Highams Park School
| Established | 1940 |
|---|---|
| Type | Academy |
| Headteacher | Mr S.G. Riches |
| Location |
34 Handsworth Ave London E4 9PJ England |
| DfE URN | 137558 Tables |
| Ofsted | Reports Pre-academy reports |
| Gender | Coeducational |
| Ages | 11–18 |
| Website |
www |
Highams Park School is a mixed 11-18 comprehensive school serving the local area. On the 1st October 2011 it became an independent state funded Academy.
As an Academy it is run by Highams Park Academy Trust, a charitable company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales.
There are over 1,600 pupils and students including approximately 450 in the 6th Form. The school is very popular and normally receives around 5 applications for every 1 place in the school. The school regularly achieves excellent exam results that usually place it at the top of the local area school performance tables. Most of the 6th Form go on to university, some to the most prestigious.
On 1 September 1999, in response to a government reorganisation of school governance categories, Highams Park became a Voluntary-Aided school. Being a Voluntary-Aided school meant that the governors could continue to run the school as autonomously as possible supported by a private charitable foundation. Until 1999 Highams Park had been a Grant Maintained school since 1991.
On 1 September 1997 Highams Park School became a government designated specialist Technology College. In September 2007 the school achieved the distinction of being designated a High Performing Specialist School (HPSS) and added Sport to become a specialist Technology and Sports College.
Being a Technology and Sports College meant that the school received a small amount of extra funding to promote the education of science, technology and physical education.
Houses
The school has four houses:
- Burnell
- Payling
- Gibson
- Forest
The house names come from:
- Sidney Burnell, Director of Education in 1920 and the former name of the school (Sidney Burnell School);
- Elizabeth Payling, an outstanding academic ex-student who is the Head of Regulation Programme Management at Royal Mail ;
- Terry Gibson, an ex-pupil, professional footballer and Sky TV commentator;
- Epping Forest, a nearby forest.
Notable former pupils
- Terry Gibson, ex-footballer, (Tottenham, Coventry, Man Utd, Wimbledon)
- David Bentley, footballer, (Arsenal, Blackburn, Tottenham)
- Steven Dominique Cheung, Politician, Broadcaster, Torch Bearer for the London 2012 Olympic Games
- Jamie O'Hara, footballer, (Arsenal, Tottenham, Portsmouth)
- Jermaine Pennant, footballer, (Arsenal, Birmingham, Stoke)
- Kenzie, former rap performer
- Abby Rakic-Platt, actress