Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Secondary School Recommendations/Admissions
I know I'm beginning to think about this about a year ahead of when I need to but I'm beginning to ponder the options for secondary school for No. 1 son.....
We had a wretched time with the primary school admission process (had to wait 2.5 years for a school place within walking distance) so any recommendations around the quality of schools and the admissions process for secondary schools would be very useful.
We live on Umfreville Road so I am anticipating that we would end up being offered a place at Park View although Gladesmore would be easier to access by overground. Has anyone on the ladder managed to get a place there? Or does anyone have anything good or bad to say about Park View? Hornsey School for Girls is out (he won't go to school in a dress no matter how much I bribe him) and as a non-believer, I am not keen on religious schools.
Any information gratefully accepted.......
Tags for Forum Posts: schools
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Antoinette on
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Ahhhh...thanks! Learned something new today...:-)
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Permalink Reply by Protheroe O'Shea on
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Don't worry. They are all going to be equally shite what with all these nasty cuts. Might I suggest you sign this petition... https://www.change.org/p/stop-school-funding-cuts-all-our-children-...
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My eldest child is at HSG and my youngest (a boy) is at Park View. I can certainly recommend HSG but tbh I still feel somewhat ambivalent about Park View even though he is in Yr 8 . A large part of this is probably down to the temperament of the child which is something you need to take into consideration.
One thing to be aware of is that at open days/evenings and taster days, the schools will do their utmost to impress the children - usually by burning magnesium in the science lab!
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Oh I'm fully aware of the gloss of open days...but that's only as much as I would expect...if they didn't want to impress, that would be really slack...my view of Park View has been coloured by the fact that when I took my son to a soccer school there, I had to break up a fight in the car park. Other grown ups who may or may not have been teachers just walked by and ignored it. Boys will be boys I know, but it didn't give me a warm, fluffy feeling.
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Not something I want on my son's curriculum. I raised a lover not a fighter ;-)
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Permalink Reply by JulieB on
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My son is statemented so I started looking really early (in his year 4). I discounted Park View after speaking to the Deputy head who said they wouldn't be able to support his needs, but I know a lot of children who have gone there in the last few years and they are all doing very well and really enjoy the school.
I discounted Heartlands for my son, but I really liked it as a school. I'm not sure if the Ladder is in its catchment but I know a couple of children who go there and really like it.
I was impressed with IAMS and heard some good reports on it. It is much smaller than most of the other secondary schools and facilities and the staff I met were great. It does get very mixed reviews, but I'd say it's worth a visit. It used to be a different school (sorry I can't remember what it was called) and it had a dreadful reputation and I think this is hard to shake off. I did hear lots of good things about Islington's education dept which IAMS comes under.
We could have got into Gladesmore with a statement but not on distance, it's too far away for us. We're close to Chestnuts Park, so probably too far away for you too.
In terms of choice, you only really have a choice if the school is not oversubscribed - so like you say not really much of a choice. There is the waiting list option and I do know a few families who have waited it out and were offered a place at their preferred choice just before the end of year 6 - it's a bit of a risk because your child could miss out on the school visits and settling in day.The final thing I'd say is, if you have time, go to the evening sessions and a daytime one at your preferred school. The evening ones are when the big show and Head Teacher's talks happen so important to see, but I think you get to see more of a normal school day if you go in the daytime visits.
We eventually got into our first choice but it was a fight even with a statement. It took me 6 months of research, finding help, building a case and doing quite a lot of paperwork for a tribunal. But my son absolutely loves his school and is making great progress so worth all the hard work. However, I have no idea what will happen with the proposed funding changes. I think all schools in Haringey will loose a massive amount of money - very worrying times.
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That's all really helpful Julie. My son is going to be tested to see if he's on the autism spectrum (he's waiting the Stage 2 assessment) but they've already intimated that if on the spectrum at all, his is a mild case and he is unlikely to be statemented. When you say that the Deputy Head at Park View had said they were unlikely to be able to meet your son's needs, what was he referring to specifically? (If you don't mind my asking).
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No I don't mind you asking at all.
My son has mild learning difficulties (along with global development delays, sensory processing problems and some physical difficulties) but is able to learn, we wanted him to be in main stream classes with TA support where needed. This is how he was taught in primary and we wanted this to continue in secondary. I spoke to PVs deputy head when my son was in year 4 and I'd started looking, then the Senco a year later to double check. They both said they wouldn't be able to provide this support in mainstream classes for him.
Gladesmore would provide this support but only up until year 9. If he still needed support after this he would have had to be transferred to a special school.I'd be happy to chat to you about statementing (it took us over 2 yrs to get ours, but the council did apologise in the end because it really shouldn't have taken them that long) and our experience if you like and think it would help - just send me a PM.
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Thanks so much for the offer. I very well may take you up on that once we've had our assessment (if we ever get an appointment).
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You could ask Markfield Community Centre for advice as they advise parents of children with SEN and Statements on a range of issues, including issues relating to schools, and they may be able to feedback which ones have reported good and bad experiences.
A friend of mine whose son was statemented had a terrible time at Heartlands.
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Yes seconding the Markfield Project, they were great and very helpful in our appeal.
Heartlands wasn't right for my son, they wouldn't have put in him any mainstream classes.
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My son is in Year 10 at Greig City Academy and we have always been very happy with the school academically. He is happy there and the teachers are unbelievably hard-working and take a real interest in your child. My son came home at 7.30pm every night last week - he was staying at school to work on a robot which a team was taking to Birmingham to compete in the national robotics final. They left at 5am last Friday and came back at 7pm on the Saturday. All the time teachers were also on the school site into the evening and in Birmingham with them. This is not untypical.
They introduced a Classics and Latin GCSE course recently and they have a fleet of boats (possibly I mean yachts, I'm not a sailor myself). It's very innovative and on the new progress 8 scores they do really well, in the top 2% in the country in some aspects. But lovely, kind and caring staff also, as well as the academic focus.
We are not religious at all and it's a non issue at the school. There is no priority given to 'church' places, hardly anyone takes a place on that basis - and anyone expecting a traditional Church of England school would be sorely disappointed. There is someone from everywhere there and numerous different faiths and non.
I volunteer in the school library sometimes and I never want to stop; even when my son has left I hope they will still let me volunteer. It's a such a positive place to be.
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