The school is situated just east of the Cat Hill roundabout of the A111 and A110, between Cockfosters and Oakwood tube stations. The Trent Park campus of Middlesex University is nearby to the north, on the northern fringe of Greater London's conurbation. Middlesex University has its Cat Hill campus nearby to the east. Although once historically in Southgate, the school is now in the parish of St Thomas, Oakwood, on the boundary with Cockfosters to the west, and on the western edge of Enfield borough, 500 metres east of the Barnet boundary.
History
The former premises of Southgate County School in Fox Lane, Palmers Green, now Corrib Court flats.
Grammar school
Founded in 1907[2] as Southgate County School, the school was originally housed within Broomfield House, Palmers Green.[3] The school subsequently moved to Fox Lane (also in Palmers Green). In 1960, the Fox Lane site was closed and a new site, in Sussex Way, Cockfosters, was purchased.[4]
In 1967 the school merged with Oakwood Secondary Modern School which was located in Chase Road, Southgate. The Chase Road site became the lower school, for children in their first three years of secondary education (currently referred to as years 7, 8 and 9).
The 1990s
In 1991 the Lower School also moved to the Sussex Way site, with the Chase Road site being sold partly for housing and partly to a private school.
The 2000s
In September 2004 the school was awarded Specialist Science Status, which it gained through raising £50,000 and being provided with the necessary funding for a science specialist school. It used the funding to generally improve science facilities purchasing new equipment and renewing laboratories as well as building a hanging laboratory in the middle of the East Wing building (the original Upper School building).
In the Summer of 2007 Southgate celebrated its centenary.
The 2010s
In 2015, after 15 years as headteacher, Anthony Wilde left Southgate School and was replaced by Martin Lavelle. Lavelle appeared on BBC2 expressing his concern and doubts over the marking of exams.