Secondary schools in Enfield

[Pammi2]

Hello, anyone recommend any good secondary schools in Enfield for 2025. What do your children think about the teachers and what the school offers? Are the children pushed to be a better ALL round person, not just academically?
thanks

Catchment will be key, whereabouts are you?

Agree with @Jcee, it all very much depends on your catchment area, but birth rates are falling in Enfield so catchments likely to widen.

I'm in Enfield and the popular choices among my circle atm are Wren and Highlands. They're very different, and both quite 'marmite' I think. Wren not great if you want an all-rounder; they are super strict and focus heavily on academics (not much in the way of art/music/drama and lack of pastoral care and SEND support has been raised as an issue). Highlands is seen as the more liberal option - more nurturing with better pastoral care - and it definitely has more of an all-round offer. Friends with DC there have complained that it's too laid back though, with the balance falling more on the nurturing side rather than academic attainment. I've also heard murmurings about some low level disruption in lessons (phone use etc).

Other popular options locally would be Southgate, Winchmore or Kingsmead, but I have less experience of those. Ashmole over the border in Barnet is very well regarded but has a small catchment and again is very strict.

The real hot tickets around here are Latymer and Dame Alice Owen's, but they're both super selective and hyper competitive, so very focused on academics (DAO a bit more well balanced than Latymer I think, based on intake).

Wren is a great school, also Highlands. You may struggle to get in those depending on where you live though.

kingsmead not so bad, has come down lately I think.

Latymer you’ll need to tutor for, it’s not like the old days where simple talent gets you in.

Enfield County is an absolute no. Behaviour is horrific and recently lost their outstanding, even though they will try and say it’s due to a change in the regulations. It’s because they are rubbish.

Enfield County is an absolute no. Behaviour is horrific and recently lost their outstanding, even though they will try and say it’s due to a change in the regulations. It’s because they are rubbish.

Agree - personally I'd avoid all of the town centre schools atm (County, Grammar and Chace Community), which is a shame as the first two at least used to be well-regarded.

Oh, and whereas Highlands admissions are solely based on catchment/proximity to the school, for Wren you will need to demonstrate two years of church attendance prior to applying, unless you're very local to the school, as places are designated as 50% 'community' (catchment) and 50% church.

HI, I am near Enfield Town, daughter currently at Grange park primary but looking at Highlands, Winchmore Hill, Chase, Enfield county, st annes and Bishops stopford at the moment, I am hoping for highlands due to easier drive, what are your thoughts

enfeild en2

@Pammi2 Highlands definitely the best all-rounder of those IMO (and probably the easiest for you if you have DC next door at Grange Park already!) I do have friends whose DC go to Winchmore and are happy with it, but general reputation and other reports I've heard are more mixed - worth going to look at in person I think. St Anne's gets good results but I'm not very familiar with it as we're not Catholic - again, worth a look.

Wouldn't touch any of the others myself, although you will always find people whose DC have had positive experiences at even the toughest schools.

hi there have to look at others, no choice have to pick 6! as you know

Anyone else got views on
Bishops Stopford
Wren
Chace
Enfield County
Edmonton County
The latymer school
Southgate School

Any perspective would be grateful thanks

Unless your child sat the exam at the start of this month, you have missed the window for Latymer entrance for Sep 2025.

If they did sit it and are offered a place, I would take it. It's a great school.

Winchmore is an excellent school these days. Mine are extremely happy there. It has a huge emphasis on extracurricular school trips and celebrating the diversity of the children there. It's a happy school with a nurturing atmosphere, where everyone is encouraged to progress and become a citizen of the world.
They're currently building a new 6th form wing. Which looks amazing!

However, the catchment is unlikely to reach you. I'd go for Southgate or Highlands from your area OP.

I've not heard great things about Wren.

Anyone else got views on
Bishops Stopford
Wren
Chace
Enfield County
Edmonton County
The latymer school
Southgate School

@Pammi2 I know I've replied already, but just to say, I attended Latymer myself - it was an amazing school back then and I believe it still is (I went back recently as part of their 400th birthday celebrations and it still has a nice vibe). Brilliant academics but sport, drama and in particular music also highly valued. Insanely hard to get into these days though, and sadly I do think you've missed the cut off for 2025 applications/tests.

Bishop stopford - absolute no.

Wren - depends what you want. Very strict and in my professional capacity a lot of parents have expressed regret over sending their children there and send siblings to a different school.

Kingsmead - hmm okay(ish).

Chace community - same as above

Enfield County - I have been in a fair bit and have always found the girls lovely. Very loud but lovely.

Same with St Anne's. Loud but lovely.

Southgate - not keen

Highlands - not keen.

In my opinion, the schools that are meant to be the good schools in terms of white middle class kids usually have the rudest entitled children.

The schools that are more diverse usually have the most respectful children.

With the exception of Bishop Stopford, Edmonton Cambridge and Bury and Heron Hall. Just no.

The Latymer grammar school. The kids are all nervous wrecks

Bishops is a no for me.

The old Albany school, Ark John Keats, that is also meant to be good but militant. Gets fair results.

I know a lot of children who go to Chace as they could not get in to Wren and refused to touch Enfield County (notably under subscribed this year) and Chace has been doing better for a while. I still don’t think it’s great though. Kingsmead was outstanding for a while and now no longer is.

The Wren children are just so well behaved, polite, courteous. The police have been called on buses with Enfield County on.

St Anne’s is far nicer if you’re looking for a same sex school btw

thanks for answering all the points. here are my thoughts
bishops stopford - the kids were nice and polite when I was taken around and head teacher been there 14 years which I thought was good, their sports ground was good
Winchmore -was ok, not big on sports I thought, kids were ok
doing Edmonton county - just to get my own view and others to follow, thanks for your comments
missed Latyimer, only started looking september and some open evenings already happened as school gave us leaflet too late, thanks

Absolute bollocks!

Dd1 and her friends go there and are perfectly normal kids. They're a really nice bunch, and as @TempsPerdu said, great sport, art, drama and music provision alongside academics.

Homework has now ramped up in Yr 10 but before that she got less than my other daughter who goes to a local comp.

I would say Bishops is a no. Friends who have worked there both a few years back and recently have said the same thing about poor management and lack of behaviour policy. Pupils I know from there love the school purely because it’s socially “fun”, which is great for them and I’m sure will give them memories for years, but reflects what teachers have told me about the behaviour (or lack thereof).

It also lost its outstanding rating recently I believe

Hi LennyBalls, which one of these schools would you recommend for a child with additional needs? My son has an EHCP so we can choose without the worry of catchment. He currently attends one of the primary schools closest to Highlands and most of his friends will be going there which will be good for transitioning. However I have heard so many mixed reviews about this school.

I'm looking for a school with a great behaviour policy, kind children and fantastic SEN support.

@Zael2807 have you looked at Ashmole?

Thanks StolenChanel, I did think about it but thought that it may be too pushy academically? He needs a nurturing school but one that also has mostly kind children and supporting teachers.
To be honest with you, we could even choose Dame Alice Owen as its still a state comprehensive (although part selective) but I'm not looking for a strong academic school as I believe (my opinion) that they may not be strong in providing the right SEN support but instead more focused on grades.

It's giving me anxiety trying to find the right school for him where he will be happy and not bullied.

I'd say probably Chace community for special needs