Harpenden secondaries - honest views please

[bananaskins]

My brother is moving back to the area later this year and is likely to be applying for a secondary place for his ds next October 2010.

I've lived between St Albans and Harpenden for some years but my dcs are too small for me to know much about the secondaries - he is looking at the area near Sir John Lawes/St Georges. He's a churchgoer - a genuine and enthusiastic one - so in theory St Georges seems a good bet, but I'm not so sure about the head, seems to like the publicity a bit much for my liking. I don't know Sir JL at all but seems to get good reports. I know Roundwood primary quite well through friends but not the secondary.

He's also mentioned St Columbas - private - in St Albans but I know a few mums with boys there and I've had mixed reports (though he is quite keen from the pov of a Christian element).

Any views?

I know what you mean about the publicity-loving head - hardly a week goes by without another story in the local papers....

Mine still are too young, but we'll be going for St G. because of the church-going, but also the results. I base a lot of my feeling from what I see the local children in uniforms getting up to. Sir J L has the current best ofstead, but the pupils never seem as well behaved when out 'in public'.

My colleagues DS goes to Sir JL, and she's very happy with it. I can enquire more if you like ?

Thanks both for replying, I think the head at St Georges just seems to drum up so much publicity along the lines of everyone fights to get their dcs in, it makes it difficult to be objective?

I'd be very interested to hear anything more about Sir JL. I get the feeling Harpenden residents are maybe a bit spoilt for choice, from what I can gather no-one ever seems to be unhappy with their school.

it's right, we are spoilt for choice with all 3 secondaries. That's why we all pay so much for houses here! (I sound like an estate agent now...)