Highgate School facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Highgate School
Coat of arms of the Highgate School
Address
North Road London , N6 4AY England
Coordinates	51°34′18″N 0°08′57″W / 51.5717°N 0.1493°W / 51.5717; -0.1493
Information
Type	Public school Private day school
Motto	Altiora in Votis (Latin: 'Higher through prayer')
Religious affiliation(s)	Church of England
Established	1565; 460 years ago (1565)
Founder	Sir Roger Cholmeley
Local authority	London Borough of Haringey
Department for Education URN	102163 Tables
Head	Adam Pettitt
Staff	126 full-time
Gender	Mixed
Age	3 to 18
Enrolment	1,456 pupils
Colour(s)	Maroon, navy
Affiliations	HMC, IAPS, Eton Group
Former pupils	Old Cholmeleians

Highgate School, also known as Sir Roger Cholmeley's School, is a private school in London, England. It was started way back in 1565. Boys and girls attend this school, and they go home after classes (it's a 'day school').

More than 1,400 students attend Highgate School. It has three main parts:

• Highgate Pre-Preparatory School (for ages 4–8)
• Highgate Junior School (for ages 8–11)
• The Senior School (for ages 11 and up)

Together, these parts make up the Highgate Foundation. This foundation is a charity that does more than just run the school. Since 2010, it has helped start the London Academy of Excellence. It is also a main supporter of the London Academy of Excellence Tottenham, which opened in 2017. The football club Tottenham Hotspur FC is also a big supporter of this academy. The charity also runs the Chrysalis Partnership. This program helps 26 state schools in six different areas of London.

How the School is Run

The Highgate Foundation is managed by a special group of 16 people. Four of these people are chosen by important groups. These include the universities of Oxford and London, the Bishop of London, and the Lord Chief Justice. The other members are chosen by the group itself.

The official "Visitor" of the school is Queen Elizabeth II. The head of the school gets help from other leaders. These include the principals of the pre-prep and junior schools. There are also deputy heads and a bursar (who manages the school's money).

Highgate School is part of important educational groups. These include the HMC and the IAPS. It is also one of the twelve schools in the Eton Group.

School History

Founding the School

Sir Roger Cholmeley, who used to be a top judge and owned land nearby, wanted to create a charity school. He hoped it would provide a "good education and instruction for boys and young men" in Highgate. In 1565, he received some land from Edmund Grindal, who was the Bishop of London. This land was where an old gatehouse and a small chapel used to be.

New buildings were then constructed for the school and a local priest. This priest was also expected to be the teacher. The chapel also served as a church for the people living in Highgate.

Challenges and Changes

By the early 1800s, there was a problem. The charity was spending more money and the priest more time on the local church than on the students. In 1819, a government group visited the school. They found that the headmaster, Samuel Mence, was paying someone else to teach the boys.

A long legal battle followed in the High Court. The court decided that this was against the school's original charity rules. In 1827, the judge, Lord Chancellor Eldon, agreed. He stated that the charity was meant "for the sustenance and maintenance of a free Grammar school." The school had to follow these rules. A separate local church, St Michael's, was built for Highgate residents. Samuel Mence continued as headmaster until 1838, but by then, there were only 19 students.

Growth and Modernization

The school grew a lot under the next headmaster, John Bradley Dyne. He was in charge from 1838 to 1874. During his time, the school mostly stopped offering free places for local boys. Instead, it encouraged boarding for boys from wealthier families. Fees were introduced, and the quality of education improved greatly.

Before this time, the school was often called the Free Grammar School at Highgate. It was also known as the Highgate Grammar School or the Cholmeley School. Like other private schools, Highgate started using a "house system." This system was inspired by Rugby School and helped create a strong team spirit among students.

In the 1860s, the school bought more land for sports fields. Several boarding houses and private homes were built there. The current chapel and main school buildings were also built during this time. They were designed by Reginald Blomfield. A small part of the old school building, a gateway with a bell, remained until 2006. The bell was then fixed, and the old entrance was rebuilt in a more modern style. The senior school is still located on the same site in Highgate Village where it began.

New Subjects and Famous Connections

When J. A. H. Johnston became headmaster in 1908, the school focused mainly on classical subjects like Latin and Greek. He added science classes for older students. The main science subjects were chemistry, physics, biology, and astronomy. In 1928, a new Science Building was opened. Johnston then even introduced aeronautics (the study of flight) as a subject. The school even got a Sopwith Snipe and an Avro 504K biplane for students to learn from!

The famous poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge was first buried in the school chapel. In 1961, his remains were moved in a special ceremony. They were reburied at St Michael's parish church, which is only a short distance away.

Recent Developments

In 1993, one of the old boarding houses was changed into the co-educational pre-preparatory school. This meant that both boys and girls could attend.

In 2001, the school announced it would become fully co-educational. This ended over 400 years of only teaching boys. Girls joined the Senior and Junior schools starting in 2004. According to the Good Schools Guide, becoming co-ed has made the school more popular and improved its academic results.

In January 2013, a new "charter building" was opened by Lord Hill, who used to be a student and governor. In May 2014, the Sir Martin Gilbert Library was opened by former Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

Throughout 2015, the school celebrated its 450th anniversary. A museum opened in January 2015, which the public can visit on Saturday mornings during term-time. In September 2016, a new building for the junior school was also opened.

School Houses

Chapel Quad, with "Big School" on the left, and the chapel

Highgate School uses a "house system," just like many other private schools. When students reach Year 9, they are placed into one of these houses. This system was started to create a strong "house spirit" among the students. It allows for friendly competitions in both academics and sports between the houses.

Some of the houses are:

• Northgate
• Southgate
• Westgate
• Eastgate
• Queensgate
• Kingsgate
• Midgate
• Fargate
• Heathgate
• The Lodge
• School House
• Grindal

Some of these, like School House, Grindal, and The Lodge, used to be boarding houses. Other houses, such as Kingsgate, are newer.

Notable Former Students

Former students of Highgate School are called Cholmeleians or Old Cholmeleians ("OCs"). This name comes from the school's founder, Sir Roger Cholmeley. The former students have their own group called the Cholmeleian Society. It was started in 1893, but they had been holding yearly dinners since 1859. Both the school and the society organize social events. They also publish a magazine called The Cholmeleian twice a year.

Many famous people have attended Highgate School. Here are some of them:

Arts, Design and Literature

Business and Commerce

Classical Music

Film, Stage and Television

Law

Military

Politics and Public Service

Popular Music

Religion

Science and Engineering

Sport