Why Work Here
Make a Difference
Saracens High School was opened in 2018 to serve the overlooked, and often underprivileged, families on the Grahame Park estate in the London Borough of Barnet, north London.
Working here means teaching a truly diverse pupil body and striving together for social mobility. The percentage of pupils with EAL, SEND or in receipt of Pupil Premium, is well above national averages.
In light of this we are ambitious for pupil outcomes while ensuring we offer a rounded education rather than being a results factory.
“The school’s aspirations for its students as citizens are matched by student outcomes. These are strong and support leaders’ rationale for the structure of the curriculum. The progress students make is above average. The performance of low prior attainment (LPA) students, whose progress standards are nearly three-quarters of a grade above zero, is notably strong.”
Challenge Partners Review, 2025
Principal, Dr Stevens, reflects on a second year of superb GCSE results:
“We are absolutely thrilled with this year’s results. They reflect not only the incredible efforts of our pupils but also the commitment and passion of our staff. We always strive to provide an environment where every pupil can reach their full academic potential, while also focusing on character development, and these results show that our approach is working.”
Our vision combines academic rigour with a character education steeped in our values: discipline, hard work, honesty and humility.
We have a strong sense of identity and have implemented effective structures and practices. However, we are a relatively young school and are committed to continuous improvement. This means we’re open to fresh ideas and suggestions.
Teaching
“A healthy climate for learning pervades the school, primarily because of leaders’ commitment to disruption-free learning.”
Challenge Partners Review, 2025
Our ECT training programme is highly successful. Over half of our staff started their careers at Saracens High School.
Teaching hours at Saracens High School are the lowest in our area and far below recommended levels.
This is to protect staff wellbeing as well as reducing time spent at home on planning and marking.
Three full-time cover supervisors relieve staff from teaching during heavy assessment periods as well as providing consistent teaching in the case of absence.
We are unique in covering our staff so that they can be present with family for significant days such as a child’s performance, a birthday or celebration, or for a hospital visit. We work together, in conjunction with other teachers and cover supervisors, to enable these important ‘family days.’
Our entirely new-build school was completed just a few years ago and boasts superb facilities in buildings that are clean and well maintained.
“Expectations of behaviour are high”
Challenge Partners Review, 2025
Staff rooms help foster strong teams while also providing space outside of classrooms for work and downtime between teaching. Each staff room is equipped for preparing food and drinks.
Professional Development
Our annual professional aspirations conversations and extensive professional development opportunities show our commitment to developing staff.
We have an extremely generous CPD budget. We believe our development is the most important thing we can do to help the school be a better place for our children and community.
We have 9 INSET days a year and on each of those enjoy free breakfast and lunch prepared by our exceptional Chefs In School catering team.
We have teaching and learning briefings once a fortnight with breakfast provided.
Added Extras
- Superbly equipped free gym for staff to use before and after school.
- Incredible food: Free breakfast and lunch every INSET day prepared by professional chefs; Sixth Form cafe selling freshly prepared food and drink all day.
- Up to two family days per year to enable staff to attend significant events such as a wedding or a child’s assembly. Or to visit a family member in hospital.
- Free counselling with our on-site counsellor
- After-school staff sports
- Staff socials including Christmas and summer parties as well as bowling trips and comedy nights.
- Free and discounted tickets to Saracens’ professional rugby matches
Sixth Form
A broad and inclusive sixth form means opportunities to teach A Levels or T Levels.
T Level Health students receive hands-on training by practicing midwives in Middlesex University’s simulation ward in the new West Stand at StoneX Stadium.
Teachers at Saracens High School can share their expertise and further their professional development by supervising sixth formers doing an Extended Project Qualification (EPQ).
Enrichment
There are an abundance of ways to be involved in the life of our school outside of the classroom.
Leaders “give high priority to the building of social and cultural capital. They consider it vital that all students in all years, including Year 11, are exposed to the wide range of opportunities available in the enrichment programme.”
Challenge Partners Review, 2025
We have a well-established Duke of Edinburgh programme and will soon add the gold award to our offering.
Staff can help on World Challenge expeditions and ski trips, as well as overseas trips for language teachers.
We invite all staff to share their skills and passions by running lunchtime or after-school clubs. Our current offering includes creative writing, coding, 3D printing, and a choir. There are a wide-range of sports clubs including trampolining, boxing and flag football as well as the more mainstream sports.
Every month boasts a new enrichment theme such as Black History, Disability Equality, and Remembrance.
Every year group enjoys a half-termly Making Memories visit or in-school activity to increase the children’s cultural capital. These include visits to London Zoo and museums as well as high ropes courses and ice-skating.
Our creative arts festival, Together We Create, is a week dedicated to keeping pupils engaged with the arts throughout their school careers.
Transport and parking
Tube and train:
Mill Hill Broadway station 5 minutes by bus
Colindale tube (Northern Line) 11 minutes by bus
Road:
Easy access links to the M1, A1 and A41
Parking and charging:
Secure on-site parking plus e-vehicle charging points
Cycling:
Covered racks where bikes can be secured with a lock
Belonging to Saracens Multi-Academy Trust
Sharing best practices:
Learning from successful teaching methods and strategies implemented in other schools within the trust, promoting continuous improvement across all member schools.
Enhanced professional development:
Teachers and leaders have access to wider professional development opportunities.
Centralized support:
Trust staff provide guidance and support in a number of areas including human resources, finance, IT, and marketing and communications.
Continuous Improvement:
Regular reviews and monitoring drives continuous improvement.
Our Extended Family
We are not a rugby school but we have a close relationship with Saracens, the professional rugby club in north London.
The children in our school benefit from work experience placements with Saracens and their partners, regular use of their incredible facilities for sports and events, and inclusion in activities organised by the Saracens Foundation.
Pupils and staff alike have access to free and discounted tickets to professional matches at the local StoneX Stadium as well as the annual Showdown match at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
