Secondary schools for boys in Camden - any recommendations?

[sunshinecity]

My sister is moving back to London and will be living in Kentish Town. She is looking for a secondary school for her DS, currently in Y8.

Does anyone have any recommendations for particular schools. She's looked at the league tables etc but I've told her that in my experience you don't always get what's written on the packet iyswim.

I am reasonably savvy on north London schools but don't know anyone with dc in Camden so would be really grateful for any opinions and recommendations. My nephew is quite a social chap, good at languages (fluent in Spanish), loves soccer and pretty bright but not a swot/nerd.

Thanks for any help!

Hopeful bump?!

private or state?

I think the best of the state schools is considered to be William ellis (which is a boys only school). It is very musical iirc.

There are loads of private schools too though

State school, mixed or single sex please!

Pollyanna, do you know any boys at William Ellis? On paper it doesn't look too hot, but rhen I know that's not always the best judgement of a school.

I know 3 boys who went to William Ellis from private prep school. They are now doing A levels at La Swap. They have done alright. Academically not as well as the others who went onto the independents, but none have gone off the rails.

Thanks.
Anyone have experience on the mixed schools such as Haverstock or Acland Burghley?

wouldn't touch haverstock with a barge pole. I only know people who went to acland burghley in the 70's. She went to school reunion a couple of years ago and quite a few had been in prison, had problems with drugs etc, But that was a long time ago and probably the same at any inner city comp.

Hampstead school is ok, but the wrong side of camden for your sister.

I have a friend whose son is at Acland Burghley - it has a mixed reputation. It's good in terms of dance/drama/art but not brilliant in other areas. Also, I've heard quite a lot about bullying and gang issues (particularly older kids hanging around outside at the end of the school day waiting to cause trouble).

I'd lean towards William Ellis rather than Acland Burghley - it's improving I believe and gets better results than Acland Burghley. It's where most of the boys in my daughter's primary school class will be going for secondary.

I didn't know anyone specifically, but we lived in the area for 15 years and knew of it by reputation, and from friends of friends. I would have sent my ds there I think had we still been living there.

Acland Burghley scares me - we lived very close to it and the children were quite terrifying!

the milliband brothers went to Haverstock didn't they? I would steer clear of it tbh.

Well, my sister has been living out of london for quite a while and would be at the thought of gangs at the school gates. But tbh the look of some of the boys coming out of one of the "desirable" comps near me (other part of north london) is pretty scary to me and I'm used to the urban vibe and know that the school is not that bad.

Even my nephew would probably be at the thought of a milliband school gate gang!

Rockinsock is your friend's ds learning much at Aclan Burgley, other than dance and art? Do you know if he is happy there?

Well, my sister has been living out of london for quite a while and would be at the thought of gangs at the school gates. But tbh the look of some of the boys coming out of one of the "desirable" comps near me (other part of north london) is pretty scary and I'm used to the urban vibe and know that the school is not that bad.

Sounds like Haverstock should only be a fall back option.
And even my nephew would probably be at the thought of a milliband school gate gang!

Rockinsock is your friend's ds learning much at Aclan Burgley, other than dance and art? Do you know if he is happy there?

Both my children go to Acland Burghley, are very happy there and are doing well. I'm really pleased with our choice.

I live opposite the school and have never seen/heard of any gangs loitering about. Gordon Brown's wife Sarah is an ex-pupil and opened the new performing arts block last year, which is fab. Staff dedicated and Headmaster very approachable.

I looked around William Ellis and wasn't keen at all, found it to be stuffy and old fashioned. It also has financial problems, I believe.

Thanks Malovitt, how do you find the school in terms of dealing with different ability levels etc. Do they stream the kids or is it everyone altogether?

Also, what do you mean by financial problems with William Ellis? I thought all state schools were funded by the local council - or is it something to do with vouluntary aided status?

They are streamed in Acland Burghley from Year 8 in maths and languages, and in most other subjects from Year 9. Their work is assessed at the end of every term and they can move up a group if they have improved.

William Ellis has its fair share of 'terrifying' children, Pollyanna. I had to call the police this week when I saw one of their pupils attacking another younger boy. I think that's one of the reasons that I wasn't keen for my boys to go there, as every disruptive and unruly child in their year in primary school went on to Ellis, and all the cool arty creative kids went to Burghley. There's no school uniform either, which I like.

Ellis had a debt of £500,00 last year, caused by financial mismanagement concerning a new boiler system. It is thought that the school simply forgot to pay for the boiler and mistakenly spent the money on other projects.
The head resigned and there was talk of increasing class sizes and cutting support staff to save money. A lot of the parents were extremely worried. Not sure of the position now though.

There's not much between them academically now, Ofsted and league tables quite similar.

Malovitt, really interested to hear your experience. We live near AB as well, and I'd always been slightly about the general atmosphere of the kids hanging round the corner shop opposite the tube station. We were thinking of it as a backup in case he didn't get into other options.

But when we went to see it, I really liked the school -- very funky, relaxed atmosphere, lots of very dynamic teaching. Yes, it's a bit rough round the edges in places, but I liked the fact that they clearly hadn't just picked the high achievers to show parents round. The kids seemed really relaxed and enthusiastic about teh school.

I was also really impressed with the regular target-setting for each child. The only thing I wasn't that keen on was the fact that dc can only do one modern language -- WE is better in this respect.

Both of our girls are very happy at Haverstock (Y7 and Y9) and we are very pleased with our choice. Both are making good progress. The school seems well run and the teachers very committed. Behaviour management is effective and citizenship skills (eg help in the community, volunteering, charity fundraising) are strongly encouraged.

They have a good after schools program, with sport and arts catered for, especially with their link to the Roundhouse. Their football team has just won the under 14's FA Cup.

We would strongly recommend Haverstock to other parents in the area.

UCL Academy NW3? co-ed and sponsored by the University

Papermover, all the Acland Burghley parents I know are strongly supportive of the school, even though the recent change and disruption.

The school have now recruited a permanent headteacher to start in SEptember, and there seem to be very strong middle- and senior-management teams in place, so I'd say things were looking good. Obv it is an urban comprehensive school, so there will always be people who are squeamish and precious about that. But there's no reason why an able child shouldn't do as well there as anywhere else, and have a more down-to-earth and less pressured experience as well.

We have a dd going into Y7 in Sept, and we chose Parliament Hill over ABS, simply because we liked it so much, and possibly because of the uncertainty around the headteacher for Acland Burghley at that point. But ABS was a strong second choice, and I'd have been perfectly happy for her to go there.

This is a Zombie thread it was started in 2009. I imagine things have changed in the last 6 years.

You wouldn't get into UCL academy from NW5