Highbury Fields, CSG, EGA, SMMA, SNS …?

[Cjdahl]

Late to the game and frantically touring North London schools with DD Year 6! Any recent thoughts on these?

Highbury Fields
SMMA (taking test but definite longshot)
Camden School for Girls
Stoke Newington School
Elizabeth Garrett Anderson
Stoke Newington School

We are definitely in catchment for some of these but neighbours’ kids have gotten into all of the above from where we live in recent years (some after a long waitlist or a few days after school started …)

Thank you!

I go into SNS for work sometimes (I'm not a teacher, it's for subject-specific workshops). Great kids, I think the school must do a lot of work on emotional literacy, wellbeing type stuff? I know that's not all a school is but I just wanted to mention because in lots of high schools I visit it's usual for the kids to start off anxious, but tense maybe, nervy about getting things wrong, unwilling to share. There must be something about the culture at SNS which makes the kids feel like it's okay to speak up, share an idea, get something wrong.
I haven't visited the others you mention.

Don’t know much about Camden but as far as the others go:

Highbury Fields - good results, presumably because it’s all-girls which do better at GCSE. Traditional feel. Old building so it does feel a bit cramped. Have heard that it was very good under the old headteacher but the current head isn’t as popular. But all
parents I know with kids there currently are happy enough. Choice of subjects and after school clubs I think isn’t as wide as some other schools

SMMA - well-run, calm environment, head of school and head of secondary school have been there for a long time so know what they’re doing. Good academically but also lots of opportunities for drama, sport etc. Kids know what’s expected of them and behave well. Parents with kids there all sing its praises. Waiting list for the test does move because lots of kids turn it down to take up private places, Dame Alice Owen etc

Stoke Newington - more relaxed vibe than the others, which will either suit you and your child or not. Teachers aren’t authoritarian. It’s very Stoke Newington iyswim, reflective of the parents in the area. Have heard more reports of trouble there than at SMMA (I’m
comparing them because they’re the two mixed schools on your list. Definitely less trouble than Highbury Grove though). Agree with the above that it encourages kids to voice their opinions and feel
confident in themselves. Very progressive on LGBTQ+

EGA - the head is great and has high expectations. Intake is more mixed than the other schools - a lot of kids from disadvantaged backgrounds because of the area it’s in, but by all accounts it’s an inspiring place to go. It’s the school Michelle Obama visited when she came here. I didn’t love the building, it felt a bit prison-like.

This is amazing both! Funny it’s exactly my impression of SNS too and think that may be good for DD. Very much open to others’ thoughts as well!

We live about a 5min walk from SNS and not one child in our block of flats has a child that attends that school despite being close enough. I thought that was quite interesting. There is quite a lot of choice in this area though.

Interesting - maybe that’s why we are surprisingly in the catchment!

Worst school ever. Got punched in the face once and because no one saw it no one believed me although my cheek was smarting. Got insulted and bullied for being flat-chested in class and no teachers (male. female teachers were better at this) ever had my back, I remember I had had enough and I insulted the boy back.. Almost got detention for it, not him, even though he'd said out loud, to the whole class ( teacher was neglient, big, black, glasses and a "funny" persona ). Not in my personal experience however many students would get jumped after school ( beaten up), this school loves to cover up its incidents but let me open your eyes. Stabbings in school, outside of school, kids vaping in the toilets all the time, kids smoking ciggs and weed too, kids bringing ketamine and cocaine to sniff during break and lunch ( no i am not joking or exaggerating), teachers being racist and colorist to students and vice versa, huge amounts of classism and racism ( white popular kids + black popular kids + rich, white (usually) kids + white losers + black losers + Turkish group of kids + Romanian group of kids etc), yes they would mix sometimes but rarely, disregard for serious personal incidents but ready to send a kid to detention for answering back, one teacher a couple of years back left.. (he was on coke in the class)

Just one little quick thing, the school Stoke Newington and Sixth Form may SEEM inclusive it is NOT. Not just with the classism, racism but also homophobia was big, not massively so, just that if you "looked" gay or were open about your sexuality you would be outcasted.
Another thing, if you have an autistic or neurodivergent child DO NOT send them to stokey. So many kids, myself included were bullied for being different, I was aware of the bullying but there were many that were not, and they thought they were friends, heart-breaking stuff. Fatphobia as well but that's just kids I suppose.
Lastly, boys get away with a LOT more than girls do, in general they were the group that had the most support, especially if they came from "trouble backgrounds" they would practically have free reign.
One day I will write a book on my experience at stokey, I'll admit it wasn't all bad, most of it was but there were a few joyful moments. If you know of someone who went to stokey ask them! Although in their defence as I had practically no friends I spent my time observing my classmates, our teachers and just the way the school handled things.