North London Collegiate School

North London Collegiate, founded in 1850 by Frances Mary Buss as the first girls' day school to offer the same curriculum as boys, has been at the Canons estate in Edgware since 1940. Selective day school for girls 4 to 18, consistently in the UK top 10.

Sixth formers choose between A Level and the IB Diploma. In 2025, 99 percent of GCSE entries scored 9 to 7 and 86 percent of A Levels A* or A. Senior day fees run around GBP 25,600 to GBP 29,750. Entry at 4+, 7+, 11+ and 16+ is heavily competitive, with over 300 applicants for 40 places at 4+.

Families describe a school that selects for genuine intellectual curiosity and chooses girls likely to thrive. Campus, opportunities and university outcomes are exceptional, but the wider north London tutoring culture around 11+ is intense and the parent body skews affluent and professional. Where pressure shows, parents and the girls themselves often own a share. Best fit for academically driven girls in north London who want a top IB or A Level cohort.

• NLCS Edgware is consistently ranked in the top five UK schools for GCSE, A level and IB results, with parent threads naming it for academic ambition alongside CLSG, Habs Girls and Henrietta Barnett.
• Parents debate the academic pressure: many say pressure comes from parents and peers more than the school, but several have moved daughters out, calling it "way too much of a hot house for their very able girls".
• The 2023 to 2024 A level malpractice investigation, with results clustered at grades 8 to 9 and 99% of A levels at A or A*, comes up repeatedly and shapes outsider perception.
• Parents praise the social mix and strength of friendships across faiths and backgrounds, while noting the cohort skews Asian and Jewish.
• Reviews of the junior school flag occasional departures of girls struggling with anxiety or unable to keep up with the pace, balanced by reports of supportive pastoral systems for those who thrive in the environment.