Highgate Wood School, anyone?

[Valhallarama]

Hi, we are currently starting the secondary school selection nightmare, and I wondered if there is anyone out there with a child at Highgate Wood School. We've heard very good reports about what a nice place it is for kids, but are very concerned about the academic standards. Will DD do OK there, do you think? She is averagely bright and will definitely need help to get her through GCSEs etc with decent grades. Or should we go the private route and flog her through entrance exams?

I don't know anyone with DC at the school at the moment but do know a number of parents who are sending their dc to HW this september.
These are parents who a few years ago wouldn't have considered the school but it seems to have been improving year on year and becoming more desirable.

I think with all of these decent, but not outstanding, schools you should plan on providing some tutoring around GCSE time and would need to make sure that your child is working consistently in the early years. I don't think the school will push your dd so if she is the type that needs a little extra incentive then you need to keep an eye that she is not just doing the bare minimum and getting away with it.

Private schools in this area have got extremely competitive so unless you are planning on extensive tutoring it may be difficult to get an averagely bright dd a place.

hth

What creditcrunched said. I know a number of dc locally from ambitious middle-class families who will transfer there in Sept, so it seems like a school on the up.

People who want private but not the pushy exam thing tend to go for St Martha's in Hadley Wood or King Alfreds. The competition for both state and private highly-selective schools (including the traditionally less pushy options like Highgate and Channing) was ferocious this year, and can't see it getting better any time soon.

As long as your dd is reasonably motivated and you keep your eye on the ball, I'd have thought it should be fine.

Thanks! Any info about King Alfred's? We've been thinking about Northbridge House in Camden as well.

King Alfred's is a completely different type of school. I can't advise but I think there are a number of posts on here about it. If your dd is at a standard primary and doing fine, then I imagine it would be quite a change.

As for NBH, I know some children who go there and love it. But tbh, if you're worried about academic standards then I'm not sure its worth all the cost vs HW. If you have a conscientious DD then she's likely to do just as well at HW. If she's more the lazy-type and easily influenced by her peer group, then NBH might be a better choice.

Sorry, just to be clear when I said she would do just as well as at HW, I meant if she also had tutoring and lots of parental support.

I have a friend who works at Highgate Wood and she has good things to say about it. you get a mix of children for sure but she speaks highly of the teachers.