sixth form options

I’m currently at South Hampstead High School and have offers from NLCS, Highgate, and City of London School for Girls for sixth form. I’m planning to take Maths, Further Maths, Economics and Computer Science, but I’m really unsure which school to choose.

NLCS is obviously outstanding academically, but the commute would be an hour each way by coach, and I’ve heard mixed things about the environment being a bit harsh or competitive. The results are incredible, though, so I don’t want to dismiss it too quickly.

I’ve been at SHHS since Year 10 and I somewhat like it here. I know City and Highgate are generally considered slightly stronger academically, but in the subjects I want to take, the teachers at SHHS know me well, they’re mostly really supportive, and I feel like I’d get solid help with top-tier university applications.

Highgate is only ten minutes from my house, and my younger brother goes there. Their results in the subjects I’m interested in seem similar to City’s and are better than SHHS, but I don’t know much about the departments or teaching quality at either school.

My parents feel that even though Highgate and City get similar grades, City has certain advantages. City’s year group is much smaller (around 90 students vs 200+ at Highgate) and they send about 30% to Oxbridge compared with around 15% from Highgate. I know Oxbridge isn’t everything, and i definitely am considering many other uni options, but the difference did make me think. City also seems to have a stronger STEM focus in terms of what the girls study past A level, with many doing very STEM heavy courses at great schools. Whereas Highgate’s leavers’ destinations are more mixed, and their list isn’t on the website, so we’ve emailed to ask. I’m wondering if City’s smaller cohort and STEM emphasis might help with university admissions, even though Highgate is far more convenient and the results are very similar.

I already prefer Highgate’s buildings and facilities, but I’m still pretty torn. I dont want to sacrifice better grades or future opportuities for convenience or friendships, as many of my friends are leaving for highgate, but I also want to be in the right environment socially and mentally.

If anyone has experience with any of these schools, their sixth form departments or any general advice (especially anyone who knows about the social aspects of either school), I would really appreciate it. Thank you so much xx