Friern Barnet Secondary School
Encyclopedia
Friern Barnet School is a mixed comprehensive school with approximately 800 students. The school is situated at the end of Hemington Avenue (a cul-de-sac
) in Friern Barnet
, North London
. It is a short distance from the former Friern Barnet Town Hall (now converted to flats), and other local school The Compton School
.
The school became a Specialist Arts College in Performing Arts in September 2004 and has twice received the Artsmark Gold award.
The school has a partnership with Woodhouse College
which acts as the sixth form provision. The school also has links with Barnet College
.
The arrival of Jeremy Turner as Head Teacher in September 2006 has prompted a major change in the running of the school. Further changes to the school are expected over the next few years. In March 2007 the school was named the most improved secondary school in the Borough of Barnet.
During the 2007 GCSE Results day the school recorded it highest GCSE Grades A* - C ever within school history. Within that year 56% of students who took the GCSE Exams passed (an increase of 19% compared to the previous year). The school before this date has never achieved over 40% pass mark.
: Adelphi, Bennett, Chaplin, Duncan, Ellington, Foytune, Garrick and Hepworth.
The school's infrastructure has also been improved, with the school buildings re-painted throughout, and the playground improved with 5 outdoor Table Tennis
tables, and 6 Basketball
hoops. A new outdoor food court was built for the canteen, and a professional dance floor was added to the school hall. Barnet Youth Council funded a new fitness gym and beauty therapy suite, which are used by Key-Stage 4 students and outside parties.
More recently, LCD TV screens have been put up outside reception to celebrate student achievement, and next to the science blocks to help students interact more in lessons.
Robots and updated computer systems have been added to the technology building for Key-Stage 3 lessons. The school library (now known as the LRC: Learning Resource Centre) has been updated with similar computer systems and a new catalogue of books.
Since the last quarter of 2008 the school registration system has been updated to a more efficient and eco-friendly standard, which makes it easier to alert parents of student truancies, absences and lates. This has resulted in the highest attendance records in school history.
At the beginning of the 2009/2010 academic year, further improvements were made to the school canteen. The kitchens were replaced with a self-service bar, and a dance floor was installed, similar to that in the school hall.
Cul-de-sac
A cul-de-sac is a word of French origin referring to a dead end, close, no through road or court meaning dead-end street with only one inlet/outlet...
) in Friern Barnet
Friern Barnet
Friern Barnet is a place in the London Borough of Barnet. It is a suburban development situated north of Charing Cross. The centre of Friern Barnet is formed by the busy intersection of Colney Hatch Lane , Woodhouse Road and Friern Barnet Road .-History:Friern Barnet was an...
, North London
North London
North London is the northern part of London, England. It is an imprecise description and the area it covers is defined differently for a range of purposes. Common to these definitions is that it includes districts located north of the River Thames and is used in comparison with South...
. It is a short distance from the former Friern Barnet Town Hall (now converted to flats), and other local school The Compton School
The Compton School
The Compton School is situated on Summers Lane, North Finchley, London. It is a comprehensive school for boys and girls aged eleven to sixteen and the school years range from year 7 to year 11. It is located on the site of Finchley Manorhill School, which was progressively closed in the late 1980s...
.
Overview
In recent years, the school has undergone a major transformation with the construction of a new technology, sports and drama department.The school became a Specialist Arts College in Performing Arts in September 2004 and has twice received the Artsmark Gold award.
The school has a partnership with Woodhouse College
Woodhouse College
Woodhouse College is a single site state sixth form college situated between North Finchley and Friern Barnet on the eastern side of the London Borough of Barnet...
which acts as the sixth form provision. The school also has links with Barnet College
Barnet College
Barnet College is a Further education college in North London, England in the United Kingdom. It has two main sites and two other learning centres in the London Borough of Barnet, and is a member of the 157 Group of schools....
.
The arrival of Jeremy Turner as Head Teacher in September 2006 has prompted a major change in the running of the school. Further changes to the school are expected over the next few years. In March 2007 the school was named the most improved secondary school in the Borough of Barnet.
During the 2007 GCSE Results day the school recorded it highest GCSE Grades A* - C ever within school history. Within that year 56% of students who took the GCSE Exams passed (an increase of 19% compared to the previous year). The school before this date has never achieved over 40% pass mark.
Recent Changes
Several significant changes to the organization of the school have occurred under the leadership of the new head teacher Jeremy Turner who joined in the 2006/2007 academic year. The school increased the number of forms in each year from six to eight. This allowed the number of students per form to be reduced from 25 to 20. The school now has eight housesHouse system
The house system is a traditional feature of British schools, and schools in the Commonwealth. Historically, it was associated with established public schools, where a 'house' refers to a boarding house or dormitory of a boarding school...
: Adelphi, Bennett, Chaplin, Duncan, Ellington, Foytune, Garrick and Hepworth.
The school's infrastructure has also been improved, with the school buildings re-painted throughout, and the playground improved with 5 outdoor Table Tennis
Table tennis
Table tennis, also known as ping-pong, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight, hollow ball back and forth using table tennis rackets. The game takes place on a hard table divided by a net...
tables, and 6 Basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
hoops. A new outdoor food court was built for the canteen, and a professional dance floor was added to the school hall. Barnet Youth Council funded a new fitness gym and beauty therapy suite, which are used by Key-Stage 4 students and outside parties.
More recently, LCD TV screens have been put up outside reception to celebrate student achievement, and next to the science blocks to help students interact more in lessons.
Robots and updated computer systems have been added to the technology building for Key-Stage 3 lessons. The school library (now known as the LRC: Learning Resource Centre) has been updated with similar computer systems and a new catalogue of books.
Since the last quarter of 2008 the school registration system has been updated to a more efficient and eco-friendly standard, which makes it easier to alert parents of student truancies, absences and lates. This has resulted in the highest attendance records in school history.
At the beginning of the 2009/2010 academic year, further improvements were made to the school canteen. The kitchens were replaced with a self-service bar, and a dance floor was installed, similar to that in the school hall.