The Henrietta Barnett School A GSG School Review
What is included in the The Henrietta Barnett School review?
Academic results & facilities
Up to date results for GCSEs, A levels, BTECs and IB; we go to places league tables can’t reach.
Pastoral care, inclusivity and discipline
From how the school reacts when something goes wrong to how they tackle thorny issues like substance abuse, consent and mental health. We check they’ve got it all covered.
Information about the head
Our unparalleled access to the head teacher means we can tell you exactly what to expect when you meet them – from leadership style right down to the décor of their study and what they’re currently reading.
Teaching and learning approaches
Detailed info on teaching styles and stand-out subjects. We observe the lessons you’ll never see on an open day.
Entrance & admissions information
Exit information - where do the children go next?
Learning support & SEN information
Arts, sports and extracurricular
Pupils & parents (what are they really like?)
What The Good Schools Guide says..
- The Henrietta Barnett School
Central Square
London
NW11 7BN - Head: Emma MacLeod
- T 020 8458 8999
- F 020 8455 8900
- E [email protected]
- W www.hbschool.org.uk/
- The Henrietta Barnett School is a top state school for girls aged from 11 to 18 in London. Interested in an exclusive insight into results, pastoral care, learning style and more? Access the Henrietta Barnett School review.
- Boarding: No
- Local authority: Barnet
- Pupils: 809; sixth formers: 289
- Religion: None
- Open days: See website
- Review: View The Good Schools Guide Review
-
Ofsted:
- Latest Overall effectiveness Good 1
- 16-19 study programmes Good 1
- Outcomes for children and learners Good 1
- Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding 1
- Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good 1
- Effectiveness of leadership and management Good 1
- 1 Full inspection 4th May 2022
- Ofsted report: View the Ofsted report
What the school says...
The Henrietta Barnett School is one of the UK’s most prestigious schools, a grammar school renowned not only for its exceptional academic outcomes but also its commitment to developing girls’ curiosity, creativity and independence of mind. Supporting this is an inspiring range of co-curricular enrichment events, activities and leadership opportunities. There is an enlightened understanding of the connection between student wellbeing and lifelong success: strong and innovative pastoral education, care and resources are at the centre of school provision. The school is a warm and friendly community, and is situated in beautiful grounds in leafy North London. ...Read more
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School associations
State grammar school
Since September 2024, Emma MacLeod, previously deputy head at Queens’ School in Bushey for six years. Studied English at the University of Oxford and medieval literature at the University of York before obtaining her PGCE at the University of Cambridge. Before Queens’ she was assistant headteacher at St Clement Danes School and head of English at Watford Grammar School for Boys.
It doesn’t get more selective than this, with 3,000+ applying for 100 places. Verbal and non-verbal reasoning and English tests in September, then the top 300 are invited back for English and maths tests in October. Pupils come from 50-60 primaries. Priority to looked-after children and to those pupil premium who have been ranked in the top 300, then to girls who live within three miles.
For sixth form, approximately 600 apply for a further 55-60...
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Overall school performance (for comparison or review only)
Results by exam and subject
Subject results
Entry/Exit
Special Education Needs
We have a small number of students with mild or moderate special educational needs. Our SENCo co-ordinates our response in consultation with subject staff and year co-ordinators. We work with outside agencies and get additional support where needed from the local authority. We have a few students with EHCPs. We are keen to welcome all, but limitations owing to the nature of our historic buildings could make our school currently very difficult to manage for students with significant physical disabilities. 2023 saw the opening of our brand new Health and Well-Being Hub, a converted house, nestling in the school grounds. It provides a calm and different environment for our students who require one to one counselling, sessions with the SENCO or other conversations with the pastoral team, as well as a new medical room and space for those that may need some ‘time out’ during the school day. Activities are also run in the main ‘Hub’ for small groups, such as coaching and mentoring, board games club, meditation, mindful colouring etc. It will also be the centre for our peer mentoring team of Sixth Formers to meet with younger students.
| Condition | Provision for in school |
|---|---|
| ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder
Might cover/be referred to as;
ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Aspergers, Autism, High functioning autism, Neurodivergent, Neurodiversity, Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA), PDA , Social skills, Sensory processing disorder |
Y |
| HI - Hearing Impairment
Might cover/be referred to as;
Hearing Impairment, HI - Hearing Impairment |
|
| MLD - Moderate Learning Difficulty
Might cover/be referred to as;
Learning needs, MLD - Moderate Learning Difficulty |
|
| MSI - Multi-Sensory Impairment
Might cover/be referred to as;
MSI - Multi-Sensory Impairment, Sensory processing |
|
| Not Applicable | |
| OTH - Other Difficulty/Disability
Might cover/be referred to as;
Downs Syndrome, Epilepsy, Genetic , OTH - Other Difficulty/Disability, Tics, Tourettes |
|
| PD - Physical Disability
Might cover/be referred to as;
PD - Physical Disability |
|
| PMLD - Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty
Might cover/be referred to as;
Complex needs, Global delay, Global developmental delay, PMLD - Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty |
|
| SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health
Might cover/be referred to as;
Anxiety , Complex needs, Emotionally based school avoidance (EBSA), Mental Health, SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health, Trauma |
|
| SLCN - Speech, Language and Communication
Might cover/be referred to as;
DLD - Developmental Language Disorder, Selective mutism, SLCN - Speech, Language and Communication |
|
| SLD - Severe Learning Difficulty
Might cover/be referred to as;
Complex needs, SLD - Severe Learning Difficulty, Cerebral Palsy (CP) |
|
| SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty
Might cover/be referred to as;
ADHD, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Auditory Processing, DCD, Developmental Co-ordination Difficulties (DCD), Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Handwriting, Other specific learning difficulty, SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty, Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) |
Y |
| VI - Visual Impairment
Might cover/be referred to as;
Special facilities for Visually Impaired, VI - Visual Impairment |
Interpreting catchment maps
The maps show in colour where the pupils at a school came from*. Red = most pupils to Blue = fewest.
Where the map is not coloured we have no record in the previous three years of any pupils being admitted from that location based on the options chosen.
For help and explanation of our catchment maps see: Catchment maps explained
Further reading
If there are more applicants to a school than it has places for, who gets in is determined by which applicants best fulfil the admissions criteria.
Admissions criteria are often complicated, and may change from year to year. The best source of information is usually the relevant local authority website, but once you have set your sights on a school it is a good idea to ask them how they see things panning out for the year that you are interested in.
Many schools admit children based on distance from the school or a fixed catchment area. For such schools, the cut-off distance will vary from year to year, especially if the school give priority to siblings, and the pattern will be of a central core with outliers (who will mostly be siblings). Schools that admit on the basis of academic or religious selection will have a much more scattered pattern.
*The coloured areas outlined in black are Census Output Areas. These are made up of a group of neighbouring postcodes, which accounts for their odd shapes. These provide an indication, but not a precise map, of the school’s catchment: always refer to local authority and school websites for precise information.
The 'hotter' the colour the more children have been admitted.
Children get into the school from here:
regularly
most years
quite often
infrequently
sometimes, but not in this year
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