Friern Barnet School, London

From the headteacher's welcome: "In line with our school motto, ‘Enjoy and Excel’, we are hugely ambitious academically for all our students. We also want them to live lives which are personally and socially fulfilling, developing a love for art, music, dance, theatre and culture which will enrich the whole of their lives."

In 2026, pupils at Friern Barnet School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 41.5, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 57.9 in Barnet and 47 across England.

30% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 66% in Barnet and 47% in England.

That is down from 44.8 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0: pupils made about average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 36.3, against 45.8 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 9.5 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 25 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Business Studies and Geography.

For September 2026 entry, 29 families put Friern Barnet School as their first choice and 244 named it as one of their preferences, for 102 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Friern Barnet School are The Compton School (0.6 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 55.5); Wren Academy Finchley (0.6 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 65.1); St Andrew the Apostle Greek Orthodox School (0.6 miles, Good, Attainment 8 49.5); and St Michael's Catholic Grammar School (1.1 miles, Outstanding, selective, Attainment 8 78.1).

Each of them had higher 2026 results than Friern Barnet School.

Of the 151 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 88% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 52% to a further education college, 1% to an apprenticeship and 1% into work.

38.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 48.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are Black (18%), White British (17%) and other ethnic groups (13%).

In 2026, 64 pupils (10.8%) received SEN support and 54 (9.1%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is a moderate learning difficulty.

Friern Barnet School had 55 teachers in 2026, one for every 12 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical secondary school, at about one for every 17.

The nearest railway station is New Southgate Station, about 770 metres away (roughly a 10-minute walk).

10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is St John's Church Friern Barnet, 290 metres away.

In 2024/25, Friern Barnet School issued 91 suspensions, 14.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 3 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Friern Barnet School are St John's CofE Junior Mixed and Infant School (under 0.1 miles), Holly Park Primary School (0.2 miles), St Paul's CofE Primary School N11 (0.5 miles) and Summerside Primary Academy (0.7 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.