Hendon School Review 2026: Big-school breadth with languages, inclusion and a structured pastoral spine

Hendon School is a large, mixed, state secondary with a sixth form in the London Borough of Barnet, set up to suit families who want breadth and structure rather than a narrow, single-track academic experience. It has deep local roots, opening as The County School, Hendon in September 1914, and it still uses its history actively as part of its identity.

The current leadership is presented as a co-headship. The school’s published leadership pages name Dr Rhona Povey and Mr Craig McGuire as headteachers. (A clearly stated headteacher start date is not published on the school website; Mr Craig McGuire is recorded as appointed headteacher in 2024 governance documents.)

Academic outcomes sit close to the middle of the England distribution at GCSE, while A-level outcomes sit lower down the England distribution in the most recent dataset used here. The offer, however, goes beyond grades. The curriculum includes strong early language exposure, a dedicated personal development and careers strand (SMART Futures), and established specialist inclusion routes, including resourced provision for autism and hearing impairment.

Daily life is framed around a clear values set: Believe, Achieve, Lead, Belong. That matters in a school of this size because it gives staff and students a common vocabulary for expectations and belonging, and it signals that the school sees “character” as something taught, not simply hoped for.

There is also a visible house structure, with named houses used for identity and participation. In practice, this can help a large secondary feel more personal, especially for Year 7 pupils who are moving from a primary setting into a much bigger environment.

The school’s culture is strongly shaped by its long history on the Hendon House estate. The school’s own history pages describe the original County School development, later expansions, and the story of the Whitlock Oak, along with the wider Hendon House context. The effect for families is less about heritage for its own sake and more about continuity, this is a place that has had time to build its systems and identity, and that tends to show in routines and organisational confidence.

A motto is published as part of the school’s “Lamb and Flag” logo history. It reads Omnia discendo vinces (By learning you will conquer everything). Used well, it is a useful signal to families, the school’s messaging is unapologetically about learning, while still making room for wider development.

The headline GCSE picture is one of broadly typical performance in England, with some indicators slightly below England averages. The school’s Attainment 8 score provided is 44.8. Progress 8 is -0.12, which indicates that, on average, pupils made slightly less progress than pupils with similar starting points nationally. EBacc entry is also a key context point, and the school’s EBacc average point score is 4.06 compared with an England average of 4.08.

Rankings are best read as context rather than verdict. Ranked 2,088th in England and 26th in Barnet for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), Hendon sits in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile). That positioning is consistent with a school serving a broad community intake rather than a selectively filtered cohort.

At A-level, the dataset indicates a more challenging outcomes profile. Ranked 2,107th in England and 25th in Barnet for A-level outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), the school sits below England average overall. 3.03% of grades were A*, 8.48% were A, and 29.7% were A* to B, compared with England averages of 23.6% for A* to A and 47.2% for A* to B.

The more useful implication for parents is about fit. Students who need consistently high outcomes at sixth form level to support competitive university routes should look closely at subject-level performance, teaching stability, and entry requirements. Students who value a broad sixth form menu, clear structure, and a strong careers and personal development programme may still find the sixth form a sensible option, particularly if the preferred pathway includes vocational routes alongside A-levels.

For parents comparing local options, the FindMySchool Local Hub and Comparison Tool can be an efficient way to view GCSE and A-level context side by side across Barnet schools, using the same ranking basis rather than mixing sources.

The curriculum is designed to feel broad early on, with significant choice later. One distinctive feature is languages in Key Stage 3. The most recent Ofsted report describes Year 7 pupils learning four languages, including Japanese, before later specialising. This is not a small detail. It suggests a deliberate investment in staffing, sequencing and timetabling, and it also signals a school that is willing to push pupils beyond the minimum entitlement.

A second distinctive strand is SMART Futures, a school-wide programme that covers personal, social and emotional education, health and wellbeing, relationships and sex education, citizenship, careers and financial education, using a spiral structure. For families, the practical implication is that “personal development” is not treated as occasional assemblies alone, it is timetabled learning with a defined scope.

The 2022 inspection report also provides a helpful read on classroom practice and consistency. It describes specialist subject teaching and generally strong sequencing, but also notes that checking for secure knowledge and readiness for next steps is not yet implemented consistently well across all subjects. That is the kind of finding that can matter for pupils who are reliant on tight scaffolding and consistent feedback loops. It is also a clear priority area for families to explore during a visit or open event by asking how consistency is monitored and supported across departments.

Where Students Go Next

In the most recently available destination dataset provided here (cohort size 95), 49% progressed to university, 22% went into employment, 5% started apprenticeships, and 1% progressed to further education. These figures do not describe quality on their own, but they do indicate a sixth form where multiple pathways are in play, not only university.

Oxbridge data in the same measurement period suggests a small but present pipeline. Two students applied to Oxbridge and one secured a Cambridge place. The implication is realistic, Oxbridge support exists, but the volume is small, so students aiming for the most competitive routes should expect to be proactive and to engage fully with any higher-attaining or enrichment pathway on offer.

Careers education is positioned as part of whole-school structure rather than a standalone add-on. SMART Futures is explicitly linked to careers learning in school documentation, and the sixth form also frames enrichment around preparation for next steps, including volunteering and community projects.

For Year 7 entry, Hendon School sits within Barnet’s coordinated admissions process. For September 2026 transfer, Barnet’s published timetable states applications open on 01 September 2025 and close on 31 October 2025 for on-time applications, with offers released on 02 March 2026. The school’s own admissions pages reflect this LA-led route and indicate the October deadline as the typical pattern.

Recent admissions demand data suggests meaningful competition. The figures provided here show 380 applications for 193 offers for the relevant entry route, which equates to close to two applications per place. This is consistent with a popular community secondary where family preferences and local demographics drive pressure on places. (No reliable “last distance offered” figure is available for this school, so distance-based assumptions should be avoided.)

For sixth form entry, the school is actively recruiting for September 2026, with applications stated as open. Entry criteria for 2026 are published and are relatively clear. For A-level study, the school sets a minimum of five GCSEs at grade 4 or above including English and maths, plus subject-specific thresholds; vocational Level 3 routes have a lower GCSE threshold. For families, this clarity is useful because it reduces uncertainty at a critical transition point.

To sense-check feasibility, families often find it helpful to use the FindMySchoolMap Search to model day-to-day travel time and practical routes. For a large secondary, commute friction can have a material effect on attendance, punctuality and extracurricular participation.

The pastoral offer has several distinct components that are worth highlighting because they are operational, not just aspirational. One is safeguarding, where the 2022 inspection confirms effective safeguarding arrangements. A second is the role of structured personal development teaching via SMART Futures, which covers relationships, online safety, health and careers through a planned programme.

Inclusion is also significant in this school’s profile. The 2022 report describes two specially resourced provisions, one for pupils with autism spectrum disorder (21 pupils) and one for pupils with a hearing impairment (17 pupils). A separate published brochure describes provision for deaf students, including audiology support and a communication approach that includes British Sign Language (BSL). For families with SEND needs, these details matter because they imply staffing and expertise that go beyond basic in-class differentiation.

Extracurricular life is structured and current, with termly timetables published. The detail is useful because it shows the school is trying to give pupils and students regular, predictable access rather than sporadic clubs.

A sample of named activities from recent club timetables includes British Sign Language Club, Model United Nations (MUN), Jazz Band, Percussion Ensemble, Manga Club, Chess Club, EAL Club and library-based activities such as book clubs and quizzes. For pupils, the implication is choice plus low barriers to entry, there are lunchtime options as well as after-school options, and there are both skills-based clubs and interest-based clubs.

The school also runs structured enrichment and events beyond routine clubs. A recent newsletter describes participation in the Jack Petchey Speak Out Challenge for Year 10 students, supported by external workshop leaders focused on speech structure and delivery. For students who are capable academically but quiet in seminars or interviews, this kind of programme can have direct payoff in confidence and communication.

Creative arts appear well supported within the formal curriculum too. Ofsted notes drama and dance in Years 7 and 8 as part of the “rich curriculum offer”. The dance department also describes regular clubs including Contemporary and Hip-Hop and references trips that broaden students’ experience.

This is a state school with no tuition fees. Families should still plan for the usual associated costs such as uniform, transport, trips and any optional enrichment.

The published 2025/26 school day timings show mentoring from 08:40, with the school day ending at 15:10 Monday to Thursday and 14:20 on Fridays (with the same timings applying to sixth form). Term dates are published on the school site, including INSET days, which is particularly relevant for working families planning childcare. Wraparound care is not presented as a standard offer in the published information; families who need formal before-school or after-school childcare should check directly what is available for older pupils and whether any supervised study options exist beyond clubs.

• Sixth form outcomes need scrutiny. A-level results in the most recent dataset sit below England average, so students targeting highly competitive university routes should ask direct questions about subject choice viability, teaching continuity, and how independent study is monitored.

• Consistency across subjects remains a stated improvement area. The most recent inspection highlights that assessment and progression checks are not implemented consistently well across all subjects. This matters most for pupils who need predictable routines and tight sequencing.

• Competition for Year 7 places is real. Recent figures show 380 applications for 193 offers for the relevant entry route, so families should approach admissions with realistic expectations and back-up choices.

• A big school feels different. Scale brings breadth of options and specialist support, but it also requires pupils to be organised. Families should explore how homework, communication and behaviour systems work in practice.

Hendon School is best read as a large, structured Barnet secondary that prioritises breadth, languages, inclusion and a planned approach to personal development. The GCSE profile places it squarely in the middle of England performance distribution, while the sixth form outcomes point to a cohort with diverse pathways rather than a high-volume elite university pipeline.

Who it suits: families who want a comprehensive, mixed setting with strong curricular breadth, clear values, and visible inclusion routes, and students who will take advantage of clubs, enrichment and structured careers education rather than relying on headline A-level outcomes alone. Entry remains the primary hurdle for Year 7, and sixth form applicants should treat the published entry criteria and course requirements as a real gate.