Christ's College Finchley

About Christ's College Finchley

Christ's College Finchley is a mixed state secondary in Barnet that serves a genuinely diverse intake. With 990 pupils on roll against a capacity of 1007, the school is running very close to full. Its 27.9 per cent of pupils eligible for free school meals is significantly above the national average for secondary schools, indicating the school serves a high proportion of families facing financial disadvantage. Demand is strong: for the 2025/26 admissions cycle, the school received 670 applications for 159 places, an oversubscription ratio of 4.21 to one, and 107 families put it as their first preference, of whom 92 were offered a place. The school has no religious character, so admissions are not tied to faith criteria. Headteacher Ruth Hill leads a school that, in its most recent ungraded Ofsted inspection, was judged to have improved significantly since its previous graded inspection, and it now holds a Good rating overall.

Academically, Christ's College Finchley is performing well above the national average. Its Progress 8 score of 0.7 is rated 'well above average' and sits above the Barnet local authority average of 0.6. That places the school 13th out of 28 secondary schools in the borough, and 282nd out of 3141 schools nationally, putting it in the top nine per cent of all schools in England. The Attainment 8 score is 55.2, and 78.5 per cent of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths. The school also has a strong EBacc entry rate of 65 per cent, with 45.4 per cent achieving the EBacc at grade 4 or above. In the sixth form, the school's value added score is 0.08, classed as average, and students achieved an average of 35.08 points per entry, equivalent to a B- grade. The best three A-levels averaged a C+ grade.

The school offers a broad range of facilities including a library, ICT suite, gymnasium, theatre, science labs, a sixth form centre and a chapel. Sports on offer include rugby, rowing, athletics, tennis, hockey, dance and rounders, while clubs range from orchestra and Model UN to gardening, eco club and debate. SEND provision is extensive, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate to profound learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, hearing and visual impairments, and autistic spectrum disorder. Parent views are largely positive: 87 per cent of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that their child is happy, and 89 per cent that their child feels safe. 83 per cent would recommend the school. This is a popular, oversubscribed school that combines strong academic progress with a genuinely inclusive intake, making it a solid choice for families in Barnet who want a state secondary with a thriving sixth form.

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