Northwood School
95%
Capacity
1,031
Pupils
4.4x
Demand
About Northwood School
Parents considering Northwood School will find strong reassurance in its parent survey results. Of the 73 families who responded to the Ofsted Parent View questionnaire between September 2024 and September 2025, a striking 92% said they would recommend the school to other parents. That confidence is backed up by the numbers on individual questions: 92% of respondents either agreed or strongly agreed that their child is happy at the school, and 94% felt their child is safe. The school is also clearly in high demand locally. For entry in the 2025/26 academic year, Northwood received 760 applications for 172 places, an oversubscription ratio of 4.42 to one. Of those, 203 families put it as their first preference, and 137 of those first-preference applicants were offered a place. That level of competition suggests a school that local families trust and want to get into.
Academically, Northwood School is performing well above the national average. Its Progress 8 score of 0.76 places it in the 'well above average' banding, meaning pupils here make significantly more progress between Year 7 and Year 11 than pupils with similar starting points nationally. That score also puts the school second out of 21 secondary schools in Hillingdon, and in the top 7% nationally. The Attainment 8 score sits at 56.7, and 84% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in both English and maths. The school also has a strong focus on the English Baccalaureate, with 80.6% of pupils entered for the EBacc combination of subjects. At A-level, the picture is more mixed. The school's value-added score of -0.18 is within the 'average' banding, and the average points per entry of 36.3 equates to a B- grade. The sixth form was rated Good in the school's most recent Ofsted inspection.
The school is well equipped to support a broad range of pupils. Facilities include a swimming pool, astro turf, sports hall, science labs, art studios, a library and a dedicated sixth form centre. There is a wide selection of extracurricular clubs, from Model UN and Debate to the Duke of Edinburgh's Award and Young Enterprise. The school also lists a substantial number of SEND provisions, covering areas such as specific learning difficulties, speech and language needs, hearing and visual impairments, and autistic spectrum disorder. However, the parent view data on SEND support is worth noting: of the 16% of respondents who said their child has SEND, 42% disagreed or strongly disagreed that the school gives them the support they need, while 58% agreed or strongly agreed. Northwood is a non-denominational, mixed secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 18, with headteacher Mehul Shah. It is one of only four schools in Hillingdon rated Outstanding by Ofsted, and its popularity means it will suit families who are prepared to navigate a competitive admissions process.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 18 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | None |
| Address | Pinner Road, Northwood, Hillingdon, HA6 1QN |
| Headteacher | Mehul Shah |
| Local Authority | Hillingdon |
| Number of Pupils | 1,031 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 19.2% |
| School Capacity | 1,031 / 1,080 (95% full) |
| Sixth Form | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
9 Oct 2024Overall Effectiveness
Outstanding
Latest inspection (9 Oct 2024): Standards maintained
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 5 Nov 2018. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (+0.76)
218th of 3,141
Nationally
86th of 487
In London
2nd of 21
In Hillingdon
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make significantly more progress than similar students nationally
Attainment 8 (vs national avg)
Students achieve significantly higher grades than the national average
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. Progress 8 compares to students with similar Key Stage 2 results.
A-Level Results
2023/24Average Points per Entry
Value Added Score
Best 3 A-Levels (Average)
'21/22
40.4
'22/23
39.9
'23/24
36.3
Source: Department for Education 16-18 Performance Tables, 2023/24. Value Added measures progress compared to students with similar GCSE results.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/2351%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 178 pupils).
- School sixth form (stay)51%
- FE college32%
- Sixth form college6%
- Not sustained4%
- Employment2%
- Apprenticeship1%
93% of leavers had a sustained destination 6 months on.
Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance, KS4 pupil destinations 2022/23 (revised). Only state-funded schools are required to report.
Where school leavers go
2022/2376%
of A-level / Level 3 leavers go to higher education (cohort: 45 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
15%
Russell Group
15%
Top-third HE
4%
Oxford / Cambridge
Percentages of the whole cohort (not just HE-goers). Russell Group = 24 elite research universities. Top-third HE = top by mean UCAS tariff.
- University (HE)76%
- Apprenticeship7%
- Employment7%
- Further education2%
- Not sustained2%
Sources: DfE 16-18 destination measures (broad bucket); DfE KS5 student destinations file (Russell Group / top-third HE / Oxbridge). Level 3 cohort. “Sustained” means the pupil was in education, apprenticeship or employment for 6 months in the year following completion.
Sixth form A-level subjects
2022/23- Mathematics26
- Biology20
- Chemistry16
- Physics16
- Psychology15
- Geography12
- Business Studies:Single11
- Computer Studies / Computing11
- History8
- Spanish7
- English Literature6
- Mathematics (Further)6
Subjects with at least 3 entries in 2022/23. Number shown next to each subject is the number of pupils who sat that A-level exam — a rough indicator of subject popularity at this school. Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance.
Ofsted Parent View
73 responsesWould Recommend This School
Source: Ofsted Parent View (GOV.UK statistical data), Sep – Sep 2025
SEND Support
Resourced ProvisionSource: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
7Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
18Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed172
760
High Demand
Competitive - many more applications than places available
203 families put this school as their 1st choice (27% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
School day
Teaching hours
08:30 – 15:00
Source: northwoodschool.org.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
Class profile
2024/25Better than 75% of schools in England.
Better than 75% of schools in England.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Below the national average (25%).
Among the highest 25% — a diverse linguistic intake.
Ethnic background
- Asian31.5%
- White British27.5%
- Mixed13.5%
- White (other)12.6%
- Black0.3%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/25Half of schools in England do better than this.
Half of schools in England do better than this.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Like most schools in England, no pupils were permanently excluded this year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
8
Total schools
6
Oversubscribed
5
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
Frequently Asked Questions About Northwood School
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
Understanding Progress 8
Learn how Progress 8 measures pupil progress from primary to GCSE
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Understanding School Catchment Areas
How admission distances work and tips for maximising your choices
Contact Information
Pinner Road, Northwood
Hillingdon, HA6 1QN
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
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