Wren Academy Finchley, London

In its own words: "We are inspired by the Biblical account of the encounter between Jesus and Zacchaeus to build a community and provide an education which enables all students to thrive and reach their full potential."

From the headteacher's welcome: "The school has continued to grow as we have taken on new primary cohorts since 2015 becoming an all through school with over 1400 students aged between four and 18."

Clubs and activities named on the school's website include drama, choir, orchestra, chess, coding, STEM, art, film, debating and Duke of Edinburgh.

The school runs after-school care until 6:00pm.

Coming up: an open evening on Wednesday 4 November 2026 at 4.30pm and an open day on Monday 5 July 2027 at 4pm. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.

In 2026, pupils at Wren Academy Finchley averaged an Attainment 8 score of 65.1, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 57.9 in Barnet and 47 across England.

82% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 66% in Barnet and 47% in England.

That is up from 59.8 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.85: pupils made well above 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 55.2, against 67.2 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 12 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 21 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, History and French.

For September 2026 entry, 215 families put Wren Academy Finchley as their first choice and 1089 named it as one of their preferences, for 113 places offered. That is 1.9 first choices for every place. 111 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Wren Academy Finchley are The Compton School (0.3 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 55.5); St Michael's Catholic Grammar School (0.6 miles, Outstanding, selective, Attainment 8 78.1); Friern Barnet School (0.6 miles, Good, Attainment 8 41.5); and Finchley Catholic High School (0.9 miles, Good, Attainment 8 59.5).

Wren Academy Finchley's 2026 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.

Wren Academy Finchley is one of 3 schools run by Wren Academies Trust, an academy trust.

245 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Wren Academy Finchley (as of September 2025): 85% would recommend the school, 85% say their child is happy there and 57% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that pupils behave well (93%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (57%).

Of the 177 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 96% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 23% to a further education college and 2% to an apprenticeship.

Of the 135 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 73% went on to university or other higher education, 3% to apprenticeships and 8% into work. 36% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

12% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 32.4% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (26%), Mixed (19%) and other ethnic groups (10%).

In 2026, 140 pupils (8.6%) received SEN support and 61 (3.8%) 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.

The nearest tram or metro stop is Woodside Park, about 0.8 miles away in a straight line.

7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Woodhouse College, 140 metres away.

In 2024/25, Wren Academy Finchley issued 215 suspensions, 13.1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Wren Academy Finchley are Summerside Primary Academy (0.2 miles), Sacks Morasha Jewish Primary School (0.3 miles), Northside Primary School (0.5 miles) and St John's CofE Junior Mixed and Infant School (0.6 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.