Having come second in 2021, a Hampstead Garden Suburb school has been voted the best state secondary school in the country for academic performance.

Henrietta Barnett School (HBS), in Central Square, is in the top position in Parent Power, The Sunday Times School Guide 2023. 

Last year's victor, Queen Elizabeth School, also in Barnet, dropped from the top slot to second place. 

More than 3,000 11-year-olds sit entrance tests for one of the 104 places on offer at Henrietta Barnett School each year. 

Ham & High: Clare Wagner, headteacher at Henrietta Barnett School which has been rated best state school in the UKClare Wagner, headteacher at Henrietta Barnett School which has been rated best state school in the UK (Image: Henrietta Barnett School in Hampstead Garden Suburb)

Headteacher Clare Wagner believes HBS’s strong showing in A-levels and GCSEs this summer is partly down to their response to lockdowns in the pandemic where the switch to virtual learning was swift and smooth.

“The teachers made the lessons good, the girls logged in and submitted their work on time and parents supported them to study at home. 

"That is the magic triangle that produces good results: pupils, teachers, parents working together,” she said.

On top of excellent exam results, the school last year got 28 pupils into Oxbridge — one in five of the sixth form. 

Maths and physics are particularly strong subjects. And this year, HBS is opening a health and wellbeing centre for the girls as part of its improvement plans.

The school was recently downgraded from “outstanding” to “good” by Ofsted under the watchdog’s controversial new inspection regime, a judgment the school formally appealed.

Clare, who joined in September 2021, told the Ham&High at the time: "We were very disappointed. We appealed, we submitted a formal a complaint that they didn't apply their own criteria correctly so we were really disappointed.

"Obviously we take on board feedback and we will work on improving the school as you would expect."

The 30th edition of Parent Power identifies the highest-achieving schools in the UK, ranked by their examination results.

Helen Davies, editor of The Sunday Times Parent Power guide, said: “These have been a challenging few years for teachers, pupils and their parents, and the success of many in our league table is testament to the stamina and support shown by all concerned. 

"It is also clear that more attention is being placed on wellbeing and mental health - from meditation rooms to counselling support, even therapy dogs - and schools are being proactive to bring about positive changes."