Copthall School

About Copthall School

Copthall School is a girls' secondary school in the London borough of Barnet, a local authority with a strong reputation for secondary education. Among the 28 same-type schools ranked in the borough, Copthall sits at 17th place by Progress 8 score, placing it in the top 25 per cent nationally. Its Progress 8 score of 0.44 is above the national average, though it falls below the Barnet local authority average of 0.6. The top-performing peers in the borough include Menorah High School for Girls, The Totteridge Academy, and Queen Elizabeth's School, Barnet, all of which post notably higher Progress 8 scores. Copthall is a non-denominational school with no religious character, and it operates as a state-funded girls' school for pupils aged 11 to 18. The school is led by headteacher Maria Winters and currently has 861 pupils on roll against a capacity of 1,200, meaning there is some room for growth.

Academically, Copthall's most recent Ofsted inspection in November 2023 confirmed it remains a Good school, a significant improvement from its previous Requires Improvement rating in 2016. The school's Progress 8 score of 0.44 is rated as 'Above average' nationally, with particularly strong progress in English at 0.81, while maths progress sits at 0.29 and EBacc progress at 0.46. At Key Stage 4, 68.5 per cent of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths, and 31.5 per cent achieved the EBacc at grade 4 or above. The school's Attainment 8 score is 48.7, and its EBacc average point score is 4.53. At sixth form, the school has 70 students and a value-added score of -0.1, which is rated as 'Average'. The average points per entry at A-level is 26.04, equivalent to a grade of C-, and the best three A-levels average out at a C- grade as well.

Copthall offers a broad range of facilities including a theatre, swimming pool, sports hall, tennis courts, art studios, and a dedicated sixth form centre. The school provides support for a wide range of special educational needs, including dyslexia, moderate and severe learning difficulties, social and emotional mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. For the 2025/26 admissions cycle, the school was oversubscribed, receiving 201 total applications for 125 places, with 59 first-preference offers made. This oversubscription ratio of 1.61 suggests strong local demand. Families considering Copthall should note its strong progress in English and its above-average Progress 8 score, balanced against a sixth form that performs at the average level. The school's location in Barnet means it competes with several higher-performing peers, but its improved Ofsted rating and solid GCSE outcomes make it a credible choice for families seeking a girls' state school with good facilities and a supportive SEND framework.

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