Christ's College Finchley - London

Sarm J.

A School Of Lack Of Support and Genuine Care...

Looking back on my time at Christ College Finchley (2013–2018), I can’t say it was a positive experience. While the school maintained its academic standards (currently), there was a clear lack of care when it came to student well-being. It felt like grades and discipline were the (only) priorities, while actual student support was treated as an afterthought.

Mental health wasn’t something that was ever taken seriously. I remember times when students, myself included, were struggling with stress, anxiety, or personal issues, yet there was no real support system in place. If you approached a teacher or staff member for help, it often felt like you were being brushed off or treated as if you were just making excuses. I knew classmates who were going through serious struggles at home, but instead of being offered help, they were simply told to “focus on their work” or “not let personal issues affect their education.”

One moment that really stuck with me was when a friend of mine started skipping school because of the pressure he was under—both academically and personally. Instead of investigating why he was struggling, the school’s response was to punish him, handing out detentions and warnings without ever asking what was going on. It was as if they assumed bad behavior was the cause rather than a symptom of something deeper. He eventually left before finishing his GCSEs, and I always wondered if things would have been different if the school had actually supported him.

Bullying was another issue that wasn’t handled properly. I remember a boy in my year being repeatedly targeted, not just by students but even mocked by some teachers when he spoke up about it. Rather than stepping in and putting a stop to it, the school’s approach seemed to be to ignore it until it became too serious to overlook. When complaints were made, the usual response was a half-hearted warning to the bullies(Gentle slap on the hand), but no real action was ever taken.

Even simple things, like checking in on students or creating a safe space to talk, were nonexistent. There was no effort to encourage conversations about mental health or emotional well-being. If you were struggling, you had to figure things out on your own. I remember how isolating it felt at times, knowing that if something was wrong, there was no point in seeking help because none would be given.

I don’t doubt that some students had a different experience, but for me and many of my classmates, Christ College Finchley wasn’t a place that cared about its students beyond their (academic performance). A school should be more than just a place to pass exams—it should be a place where students feel supported, heard, and valued. If you’re considering this school, I would strongly advise thinking (carefully) about whether it’s the right environment, especially if mental health and student support are important to you.

S Y.

This school is a joke. They completely favour students that get the highest grades and don’t bother helping students that are struggling or need extra support. On top of that the environment doesn’t help towards kids who misbehave instead they just perpetually punish them. I wasted 5 years of my life here completed GCSE and I can name so many inappropriate behaviour by certain teachers I think I’d run out of words. Firstly English teacher Miss Scott I found to be very pretentious typically favouring a select number of students and being very over the top with her “behaviour policies”. For example her “going for 9s” class where she selects a small group of individuals to join and attended extra lessons as they are believed to be high achieving. My personal experience of miss Scott was a nightmare especially given she was my head of year for my last year of school. Firstly she was always picking on and criticising a select number of people in our class including myself as well as being patronising and hostile even to my parents not just towards me. Bear in mind English was my best subject where i consistently achieved grade 7s however when it came to picking students for her exclusive club she gave me a dirty look and skipped over me completely. In the end I got an 8 and a 9 in English lit and lang. hold that. This isn’t just a personal experience as a few others in my class expressed the same concern for her patronising and borderline discriminatory behaviour. There’s more I can say on the topic but I think that example speaks volumes in itself. Next miss Bose definitely one of the most disliked teachers in the school. Not really sure what she did as she just stood in for teachers when they weren’t available. However every lesson with her over the course of 5 years was painful to say the least. To recall the last interaction we had when I was in year 11 I remember distinctly she took over a physics lesson. This lesson was during a relatively warm and humid summers day and having suffered from severe asthma at the time hay fever goes hand in hand. I was sneezing repeatedly and my eyes were stinging and I asked politely to go to the toilet and wash my face and get some tissues however she promptly refused shouting at me saying we aren’t allowed to go to the toilet during lesson times. It became unbearable and I simply said to her I need to go
And walked out of the room. After coming back from the toilets I noticed she had closed the door of the classroom behind her. When I tried to walk back inside she began shouting at me so I stepped into the hallway. Next she opened the door and faced the class with her back to me and went on a rant claiming this is what happens when parents don’t raise their children right etc just because my hay fever was unbearable. Naturally I was very angry at her statements and I lashed out and said if you’re going to say something like that then say it to my face. Next thing I knew she had called SLT (senior leadership team) to escort me to isolation as if I was some sort of prisoner. Mr Hodges a member of SLT told me to apologise and I simply said to him no I have nothing to apologise for. He threatened that I would be in isolation for an extended period of time if I didn’t apologise so I did. Another one is Mr Payne some people love him some people hate him but either he spews racist nonsense and thinks it’s a good idea to bully little children to the point of crying and thinks he’s above everyone overall just very obnoxious. These are just a few of the severe problems this school has. On top of this students are never really given any help when misbehaved or unable to achieve grades in my experience I had been in trouble a few times when in younger years however all they do is shout in your face and make you feel pathetic rather than explain what you did wrong why you did it and try to help the situation to prevent it again. This school has serious staffing issues and I wouldn’t wish for anyone to spend the most crucial 5 years of their development stages in this pathetic excuse for a school

Charlotte B.

This school is so shitty. It messes with your mental health. I wanted to jump as soon as I got enrolled. Sure it got better with the new head teacher. The teachers were constantly made me feel so uncomfortable.

Amrinder K.

My son and my daughter both went to Christ's college. Very hardworking staff and teachers. Great respect to Mr. Sarabi. The best school for mathematics and physics. I still pass from school everyday and see the bright future of the kids. I feel so proud that my kids went to this school. My son is Airline

Pilot now, and my daughter is a yoga teacher. The base is very strong for the students, and the future is always bright under good supervision and guidance of hardworking teachers. Thank you once again 🙏😊

Terry L.

I studied for GCSEs here, and I got great results. My hard work would be useless without the great teachers here. English language was my weakest subject. Thanks to Ms. Scott, I managed to get a 7 in the end (lowest grade across my GCSEs) .
This school is also a good place to make friends.

Calum B.

There is a pupil at this school named Calum Balestrini , he is an asset to thew local community. Geography was fantastic. Shout out to Miss Patel, made me pass maths. Big up the English department got me a 9. Management is great and very helpful.
Politics with Mr Bratt gave me an appreciation for bees and the tube (big up the Elizabeth line )

Overall great school (would recommended)

krish J.

This school is BUSSIN🥶 💯🥶 💯🥶 💯

I would like to Update the review, this school has improved greatly by the new prefect team!!! thanks to them we have accumulated a copious amount of revenue. also shout out to the invigilators during the GCSE, incredible people!! 😁 and Art GCSE's have be an extravaganza of emotions from the charted streets of London Zoo to the The lone and level sands that stretch far away topic of Fantastic and Strange!!!! Shout out Mr Scott he's a real one!!🎇🎇🎇

P M.

Well well... what can I say about this secondary school. If you want your kid to become a partially dysfunctional member of society with a tapped sense of humour then this is the school to send them to!

A fun place full of vibrant individuals with different personality flaws and mental conditions. Has lost a bit of seasoning since transitioning from a boys school to a mixed one, nevertheless a perfect place to send your child if you want them to have a balanced, cultured upbringing.

10/10 would recommend, just don't make them study something useless like music or they will contract a serious case of the blues with potential long term depression.

P.s. they have a great six form!