North London Grammar School

Bonitas, Scientia, Disciplina (Goodness, Knowledge, Instruction) runs the motto over the gates of a former police training centre on Colindeep Lane, and the three Latin words tell you most of what you need to know about North London Grammar School. This is a small, selective, fee-paying independent school in Colindale, in the London Borough of Barnet, taking pupils from Reception at age 4 through to 18, with day places for boys and girls and boarding for a small number of senior boys. Around 223 children are on roll across the junior and senior school, kept deliberately small so that class sizes stay tight: roughly 16 in the junior years and 24 in the senior. The latest ISI inspection in March 2025 confirmed that the school meets all relevant Standards across leadership, education, wellbeing, and safeguarding. Results at GCSE are strong, the academic culture is ambitious, and the fees sit well below those of the borough's longer-established names.

The school's roots are recent but its sense of identity is settled. It opened in 2006 as Wisdom School in a 6,000 square foot site in Tottenham, then grew quickly. In 2013 it acquired a former police training centre on Colindeep Lane, and after renovation the expanded campus opened in 2014 under its present name, turning institutional buildings into classrooms, science labs, and a boarding house across 50,000 square feet. That history matters because it explains the character of the place: pragmatic, internationally minded, and unburdened by the traditions that can weigh on older institutions. This is a school that built itself around results and value rather than around heritage and grounds. The junior school is the newer half of the operation, having extended its lower years from September 2025 to take in Reception, Year 1, and Year 2, so the all-through pathway from age 4 to 18 is now complete on a single site.

Mr Fatih Adak has led the school since September 2018, bringing experience as a head in Abu Dhabi and Arizona before arriving in Colindale. Under his leadership the three pillars of the motto are treated as working principles rather than wall decoration. Bonitas frames the pastoral expectation of kindness, tolerance, and respect; Scientia drives a curriculum built around logic, rationality, and critical thinking, with the aim of teaching pupils to find knowledge for themselves; Disciplina covers both formal teaching and the self-discipline pupils are expected to develop. Leaders make these values clear to pupils and apply policies on behaviour and assessment consistently, which gives daily life a calm, predictable rhythm.

The intake is genuinely diverse, and the school leans into that rather than away from it. Pupils sit GCSEs in Persian, Russian, Turkish, and Spanish, and the corridors carry the feel of a small international community where several home languages are normal. The school is explicit about valuing diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, and that shows in the mix of families it draws from across north-west London and overseas. Relationships between pupils and staff rest on mutual respect, and children speak with pride about their school and their own achievements. The tone is studious and purposeful without being austere.

The senior school is where North London Grammar makes its strongest case. In our proprietary FindMySchool rankings, built from official examination data, the school sits 397th in England for GCSE performance, which places it well above the England average, in the top 10% of schools in England. Within Barnet, one of the most academically competitive boroughs in the country, it ranks 5th, a notable position given the calibre of the local field of grammars and long-established independents.

The 2025 GCSE results show why. In mathematics, 56.1% of entries reached grade 7 or above, and half of English Language and English Literature entries did the same, several times the corresponding proportions seen across England. Pass rates at grade 4 and above reached 97.6% in mathematics and 100% in English Language. Chemistry recorded a full grade 4 pass rate, History reached 73.7% at the top grades, and the modern languages programme delivered 100% at grade 7 and above in Persian, Russian, Turkish, and Spanish. These are results parents would normally expect to pay considerably more to access, and the school is widely cited as one of the country's stronger value-for-money independents.

Two points keep this in proportion. The cohort is small, with 38 pupils completing Key Stage 4, so a handful of results moves the percentages noticeably year to year, and the figures should be read against that scale. And the junior school does not yet carry a published Key Stage 2 ranking, so the primary phase is best judged on the school's broader academic culture, its small classes, and the strength of the senior results that flow from it rather than on league-table data. What the rankings do confirm is a senior school punching well above its size.

Teaching is the engine of the school's results, and the approach is methodical. Staff training is treated as a priority, and teachers plan lessons that take account of what pupils already know and can do, building from prior attainment rather than starting from scratch each time. Good subject knowledge lets teachers explain ideas clearly and head off common misconceptions before they take hold, and classrooms are equipped with multimedia technology so that material can be modelled and visualised rather than simply described.

The small classes are central to how this works. With around 16 pupils in junior lessons and 24 in senior ones, teachers can track individuals closely, and leaders monitor progress carefully so that support arrives when a child needs it rather than after a problem has set in. The senior school runs a three-year GCSE programme, giving pupils more time to go deep in each subject rather than racing through content in two years, which suits the school's emphasis on understanding over coverage. Mrs Erdil, the senior deputy head, leads teaching and learning, giving the academic side a single clear point of accountability, while the early years and primary phases are led separately by Ms Prochniak for Reception and Key Stage 1 and Mr Comoglu for Key Stage 2, so the youngest pupils are not an afterthought to the senior school. Pupils are ambitious for their own learning and make good progress, which reflects both the teaching and the expectation that effort is the norm.

North London Grammar takes a distinctive route at age 16. Rather than A-levels, the school runs a one-year University Foundation Programme accredited by OCN London, designed as a direct bridge into higher education for students aged 16 to 18. It is worth understanding clearly, because it differs from a conventional sixth form: it is shorter, more vocationally oriented towards a chosen degree field, and it accommodates international students preparing for UK university entry alongside home students.

The programme is organised into four pathways. Business and Finance combines business studies, marketing, finance, computing, mathematics, and academic English. Engineering and Computing pairs physics and computing with mathematics and further mathematics. Humanities, Law and Social Sciences draws together history, media studies, psychology, computing, and English. Art and Design covers fine art, graphic design, fashion design, and spatial design alongside mathematics, English, and computing. Entry is by school report, a CAT4 assessment, and, for those who need it, an IELTS or equivalent English benchmark, with September, January, and April intake points giving flexibility over start dates. The school has indicated that a traditional A-level sixth form is planned, so families with younger children should ask directly about timing for that route before assuming it will be in place.

Progression is the point of the post-16 year, and the school points its leavers towards research-intensive universities. Its published destinations name Oxford, Cambridge, UCL, and King's College London among the institutions former pupils have reached, with students going on to read subjects including medicine, law, architecture, psychology, and international relations. The school does not publish detailed acceptance counts, so these names are best read as an indication of ambition and reach rather than a guaranteed annual pattern, and families should ask the school for its most recent year-by-year destinations when comparing options.

Within the school, progression from the junior to the senior phase and on into the foundation year is by assessment and by meeting entry requirements rather than automatic, in keeping with the school's selective admissions, so a place lower down does not entitle a child to a seat higher up without continuing to meet the standard. The careers programme is carefully planned and helps prepare pupils well for their next steps, with Year 10 work experience placements giving older pupils early exposure to the world beyond school and a sense of where their subjects might lead.

North London Grammar is a selective school, so entry depends on assessment as well as the availability of a place. The main entry points are Reception at age 4 into the junior school, Year 7 at age 11 into the senior school, and the University Foundation Programme at 16, though the school assesses for places across other year groups where space allows, which is more flexible than the fixed entry years of many larger independents. Selection typically combines a school report, an assessment such as CAT4, and an interview, with an assessment fee of £200 payable; families should confirm the current process and dates with the school.

Because this is an independent school rather than a state one, there is no local authority catchment and no published last-distance-offered figure to weigh up, so location is about convenience and commute rather than priority for a place. Demand is moderate rather than ferocious: the roll of around 223 sits within a capacity of 404, so the school is not heavily oversubscribed, and that gives well-matched families a realistic chance of securing a place at the right academic level. If you are weighing several Barnet options, the FindMySchool local hub lets you line up nearby schools side by side, and the saved-schools shortlist is a simple way to keep your final contenders in one place while you visit.

Registration involves a fee of £220 for UK families, and a refundable deposit of £2,000 secures a confirmed place once an offer is accepted. Open mornings run during the spring and early summer, with sessions typically advertised for late March and mid-May; because dates move year to year, check the school directly for the current calendar before planning a visit.

The small scale that helps academically also shapes the pastoral side. Staff know the children well, and strong relationships between pupils and staff are the foundation of how wellbeing is handled here. Pastoral care sits under a dedicated deputy head, Mr Hammond, who also serves as designated safeguarding lead and oversees boarding, so there is a clear line of responsibility for both the day and residential sides of school life. The PSHE curriculum is well planned, helping pupils understand how to stay healthy and how to respect beliefs and values different from their own, and pupils show a clear sense of their responsibility to treat others fairly and with respect.

Safeguarding is effective. The latest ISI inspection found that the safeguarding policy is implemented well, with detailed staff training, a well-trained safeguarding team, rigorous recruitment and pre-employment checks, and proper internet monitoring. Behaviour is calm and orderly: pupils behave well because they understand what is expected of them and because staff are consistent in how they manage it, which keeps low-level disruption to a minimum and protects learning time. Governors provide appropriate oversight and hold leaders to account while offering guidance and support, which gives the pastoral structure a steady backstop above the day-to-day staff.

Boarding at North London Grammar is small and specific rather than a defining feature of the school. Places are for boys, broadly from Year 8 to Year 11, with around 30 boarders accommodated on site, and the school is a member of the Boarding Schools Association. Most pupils are day children, so boarders join an essentially day-school community rather than a self-contained boarding world, and the residential cohort is intimate enough that staff know each boy individually.

The accommodation is geared to study and settled routine. Boarders have shared bedrooms, lounges, kitchens, and study areas, with supervised evening study built into the week, alongside communal living rooms, a library, and a TV room for downtime. Mr Karatas heads boarding, supported by trained residential staff who understand the needs of the boys in their care, and the boarding house offers suitable accommodation. For overseas families in particular, boarding combined with the foundation route offers a structured English-language and academic pathway into UK higher education. Families considering boarding should ask about the weekly and weekend routine, exeat arrangements, and whether flexible options are available, as the model is built around a small senior cohort rather than full seven-day boarding for all.

For a school of its size, the enrichment offer is unusually broad, with more than 40 curriculum and after-school clubs spanning creative arts, sport, STEM, leadership, and cultural activities across the junior and senior school. Mrs Dhrona, a deputy head, holds the brief for enrichment, which signals how seriously the school treats the activities beyond lessons. Three strands stand out.

The first is STEAM, and here the school does something genuinely distinctive. It founded and hosts the International Greenwich Olympiad, a global project competition that in 2025 brought more than 500 students from 53 countries to compete across 13 categories in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics. Projects are framed around the UN Sustainable Development Goals, pushing entrants to tackle real problems rather than abstract exercises, and the event grew from 449 students across 48 countries the previous year. The Olympiad earned the school the Independent Schools Association Award for International Provision in 2025, and it gives pupils a level of international exposure and competitive ambition that few schools of this size can match. A robotics workshop, where pupils learn programming, modern robotic systems, and the basics of electronics, feeds the same scientific culture from the ground up.

The second is performance and the spoken word. Pupils take LAMDA examinations in drama and public speaking and receive instrumental tuition through the BEAT music programme, building confidence and stage discipline alongside academic work, which matters for children who will face interviews and presentations on the way to university. The third is leadership and citizenship: pupils take part in the Duke of Edinburgh's Award, debate at Model United Nations, and the most able are stretched through a Young Scholars Programme. Competitive sport runs through the calendar too, with the school using external venues for fixtures to supplement its compact urban site. Across all of this, the activities help pupils develop their interests, communication, and leadership, and an understanding of current affairs and different cultures, which fits a school that wears its international character openly.

The school day follows standard independent-school hours, with the junior and senior phases on the single Colindale campus rather than split across sites. A school bus service operates for an additional charge of £1,040 per term, and the site sits close to Colindale and Hendon Central Underground stations and the M1, making it reachable from across north-west London and a practical option for families spread across the borough. Lunch is charged separately for day pupils at £325 per term and is included in the boarding fee. Families should confirm wraparound and after-school care arrangements for the youngest pupils directly with the school, as detailed provision is best checked rather than assumed.

Post-16 is a foundation programme, not A-levels. At 16 the school currently offers a one-year University Foundation Programme rather than A-levels. It suits students aiming directly at university entry, including international applicants, but families wanting a conventional A-level sixth form should confirm whether and when the planned A-level route will open before committing for the long term.

Boarding is narrow in scope. Boarding is available only to a small number of senior boys, broadly Year 8 to Year 11. Girls and younger children attend as day pupils only, so boarding is not an option for many families who might otherwise want it, and the residential community is small.

The cohort is small. With around 223 pupils on roll and 38 completing Key Stage 4, year groups are intimate. That delivers close attention and small classes, but it also means a narrower peer group, fewer subject sets, and results percentages that can swing with a handful of pupils from one year to the next.

Some inspection actions remain. The 2025 inspection asked the school to ensure all statutory requirements on attendance and admissions are fully implemented, and to take pupils' views into account when planning relationships and sex education. These are procedural points rather than concerns about quality, but they are worth asking about on a visit.

North London Grammar School delivers a striking amount for the money: a top-10% GCSE ranking in England and 5th place in Barnet, small classes, a strong safeguarding and pastoral record, and a STEAM programme with genuine international standing, all at fees that undercut the borough's older independents. It is best suited to academically motivated families who want a selective, internationally minded, small-school education without the price tag of Barnet's traditional names, and to overseas students seeking a structured route into UK universities through boarding and the foundation year. The main caveat is the post-16 model: families set on a conventional A-level sixth form should clarify the school's plans before committing, while those happy with the University Foundation Programme will find a focused, university-facing alternative.