Highgate School
11+ Admissions Guide 2026
How to get into Highgate School
Gender
Founded
1565
Age Range
3–18 years
Day Fees (per year) Fees were correct at the time of recording. Please check the school's website for the latest information.
£31,575
About Highgate School
Highgate School is an independent co-educational day school in the heart of Highgate village, London. Founded in 1565 by Sir Roger Cholmeley as a grammar school for boys, the school has grown over the centuries to include a pre-prep, junior and senior school, all governed as a single foundation. Girls have been welcomed since 2004, and the school operates across two sites within easy walking distance of each other.
The school aims to offer a broad, intellectual education alongside rich opportunities for pupils to develop as people, through service, co-curricular activities and high-quality pastoral care. It encourages pupils to use their minds and voices to make a positive difference to the world around them.
Pupils come from a range of professional, academic and business backgrounds, reflecting the local community. The school supports a number of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, providing help in the classroom as well as individually and in small groups. A number of pupils speak English as an additional language, with support available for those who need it. Very able pupils are stretched through extension tasks and wider challenges, including an academic programme for prize winners in the senior school.
Frequently asked questions about Highgate School
Where is Highgate School located?
Highgate School is located in London, Haringey, United Kingdom.
Fees Fees were correct at the time of recording. Please check the school's website for the latest information.
Day Fees (per year)
£31,575
Leadership
Head
Mr Adam S Pettitt
Chair of Governors
Mr Bob Rothenberg
Ages & Pupils
3–18
Age range (years)
1,321
Total pupils
922
Senior pupils
394
Sixth form
Contact
Qualifications Offered
Admissions
Main Entry Points
Open Days
September, October
Scholarships & Bursaries
Scholarship Types
Bursary Support
A generous bursary pot allows for several fully funded places per year for entrants at 11+ and 16+.
Up to 100% fee remission
Exam Results
95%
GCSE Grades 9-7
80%
A-Level A*-A
92%
A-Level A*-B
Curriculum
Modern Foreign Languages
Popular A-Level Subjects
Popular GCSE Subjects
Mobile Phone Policy
Mobile phone use is prohibited during the school day for pupils in years 7 – 11, and no phones should be visible at any time. For pupils in years 12-13, devices can be used in the sixth form common rooms and, for essential educational reasons, in the library. Other personal electronic devices, such as smart watches, fall under the same rules as mobile phones.
Linked Schools
ISI Inspection
Excellent
Academic achievement
Last inspected 24 September 2024
Routine Inspection
Personal Development
ExcellentCompliance
MetSchool Profile
Student Demographics
0.05%
EHCP
14.03%
SEN Support
Links
Financial Health
Grade B · 57 / 100
Composite financial health score
Updated 8 May 2026
58.0 months of free reserves, 3-year average operating deficit of 63.7%, debt-to-income of 0.00.
See breakdown
Sources: Companies House filed accounts (charity SORP).
Methodology: composite score weights free reserves (37.5%), 3-year operating surplus trend (31.25%), debt-to-income (18.75%), and cash liquidity (12.5%). Scores are percentile-relative within the top 100 UK independent schools cohort. Letter grade is the cohort quintile of the composite score (top 20% = A).
Past papers relevant to Highgate School
Curated papers that Highgate School pupils often practise with.
