Founded in 1565, Highgate is one of the UK’s leading co-educational independent schools, situated in Highgate Village in North London and surrounded by green space. Our Senior School was named The Sunday Times London Independent School of the Decade in 2021 and featured among the Top 20 UK independent secondary schools for academic excellence in the 2026 Sunday Times Schools Guide.
Our pupils join us from across North London and beyond, attending our Pre-Preparatory School (ages 4–7), Junior School (ages 7–11) and Senior School, including the Sixth Form (ages 11–18).
Our highly knowledgeable teachers bring strong subject expertise and a passion for learning, while pastoral care and pupil wellbeing are central to school life. An extensive co-curricular programme gives pupils opportunities to explore their interests and develop new skills beyond the classroom, from sport, art, music and drama to a wide range of clubs, societies and activities.
Highgate has three principal aims:
•To be a place for learning and scholarship. Learning at Highgate is not about meeting other people’s expectations but discovering and pursuing intellectual passions. Helping pupils pursue subjects they love gives them the experience of using discretionary effort to succeed and makes them brilliantly employable: they choose to go beyond to fulfil their own dreams.
•To be a reflective community. We encourage our pupils to take responsibility for themselves and for their role in society. Through community action groups, volunteering, fundraising, bursaries, local school partnerships and sustainability actions, we strive together as a School to make a positive impact on the world around us.
•To be an exemplar for the healthy life. We want our pupils to enjoy their childhood to the full, to develop and pursue their academic and co-curricular passions, and to lead fulfilling, exciting lives as thoughtful and open-minded young adults. Pupils leaving school will be intellectually, emotionally and practically equipped for the world of work and the challenges of day-to-day life.
Admissions. Prospective pupils are assessed at the different entry points. At 4+, shortlisted children take part in play-based group assessments and individual activities. At 7+, candidates sit assessments in English and Mathematics, with selected pupils invited back for a taster lesson and group interview. At 11+, candidates sit entrance examinations, with a proportion subsequently invited for interviews. Sixth Form applicants attend subject and general interviews, with offers conditional on achieving the required GCSE grades. Highgate offers means-tested bursaries at 7+, 11+ and 16+, alongside Music Awards at 11+ and 16+. For 2027 entry, the new Changemakers Bursary Programme provides four additional fully funded Sixth Form places for ambitious, academically gifted pupils whose families could not otherwise afford the fees.
Wellbeing is at the heart of our school. We understand that developing the whole person – a child who feels happy, healthy and confident in themselves, with the skills to manage life’s ups and downs – is of utmost importance, not only during their time here but when they leave and move into the adult world. We nurture confidence and strength of character, supporting pupils to grow and thrive in their emotional, mental and physical health.
Sport and exercise are taught by specialist coaches and teachers to ensure a high-quality experience with 23 different sporting pathways available. Our extensive playing fields are complemented by indoor facilities in the Mallinson Sports Centre which includes a 25-metre swimming pool and sports courts, all-weather pitches for football, netball and hockey and cricket nets. We are fortunate to be within a short distance of Hampstead Heath for walks and cross-country running.
Co-curricular activities provide countless opportunities for pupils to have fun, make new friends and learn something new. There are over 100 clubs, societies and activities to choose from, which continue to evolve and develop in response to the changing interests of our pupils and the world around us.
Community partnerships are integral to our school’s ethos. We encourage pupils to play an active role in their community, both in school and wider society. Within the Senior School, there are several pupil working groups to help steer and drive initiatives, along with a wide-reaching programme of community engagement, from volunteering with local charities to fundraising events.
Buildings and facilities:
•Senior School is centred on our North Road site, where historic buildings, including the Chapel, Central Hall classrooms and Sir Martin Gilbert Library, sit alongside modern facilities such as an auditorium, music recital spaces, a Drama studio, Science laboratories and ICT suites. Our Mills Centre for Art and Design provides light and airy studio and gallery spaces, with facilities for painting, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, photography and filmmaking, plus an IT suite for graphics and computer-aided design. Our state-of-the-art Design Technology and Engineering workshops include 3D printers, laser cutters and specialist engineering and manufacturing equipment, alongside a dedicated automotive workshop.
•Junior School on Bishopswood Road is a spacious, purpose-built modern building which opened in 2016. Its light-filled interior includes a central atrium, specialist facilities for Science, Art, DTE, Drama and Music, a well-stocked library and a large hall with retractable seating, alongside outdoor spaces overlooking the School’s playing fields.
•Pre-Prep School on Bishopswood Road is a light, airy and colourful building overlooking our sports grounds. Pupils benefit from their own playground, dining hall and library, as well as access to the School’s swimming pool and sports facilities. Within our grounds, a dedicated Forest School setting gives pupils opportunities to explore and learn from the natural world.
Transport links include numerous bus routes and the Northern line on the London Underground, with central London around 20 minutes away. We also offer a dedicated school coach service with several routes across London for Junior and Senior School pupils.
Pupil numbers. 1,949 (all schools).
Fees per term (2026–2027). Senior School (Years 7–13): £10,929; Junior School (Years 3–6): £10,011; Pre-Preparatory School (Reception–Year 2): £9,453. Fees are inclusive of VAT. An obligatory lunch charge of £369 per term applies separately.
Bursaries. Highgate is proud to offer means-tested bursaries throughout the school at 7+, 11+ and 16+ entry points. We currently support around 100 pupils, with an average bursary award of approximately 94% of fees. Alongside our general bursary provision, we offer a Keyworker Bursary and our Sixth Form Changemakers Programme. Bursary recipients also have access to additional funding that they can use towards school meals, trips, music tuition, uniforms, IT, travel and other resources.
Charitable status. Highgate School is a Registered Charity, number 312765.