Haverstock School Review 2026: Transformation in the Heart of Camden

Opposite Chalk Farm Underground station sits a school in the midst of transformation. Once rated Requires Improvement, Haverstock has climbed steadily since 2019, earning a Good Ofsted rating and becoming known in local education circles as one of Camden's most improved secondaries. Located on Haverstock Hill in a diverse, vibrant urban community, this mixed comprehensive serves nearly 1,000 students aged 11 to 18 across its main school and sixth form. Its 2006 rebuild, part of Camden's first private finance initiative, replaced Victorian structures with modern facilities including a floodlit 3G astro pitch, sports hall with badminton courts, and dedicated performance spaces. Crucially, Haverstock is a state school with no tuition fees, making its transformation particularly significant for families throughout North London and beyond.

The school's identity has crystallized around a simple but powerful ethos: Aim High, Step Forward, Be Kind. These words are far more than wall displays; they shape daily interactions across the campus. Staff and students greet each other with respect and kindness, and behaviour is notably calm. Classrooms are free from disruption, a detail that emerges consistently from school messaging and reflects deliberate pastoral investment. The school describes itself as small relative to its capacity, which has allowed genuine community cohesion to develop despite serving a highly diverse urban catchment. The community action plan particularly stands out; sixth form students can earn £1,000 by running co-curriculum clubs for younger peers, embedding leadership development into school life.

Ms Katie Metselaar became Head of School in November 2023, inheriting a school already on an upward trajectory. She brings a commitment to maintaining the momentum established since the 2017 Requires Improvement judgment. The diversity of the student body reflects North Camden's social and ethnic makeup; pupils come from 83% of ethnic minority backgrounds, many from families eligible for free school meals. This demographic context makes the school's emphasis on treating every child as an individual, understanding their hopes and challenges, particularly important.

The school holds UNICEF's Rights Respecting School Award (Bronze), signalling institutional commitment to children's rights. Personal development runs through tutor time, pastoral curriculum, and assembly, covering topics including Black History Month, anti-bullying work, LGBTQ+ inclusion, and digital citizenship. This approach extends to practical community service, including the Hamper Project, which provides food and essentials to vulnerable local families.

GCSE Performance

Haverstock's GCSE results show mixed progress. In 2024, 73% of entries achieved grade 4 and above, well above the 61% England average. The school's Attainment 8 score of 44.2 sits slightly below the England average of 45.9. Progress 8 stands at -0.2, indicating that pupils made slightly less progress than peers nationally who started from equivalent key stage 2 positions. The school ranks 2,179th in England for GCSE outcomes, placing it in the solid middle tier (FindMySchool ranking, 47th percentile). Locally, it ranks 14th among Camden schools.

The school reports that GCSE results have improved year on year, beating pre-pandemic (2019) performance. English Baccalaureate entry remains low at 16%, suggesting limited uptake of the combined humanities and languages pathway. This is an area flagged for development, particularly to ensure more students, including white British pupils, meet the benchmark in core subjects.

A-Level Performance

The sixth form has undergone what the school describes as remarkable transformation since 2019, and the data substantiates this claim. In 2024, 39% of A-level grades reached A*-B, compared to the England average of 47%. At A* level alone, 5% of grades were awarded, slightly below the England average of 12%. However, the school's assertion of improvement aligns with a heavily oversubscribed sixth form; 75% of GCSE students now stay on, significantly above the Camden typical rate. The sixth form ranks 1,654th in England (FindMySchool ranking, 62nd percentile), indicating below-average performance relative to A-level providers nationally, though this must be contextualised against a comprehensive intake with no selective entry.

The curriculum is described as broad, relevant, and fresh. Teachers have strong subject knowledge and explain concepts clearly. Lessons are built around assessment; staff use pupil-level data to plan activities meeting individual needs. Drama is particularly celebrated within the curriculum, with weekly clubs open to all and all students given the opportunity to participate as performer, designer or technician in the annual musical. The school partners with professional theatres including the Donmar Warehouse, Roundhouse, and Almeida Theatre, offering workshops and West End visits that develop cultural capital.

Modern languages emphasise inclusivity and communication skills; French and Spanish are taught from Year 9. Computer Science prioritises coding and digital literacy, encouraging pupils to question their digital experiences and understand system influence. Citizenship provides hands-on learning through partnerships with charities including Water Aid, Mind, and A21, plus parliamentary visits and competitions like the Jack Petchey Speak Out Challenge.

Economics is people-centred, connecting learning to pupils' own lives. PE is structured around performance, officiating, and leadership development; by key stage 4, students develop expertise in chosen sports and can achieve sport-specific qualifications.

In the 2023-24 cohort, 67% of sixth form leavers progressed to university, with 4% to further education, 3% to apprenticeships, and 7% to employment. The school reports that students regularly secure places at Oxbridge and Russell Group universities; one student was confirmed as securing a Cambridge place in the most recent cycle (representing roughly 1% of the cohort).

The Haverstock Career Network (HCN), a unique 18-month sixth form programme run for over 350 students since 2006, is among the most sophisticated careers provision in London. Participating students receive one-to-one mentoring, attend work experience placements, benefit from paid summer internships, and engage with corporate partners. The most recent cohort celebrated graduation at NBC Universal's West End offices, a tangible indicator of the calibre of employer partnerships. This programme distinctly positions Haverstock's sixth form beyond typical school careers support.

The co-curriculum is genuinely expansive. The school claims 50 to 70 weekly clubs and activities, an extraordinary breadth for a state comprehensive. Rather than list exhaustively, the most significant offerings are:

Drama & Performance

Drama clubs run weekly and are open to all year groups. The annual musical involves students as performers, designers, and technicians. Partnerships with professional theatres — the Donmar Warehouse, the Roundhouse, and the Almeida Theatre — bring workshops and professional productions to school, and students are invited to attend performances in the West End. This elevates drama from hobby to genuine cultural practice.

Sports & Fitness

The outdoor fitness gym opens from 8am daily; inter-tutor competitions run at lunchtimes. After school, basketball, football, gymnastics, karate, trampolining, and free running are available. The sports facilities themselves are impressive: a floodlit 3G astro pitch, a four-court badminton sports hall, netball and basketball courts. The Haverstock Football Scholars programme, powered by Bloomsbury, offers elite football pathways for interested students.

Music & Ensembles

A choir and informal instrumental ensemble structure exists, though the school does not publish a detailed list of named ensembles (unlike specialist music schools). Weekly lunchtime music activities and performances are mentioned but specifics are limited.

STEM & Innovation

Science, technology, and maths clubs run after school, with specific sessions in computing, business, media, and design technology mentioned. Big Ideas Club, Debate Club, and masterclasses stretch knowledge and confidence in academic areas. The Haverstock Career Network, mentioned above, includes STEM mentoring and workplace experience in the sector.

Student Leadership & Community

Student Council is active, having organised the school's first Activities Week (July 2025). Year 7 students created the school motto, Always Learning, through a democratic process. Anime club, board game club, and jewellery-making club provide creative social spaces.

Character Development

The Rights Respecting School framework and Hamper Project connect students to global and local social responsibility. Mentoring within the student body — sixth formers supporting younger peers in study halls, leadership, and club facilitation — is embedded.

Partnerships & Enrichment

The Artichoke Trust partnership brings free summer arts schools to low-income 11-16-year-olds in the school's community, widening access to cultural experience. Teach First hosting status means the school contributes to teacher training and development in London.

This combination of breadth (50-70 clubs), depth (professional theatre partnerships, workplace mentoring), and inclusivity (drama open to all, fitness from 8am) positions the co-curriculum as a genuine pillar of school experience.

Year 7 entry is non-selective and coordinated through Camden Council admissions. In 2024, the school was heavily oversubscribed for Year 7, with 310 applications for 105 places, a ratio of 2.95:1. All first preferences were offered places, reflecting the school's genuine drawing power within its catchment.

The sixth form is also now heavily oversubscribed; 75% of GCSE pupils choose to stay, a retention rate far above the Camden average. This suggests growing confidence in the sixth form's trajectory. Entry requirements for sixth form are not specified in public materials but follow standard achievement thresholds for A-level study.

As a state school within Camden, Haverstock operates within the broader London admissions framework. Distance from school and sibling priority typically determine allocation after looked-after children and those with EHCPs naming the school.

The pastoral system combines tutor time, house structures, and dedicated support services. Staff know pupils individually and invest in their social and emotional development. The school emphasises equality and kindness explicitly, with clear behaviour policies applied gently but with high expectations. Students respond positively; Ofsted Parent View data (21 parental responses) shows 62% strongly agreeing their child is happy and 67% strongly agreeing they feel safe.

Counselling and peer support services exist, though detail is limited in published materials. The Additional Resource Provision (ARP) supports pupils with specific SEND needs. The Camden Reintegration Base (CRiB), adjoining the main school, operates as a separate facility for pupils unable to access mainstream settings; it includes on-site gym, table tennis, and boxing facilities as part of its enrichment support.

Lunchtime and after-school study support is actively offered, with sixth formers providing peer tutoring in the library until 4:30pm.

The school day runs 8:50am to 3:20pm. Before-school access opens from 7:30am with library facilities and newspapers available. An outdoor fitness gym is accessible from 8am. After-school homework support and clubs run until approximately 4:30pm or later depending on activity. No formal wraparound care (breakfast club / after-school childcare) is mentioned; families should contact the school directly for specific arrangements.

Transport is straightforward: the school sits opposite Chalk Farm Underground station (Northern Line), making it accessible from across North London and central areas. Bus routes serve the area, and walking is feasible from nearby residential areas including Primrose Hill, Belsize Park, and Kentish Town.

Sixth form transition. The rapid expansion and transformation of the sixth form is positive, yet it's worth noting that A-level performance (62nd percentile nationally) lags GCSE outcomes (47th percentile). Students joining the sixth form should expect that staying on offers community and pastoral continuity but should not assume A-level teaching is proportionally strong. Universities are aware of school pedigree, and students targeting selective universities may need to engage in additional independent study.

Comprehensive intake. All abilities are taught together; setting occurs only in mathematics from Year 4 onwards. This benefits lower-attaining pupils through teaching adapted to need but means that higher-attaining pupils compete for teacher attention within mixed-ability classes. Families accustomed to grammar school selectivity should understand the different pace and competition structure.

Socioeconomic diversity. Over 72% of pupils are eligible for free school meals and over 83% come from ethnic minority backgrounds. This brings genuine richness and inclusion but also means the school serves significant disadvantage. Pupils' home circumstances vary widely; the school actively works to compensate, but family poverty remains a material barrier to some opportunities (e.g., educational visits, music lessons).

Oversubscription. Both Year 7 and sixth form are now heavily sought after, making admission competitive if outside the natural catchment. Families not in immediate North Camden should investigate distance-based admissions carefully.

Haverstock exemplifies what comprehensive education can achieve with sustained leadership and investment. From a 2017 low point, it has rebuilt confidence, improved results measurably, and created an inclusive culture where diverse pupils are genuinely known and valued. The transformation is real but not yet complete; A-level results remain a stretch, Progress 8 is slightly negative, and the school serves families under considerable economic strain. For families within the natural Camden catchment, particularly those seeking a non-selective, values-driven environment where their child will be treated as an individual, Haverstock is now a genuinely credible choice. The co-curriculum is exceptional, the pastoral culture is warm, and the trajectory is upward. Best suited to families who value inclusion and community over academic selectivity, and who trust that three to five years of good teaching and pastoral support will deliver genuine educational progress. The school is not the highest-attaining in Camden, but it is one of the fairest and most welcoming.