United Kingdom · London
A co-educational day school in Highgate village, four to eighteen, split across senior, junior and pre-prep sites you can walk between. The 2026–27 termly table includes VAT. Lunch is a separate £369.
Highgate School is a co-educational independent day school in Highgate village, north London. It is a registered charity, number 312765. The school names four entry points — 4+, 7+, 11+ and 16+ — and says that across all of them, demand is high. Selection is academic: a short online application, then an assessment or an interview.
Highgate is worth considering for co-educational day schooling from Reception through Year 13. Its north-London location makes the daily journey a practical starting point, especially when comparing schools elsewhere in the city.
Each entry age has its own admissions process. If financial assistance is essential, check the bursary process at the same time as the school application rather than waiting for an offer.
Highgate suits families seeking an independent day school for boys and girls and a GCSE-to-A-level curriculum. Public transport and a paid school-bus service provide travel options, but families should check the actual route and timetable.
The school sometimes offers places outside its main entry points. Availability depends on the year group; an enquiry does not establish a vacancy.
Highgate does not offer boarding. For an International Baccalaureate or American curriculum, compare Southbank or the American School in London separately. St Paul’s Girls’ School is a different option if single-sex education is important.
The location page splits the buildings, all within walking distance:
Senior School — North Road, N6 4AY, and Southwood Lane, N6 5EE. Historic village buildings plus modern extensions. Sixth form lessons in Dyne House on Southwood Lane, with sixth-form common rooms.
Junior School is on Bishopswood Road, N6 4PL, in a building opened in 2016. Facilities include a hall, library and science laboratories, plus art, design-technology, music and drama spaces.
Pre-Prep — Bishopswood Road, N6 4PH. Own dining hall and library, outdoor play, Forest School and the sports centre across the road.
Mallinson Sports Centre sits on Bishopswood Road: 25-metre pool, indoor and outdoor sport. The Mills Centre holds art, design, photography and an engineering workshop. The school says it has 23 acres in and around Highgate and Hampstead.
Ask to see Pre-Prep and Dyne House if those are your years, not only the village front. The school encourages public transport; it also names a paid bus for Junior and Senior pupils serving local areas, including toward Crouch End, Muswell Hill, East Finchley, West Hampstead and Archway on the location copy. Confirm today’s routes on the travelling-to-us page.
Pre-Prep (4+) — Reception to Year 2.
Junior (7+) — Years 3–6.
Senior (11+) — Years 7–13 on the fees table; sixth form is also a 16+ entry.
The fees page quotes the 2024 ISI report: a comprehensive curriculum, high levels of scholarship, and a design that lets pupils study beyond age-related expectations. That is the inspectorate’s sentence as the school reprints it, not a league table.
Pupils work towards GCSEs, usually taken around age 16, and A levels in sixth form. Ask which subject combinations are available and how the school supports the child’s intended next step.
Use the admissions page for 4+, 7+, 11+ or 16+ entry, matching the child’s intended stage. The general process is an online application followed by assessment or interview. Check the age-specific dates and requirements before booking preparation or travel.
Application fee: £210 including VAT for all entry points. Tests sat abroad, by agreement with Admissions, are £420 including VAT.
Bursaries are means-tested and available at 7+, 11+ and 16+ entry. The school says they can cover up to 100% of fees throughout the child’s time at Highgate. Applicants follow the usual admissions process and complete a financial assessment. Ask the bursary team how it assesses your household; the cited information does not establish an income cap.
For another year group or a mid-year move, register interest and ask whether a place is available.
Figures below are inclusive of VAT, as the school labels the table. The fee covers tuition, books, stationery, compulsory fieldwork and day visits in curricular time.
| Section | Years | Per term (incl. VAT) |
|---|---|---|
| Senior School | 7–13 | £10,929 |
| Junior School | 3–6 | £10,011 |
| Pre-Preparatory | Reception–Year 2 | £9,453 |
Obligatory lunch, not subject to VAT: £369 per term.
Deposits on acceptance, retained until the pupil leaves: £4,000 for Pre-Prep, Junior and Senior entry; £5,000 at Sixth Form.
Public-examination charges are billed separately at the examination boards’ rates, without VAT.
Music lessons cost £45.24 for 35 minutes, £64.68 for 50 minutes, or £38.76 for a 30-minute Pre-Prep lesson, including VAT. Instrument hire is extra, and lessons are billed in arrears for the provision received.
Cancelling music lessons requires half a term’s notice, or five academic weeks. Rescheduling an individual lesson requires 48 hours’ notice. These are music-lesson terms, not school-withdrawal terms.
Three terms of Senior tuition and compulsory lunch total £33,894, calculated from the published rates. A new Senior entrant also needs the application fee and acceptance deposit, plus any relevant extras.
Keep the retained deposit separate from recurring annual costs. Ask for its repayment conditions and the school’s withdrawal rules before accepting. Sixth-form entry has the higher deposit shown above.
Official pages and documents we read. If a figure matters to your budget or your application, open the link and confirm it is still current.
Friendly orientation, not an application. Dates, fees, and programme details move. Confirm everything with the school.
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