd in the lower years - I hear the sixth form is brilliant though. Would love to hear views. Again, I know places come up very rarely, so don't know if we'd stand a chance on getting in.

Sorry this is so long. I guess I'd love advice on whether or not it's worth getting on waiting lists at this stage, or if I should just do everything within my power to keep her where she is until post-GCSE, even though that will be financially quite crippling? Thanks so much in advance

I'd move her to Parli in a heartbeat. You can PM me if you want. I'm assuming you're at Channing?

Thank you foxes - I'll PM you.

Anyone else with thoughts?

I think Giles Corey’s daughter is at Camden and he speaks quite highly of it. She’s in yr 7 or 8

@Rocknrollstar - not sure I'd go on what Giles Coren thinks 😂 but yes, I know a lot of parents love it. Our issue is whether or not she'd get in as we're quite far away and I thought it was one of those schools where there isn't a lot of movement?

Any thoughts on Henrietta Barnett also appreciated!

Henrietta Barnett, whilst it is highly academic, there is a severe lack of diversity among the students. There is a high rate of academic pressure on the girls which has sadly led to some severe consequences (I don’t need to spell it out). I know these things happen at other private schools too in North London… but from my experience, going from a private school to HBS, I really disliked my time there.

Again, it is highly academic and opens a lot of doors for pupils in the future.

@lemontreeleaves I don't know the schools (ofc I have heard of them on MN) but I wanted to say that where you live in terms of being local to a school is not usually here or there in terms of an in-year admission (which this would obvs be).

It may be different for these very popular schools, but I gather most secondary schools don't usually hold a waiting list as such after year 7. So what I am trying to say is, if there is a space at a school and you ask for it, they have to give it to you (caveat wrt entrance exam if any), even if you are outside their typical admission area.

Have you contacted the schools to see if they have spaces?

@ChaosAndCuddles - yes the pressure is one reservation with HB. I think it would be manageable at sixth form for the right child, but to have several years of it could be very negative….

@clary - I think London all the sought after schools operate waiting lists. If a place opens up it’s offered to the person at the top of the list who meets certain criteria (or in HB’s case, scores the highest mark on an entrance test).

Are you looking for girls only? Otherwise you could check Mary Mags or Dame Alice Owen. They seem to be popular.

Thank you. Not looking for girls only.

Dame Alice Owen is massively over-subscribed, although I have heard quite mixed reports from families I know with kids there. Not sure it's always the holy grail state school quite a few seem to think it is! Either way, dd wouldn't get in as the waiting lists are massive, and I wouldn't want the hours of commuting for her every day either....

I will check out Mary Mags - thank you.

I would be very happy with either Parliament or CSG. To be honest, if they were my local schools I would never have considered private in the first place.

I know a child who left a private school in year 7 and went to Parliament and is really happy there.

@Verite1 - thanks and good to know. Camden isn't local to us, but Parli is closer. It's the same borough I know... but we are quite far in terms of distance and I think Camden is usually more over-subscribed?

We're in this position because DD has been at the same private since year 3 and loves it - we didn't actually think we'd need to move out of the private system until very recently. Unfortunately our financial circs have changed a bit, but that's a whole other thread!

Can you put names down on waiting list and then give notice if a spot comes up? Camden is a pretty big borough - whereabouts are you? If close to Islington borders you could name down for SMMA as others have said.

I'd say the same about CSG tbh. I think for a child coming from the school yours is, the cramped all girls environment will be very difficult to adjust to tbh and I wouldn't have it as my first choice. I do worry that all the schools you've shortlisted are extremely popular and you'll be very lucky to get a place at any of them. I'd be surprised if Parli has spaces in Y7, but given the school your child is at, that would be my number 1 choice all things considered. I would put her down for as many schools as possible now though. You can always turn down the place if you don't want it/need it. The waiting lists don't operate the same way as independent schools, they'll be very strictly managed by the LA unless the school is an academy and has requested to manage their own waiting lists, which is unusual. The lists will move up and down a lot depending on the admissions criteria. You may well be number 1 and than get knocked down. You also usually only have 2 weeks to accept the place and are expected to start the following Monday in most cases.

The most popular state sixth forms in that part of North London are:
Woodhouse College in Finchley and Camden School for Girls.
Followed by:
APS
Highgate Wood School
Fortismere

Woodhouse is probably the most academic of the lot as they only offer A levels, including Art and Music.