Finchley has some fantastic secondary schools – a fact which brings many families into the area. If you’re considering moving to Finchley, here’s some more information about the top performing schools, and the catchment area they’re situated in.
St Michael’s Catholic Grammar School
St Michael’s Catholic Grammar School has got a formidable reputation; not just in Finchley, but across the capital. It has a 100% pass-rate for GCSEs (the national average is 60%), and unsurprisingly, in its last OFSTED inspection, was rated as ‘outstanding’.
The all-girls school is situated on Nether Street in North Finchley. The admission policy states that it gives preference to practicing Catholic students, but in the event of over-subscription, prioritises those who live nearest the school.
Catchment area
If you’re keen for your daughter to go to St Michael’s Catholic Grammar School, then you should search for property around the Nether Street area. For example, there are some attractive Victorian terraced and semi-detached houses on Hutton Grove, and some spacious 1920s semi-detached homes on Nether Street itself.
Some houses have been sub-divided into apartments, which is the ideal option for those on a budget. Woodside Park has some appealing purpose-built flats too. In terms of price, expect to pay anything from £500,000 for a spacious three-bedroomed apartment, to £2.5 million for a large detached family home.
Wren Academy
This academy-led, co-sponsored, all-through school is another popular choice. Situated on Hilton Avenue in North Finchley, it accepts both boys and girls, and has an 88% GCSE pass-rate; again, much higher than the national average. It’s a larger school than St Michael’s, and in its last OFSTED inspection, was also rated as ‘outstanding’.
Wren Academy serves the Christian community of the area, but does accept students from other faiths. It also takes home addresses into account when selecting its intake, so if you’re keen to send your child here, it’s a good idea to live within the catchment area.
Anywhere around Woodhouse Road is likely to be well situated. There are some great apartments in the vicinity (for example at Caxton Court) which are competitively priced, at £375,000 upwards. Torrington Grove has some attractive new-builds for around £500,000, or for a larger family home, check out the semi-detached 1930s properties on Friern Park.
Finchley Catholic High School
Finchley Catholic High School is a boys-only establishment. It has an 80% pass-rate, and on its last OFSTED inspection, was rated ‘good’. Like St Michael’s, it gives priority to students who are baptised Catholics, but also takes into account the proximity of the child’s home address to the school.
It’s located on Woodside Lane, which has some excellent homes in the vicinity. Ridgeview Road is close by, and has some relatively modern semi-detached houses, which are priced at around £600,000. You’ll find some good-sized flats on Woodside Lane itself, and on neighbouring Woodside Grove. If you’re looking for a larger property, Holden Road may be a good place to start your search, as it’s home to some generously proportioned townhouses.