Langley Park School for Girls

Since September 2024, Mr Stephen Whittle MA, previously executive head at Hayes School. Mr Whittle has a degree in modern and medieval languages from Cambridge and was grammar school educated.

Large school, tiny catchment area (has shrunk to under a mile before now though normally hovers just over). Means that despite size of intake (240 places in year 7) it’s routinely oversubscribed and there’s always a waiting list. Pupils come from

A third or so who leave post-GCSE stay close, some moving to boys’ school next door (with a few, who don’t care for the size, moving back) while a very few opt for selective grammars like St Olave’s and Newstead Wood or independent schools like

In 2025, 33 per cent 9-7 at GCSE: 68 per cent 9-5 in both maths and English. At A level, more than 50 per cent A*-B, with 64 per cent of vocational courses graded at distinction or distinction*.

The reason parents send their daughters here. ‘It was the academic side that appealed,’ said one, who moved house specifically to secure a place. Plenty to shout about, too. Progress 8 impressive. Particularly high percentages in single subject GCSE

Success doesn’t come at expense of the 200 or so pupils with special needs, many speech and language related (about 20 have statements). Good-sized and centre stage learning support unit, home to two key workers under direction of deputy head with

Robust though sport is, tends to be swamped by performing arts, which have pirouetted across website and ousted match results from shared online notice board, replacing them with close-ups of recent and seemingly non-stop round of acclaimed

Sport highly rated. ‘Amazing,’ said one pupil. Lots to do and places to do it in – large if slightly sombre sports hall and gym inside and five tennis courts and an all-weather pitch in addition to five acres of green space outside. Old girls include

Four houses; Lambda (yellow), Kappa (blue), Sigma (red), and Gamma (green) – fortunately no Brave New World Epsilon – as much an admin tool as a motivational one, used for imposing a little organisational clarity on eight-form entry. It’s two forms

Tight catchment area means many new pupils arrive with others they know. While behaviour is ‘fairly standard for teenagers these days; you stop for 10 minutes to let them cross and nobody says thank you,’ harrumphs slightly gloomy local, her

Short on square feet but, remarkably, feels as if has enough breathing space for everyone, helped by honest, intelligent leadership, enthusiastic staff and pupils who seem happy to be here and for the most part do well. A real breath of fresh air.