Three north London schools sit in the top eight in the country for GCSE results, according to a new national ranking — with two Barnet grammars in the top five.
The Telegraph crunched the latest GCSE results and compiled its list using nine separate criteria, adding up to a maximum score of 40. Each school is then rated “very good”, “good”, “fair”, “below average” or “poor” according to how it compares with the average school across the country.
The headline measure is the share of pupils gaining a grade 7 or higher — the equivalent of an old A grade — in English and maths GCSE. It is a tough benchmark: a grade 7 is awarded to roughly the top fifth of entries nationally, so a school where most pupils clear it is doing something unusual.
Three schools in the top eight
Henrietta Barnett School in Hampstead Garden Suburb was ranked fourth in the country. The highly selective girls’ grammar school achieved a 39 out of 40 rating, with 100 per cent of pupils gaining a 7 or higher in English and maths GCSE.
Queen Elizabeth’s School in Barnet came fifth in the UK-wide ranking. The highly selective Barnet grammar school, which recently earned a glowing report from Ofsted inspectors, also earned a 39 out of 40 rating of “very good”, with 96.9 per cent of pupils achieving a 7 or higher in English and maths GCSE.
The Latymer School in Edmonton, a boys’ grammar school, was ranked eighth, with a 39 out of 40 score and a “very good” rating. An impressive 86.8 per cent of its students achieved a 7 or higher in English and maths GCSE.
Above them all, Dame Alice Owens School in Potters Bar came third in the UK with a perfect 40 out of 40 score. The partially selective secondary originated in Islington before moving to Hertfordshire after 360 years, and is attended by pupils from Barnet, Enfield, Hertfordshire and Islington. This year, 67.5 per cent of its pupils gained a 7 or higher in English and maths GCSE. Potters Bar is in Hertfordshire, not London — but the school’s historic Islington roots and its large north London intake keep it firmly part of the capital’s school story.
Non-selective schools also make the top 100
The ranking is not only a story about selective grammars. Three non-selective north London schools also made the top 100, and their results look very different when judged against their intakes.
Mossbourne Community Academy in Downs Park Road, Clapton, came 81st on the Telegraph list. The Hackney school scored 37 out of 40 and a “very good” rating, with 47 per cent of pupils achieving a 7 or higher in English and maths GCSE.
Alexandra Park School in Muswell Hill came 87th. The non-selective community school also gained a 37 out of 40 score and a “very good” rating, with 34.1 per cent of pupils gaining a 7 or higher in English and maths GCSE.
Michaela Community School in Wembley Park was ranked 99th, with a “very good” rating and a score of 36 out of 40. The school, which opened in 2014 and is headed by co-founder Katharine Birbalsingh, saw 82 per cent of pupils achieve a 7 or higher in English and maths GCSE.
That contrast matters. A selective grammar admits pupils on academic ability, so high GCSE scores are expected. A non-selective school takes children of all abilities from its local area — so when almost half its pupils, or more than four in five, clear the grade-7 bar, it is a different kind of achievement. The table ranks schools side by side, but the intakes behind the numbers are not the same.
Grammar schools elsewhere in London continue to draw praise from inspectors too. Another London grammar, Beths in Bexley, was praised by Ofsted in a report published this week.
