Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Secondary admissions
Just wondered if anyone had any thoughts on secondary schools in the area? Am applying at the end of the month for my daughter. Grieg City, Heartlands and Hornsey School for Girls are the realistic options. I've looked at them all but would appreciate the thoughts of anyone whose children attend those schools. Thanks!
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by DavidJ on
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We have just had our son finish at Heartlands, daughter HSG a couple of years ago. Both enjoyed them and did well. Both went to 6th form elsewhere - it is worth bearing in mind that at 6th form level the whole system opens up and regardless of address anyone with 'OK' GCSEs will have a lot of choice - including the apparently sought after APS, Fortismere . . . but also a lot of local youngsters go to Woodhouse and C and Islington where they often do extremely well.
I agree with the comment above - with hindsight all that year 6 angst about schools looks a bit daft.
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Permalink Reply by Angela on
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What makes you say that? Apart from anything else, if you live in Harringay your child will not get in to Fortismere as it's about 3 miles away. This year the distance of the last child offered a place there was 0.5317 of a mile.
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Permalink Reply by Karen Alexander on
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Fortismere simply isn't an option for us in Harringay. It was somewhere we would have liked our kids to go to while they were at primary school but having seen a few of our friends kids go through there we became decidedly unimpressed. Kids that don't make their high GSCE bar simply get kicked out at 6th Form level and AS level, it happened to our friends - not a nice way to treat kids who have spent 5 years there.
Heartlands is a great school, I was on the governing board for a few years and was hugely impressed. However, if you live further south than Seymour Road there isn't much chance of getting in.
Greig City Academy works with kids from poorer performing primaries in Tottenham. The level they bring these kids up to is nothing less than astonishing. These kids achieve through the fantastic teaching and support not years of extra tutoring (as is the norm at Fortismere). A brilliant school and a brilliant choice.
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Permalink Reply by Emma S on
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I quite agree Karen. It's not actually that impressive to get 70/80% grades A to C at gcse when everyone has a tutor! I'M always more interested in seeing the value added info. Good to know about Heartlands as that's the one my daughter wants to go to. To be honest, I found it a bit corporate and they came across as a bit arrogant at the open evening during the speeches at the beginning but am sure it's fine!
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Karen, this year the distance of the last child offered a place at Heartlands was 0.877 which according to a distance calculator I used meant Hampden Road was the cut off point - unless you have an older child already there. Or the other 2 criteria applied (60 siblings places, 21 looked after children/children with SEN statements)
Greig City have arranged visits for Year 5 & 6 pupils from NHP recently. I've no idea if it's to promote the school or just to give them an idea of what life at secondary school is like but they certainly have been impressed.
GC is a faith school which may be factor in some parents not applying.
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Although it is a faith school it actually has children from many faith and cultural backgrounds so is extremely diverse from that point of view.
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Permalink Reply by sparkle on
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It's worth getting the exact measurement from the council to see if you have a chance though. I've had a distance given by Haringey admissions which puts us within the 'catchment' based on last year, and I live on Lausanne rd- towards the Wightman end. 0.8212/mile was the measurement I was given.
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Hi Emma. You've another Greig City fan here. I agree with what Helen has said. I have a son in Year 9 who is doing very well there. He mentions the girls in his classes and it doesn't seem particularly imbalanced gender-wise. It's an aspirational school. I took my Year 6 child to the open evening and he liked the atmosphere - there was a fun murder mystery in the English department. He'd like to know other kids who might go there.
There seems plenty for both sexes. The school does well in debating, there's an entrepreneurs' group. My Year 9 son is in a band and last year it had girls and boys in it. There are lots of choirs. I don't really understand what stops parents visiting it. There are plenty of activities with the local primaries - there was a poetry collaboration I remember - so the kids are familiar with it. It would be great if local people would talk from experience. Our kids and their teachers are proud of their school and deserve respect for their justifiable pride.
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Thank you. I was impressed with all the activities they do. I agree, my daughter was there doing the entrepreneur quiz earlier this year. Will see if she'll come and have a look round with me.
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Permalink Reply by Mark Whitehead on
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I'm a governor at Greig and would endorse the positive comments about the school. There is an open morning this Friday (October 16) at 9am which is open to all, so please come along and see for yourself. Or you can call the school and make an appointment to look around. You might also find two of the school blogs interesting - one about the sailing club and one about the Classics Club (GCA is the only state school in Haringey offering Latin).
http://gcasailing.com/
http://gcaclassicsclub.blogspot.co.uk/
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Interesting discussion - I hadn't considered Grieg for some reason, but I'm going to take a proper look at it before the deadline now.
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Hi Edel. Have a look on the website for the date of the final open morning and if that doesn't work for you the Vice Principal who came to our primary said to call the school and arrange a time. Check out the lovely sailing boat in the front!!
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