Saracens High School

About Saracens High School

Saracens High School in Barnet delivers a Progress 8 score of 0.42, which is above the national average but sits below the local authority average of 0.6 for secondary schools. That gap of 0.18 points is notable — it means the average pupil here makes about two months less academic progress across eight subjects than their peers in other Barnet state secondaries. However, the school’s Progress 8 banding is still classified as “Above average” nationally, and it ranks 21st out of 28 schools in the borough, placing it in the top 25% of schools across England. Given that Barnet is a high-performing London borough with six Outstanding-rated secondaries, being slightly behind the LA average is less a mark of weakness and more a reflection of the competitive local landscape. The school’s attainment 8 score of 55 and its 85.2% basics 9-4 pass rate in English and maths show solid academic foundations.

Breaking down the Progress 8 components reveals real strengths. The EBacc element scores 0.69 — significantly above the school’s overall figure — meaning pupils taking the full English Baccalaureate suite make particularly strong progress. English and maths both contribute positively, with Progress 8 scores of 0.4 and 0.3 respectively. The open element, covering other GCSE subjects, is lower at 0.24. Half of all pupils entered the EBacc, and 39.4% achieved a grade 4 or above across all five EBacc components. The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection in May 2022 rated it Good across all five categories, including quality of education, behaviour, personal development, and leadership. Inspectors noted no previous inspection grade, so this is the school’s first full graded judgement since opening. The sixth form provision was not inspected at that time.

The school is heavily oversubscribed: for 2025/26 entry, 442 applications were received for 186 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.38. Only 146 first-preference offers were made, so securing a place is competitive. Facilities are strong for a state school, including a swimming pool, astro turf, tennis courts, a sports hall, and a dedicated sixth form centre. The sports programme covers athletics, netball, rowing, and martial arts, while clubs include Eco Club, DofE, debate, and coding. SEND provision is broad, covering dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, SEMH, speech and language needs, hearing impairment, physical disability, and autism. With 56.9% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a significantly disadvantaged intake compared to the Barnet average. This context makes its above-average Progress 8 score particularly impressive — it’s a school that adds real value for pupils from a wide range of backgrounds.

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