Highgate Wood Secondary School

About Highgate Wood Secondary School

If you’re a parent weighing up Highgate Wood Secondary School, the first thing you’ll notice is that it’s in high demand. For the 2025/26 admissions round, the school received 886 applications for 229 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 3.87. That means nearly four families applied for every spot, and of the 215 who put it as their first preference, 161 were offered a place. That level of competition suggests a strong local reputation, though it’s worth noting that the school doesn’t publish a parent-view survey score, so you’ll need to rely on other signals. The school is a mixed, non-religious state secondary in Haringey, with a headteacher, Patrick Cozier, leading a large roll of 1,543 pupils — slightly above its official capacity of 1,465. Around a fifth of pupils (20.5%) are eligible for free school meals, which is above the national average and gives a sense of the school’s inclusive intake.

Academically, Highgate Wood is a solid performer, though not the strongest in its borough. Its Progress 8 score of 0.26 is rated ‘Above average’ nationally, meaning pupils typically achieve about a quarter of a grade more per subject than similar pupils across England. However, that’s slightly below the Haringey local authority average of 0.33, and it places the school 8th out of 12 secondary schools in the borough. At GCSE, 70.2% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths, and the Attainment 8 score sits at 50.8. The EBacc average point score is 4.41, with 26.3% of pupils entering the EBacc combination of subjects. In the sixth form, the picture is stronger: the value-added score is 0.27, also rated ‘Above average’, and the average points per entry is 35.11, equivalent to a B- grade. The best three A-levels average out at a B-, and 15.2% of entries achieved AAB or higher.

The school’s facilities are generous for a state school, including a swimming pool, sports hall, playing fields, tennis courts, and a dedicated sixth form centre. There’s also a chapel, music rooms, science labs, and a library. Clubs and activities are varied, with options like the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, Model United Nations, debate, gardening, and science club. For pupils with additional needs, the school lists support for a wide range of conditions, including dyslexia, autism, speech and language needs, and physical disabilities. If you’re comparing options in Haringey, the nearest Outstanding-rated school is Alexandra Park School, 2.3 km away, which also tops the local Progress 8 rankings. Highgate Wood is a good fit for families who want a large, well-equipped comprehensive with a strong sixth form and a genuinely mixed intake, but who are comfortable with it sitting in the middle of the local league table.

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