Walthamstow School for Girls

Since 2021, Helen Marriott, who has 18 years’ experience as a school leader and was previously co-headteacher at Little Ilford School in Newham. Committed to comprehensive education, she has taught in schools in Yorkshire and London. Grew up in

Heavily oversubscribed, with some 700 applying for 180 year 7 places. Non-selective, the school follows the borough’s entrance criteria, which favours girls in the looked-after system and those with an EHC plan, followed by siblings, then it’s down

Vast majority of girls go on to sixth form college or local school sixth forms. ‘They clamour to have our girls,’ says head. The two main local colleges are Sir George Monoux Sixth Form College and Leyton Sixth Form College, whilst schools include

In 2024, 29 per cent 9-7 (including English and maths) at GCSE; 83 per cent 9-4 in both English and maths.

Excellent results across the board, with the school consistently among the top-performing non-selective schools in the country. ‘There are no specialist subjects at this school – we aim to do well in everything,’ explains the head. She attributes

School doesn’t claim to stand out in terms of SEN, but around 15 per cent require SEN support and 25 per cent speak English as a second language. No wonder the language and learning department has a strong team (some of whom are teaching staff),

Impressive art facilities, consisting of two main studios; students’ creations in everything from ceramics to textiles and graphics to portrait work are exhibited throughout the school. ‘We all have a great sense of pride when our artwork is

No shortage of sporting options – cricket, basketball, tag rugby, football, rock climbing, netball, trampolining, dance, self-defence and more – which mainly take place in the sports hall or so-called MUGA (multi-use games area), a large,

Pastoral care primarily comes from form tutors, and girls clearly feel safe and nurtured. Peer support is strong, and even without the formal mechanisms you get the feeling that students instinctively looking out for one another, especially lower

Multi-ethnic population, with students from over 50 countries – a great source of pride for the school, which celebrates this rich diversity in everything from assemblies to individual projects. Majority of students of Pakistani origin, followed by

This is a relaxed and happy school, yet it’s purposeful, vibrant and aspirational. The strong academic atmosphere, which is backed up by a great pastoral system, means there’s no reason any girl should get left behind. We were particularly encouraged