Highgate is delighted to report that 43 pupils have been offered a place at either Oxford or Cambridge (‘Oxbridge’) this year – the highest in recent records – with a broad range of pursuits spanning the arts, humanities, social sciences and STEM.
From a year group of 199 pupils, 1 in 5 have been offered a place at Oxford or Cambridge, and good news of other offers from Russell Group and US destinations are also trickling in. In the Highgate spirit of ‘doing what you love’, it is heartening to see how pupils’ individual interests have found purpose and direction for their onwards journey.
Highgate’s Head, Adam Pettitt, enthused: “I always take pleasure in young people achieving their dreams; it’s important to get the context right and healthy for them when they are inevitably pitching themselves against the ablest and most motivated peers, and I’m reassured and proud when I see a year group taking success and disappointment in their compassionate, well-judged stride. We hope that those who have succeeded will arrive ready to thrive on the competitive, ambitious academic pace they’ll meet.”
Guy Waller, Head of Sixth Form (Academic) added: “It’s worth remembering that the extra reading, essay writing, thinking and other preparation that goes into an application to Oxford or Cambridge means that even for those who do not receive an offer, the process will have been worth it, and helped them develop into more accomplished students.”
All Highgate Sixth Formers study four A level subjects in Y12 to ensure critical breadth and academic choice for as long as possible, and over a third of pupils see all four subjects through to conclusion. This diversity of subjects allows pupils to keep an open mind for their ongoing studies and respond to academic inspiration as they delve deeper into subjects.
In Y12, an Extension Programme goes beyond the school syllabus to explore university-level material, enthusing pupils and making them think about their subjects in a different way. Every pupil is assigned a personal mentor as they begin their university preparations, including a team who specialise in the North American University process.
Liya, who has been offered a place at Cambridge to study Medicine, enthused: “The amount of support and help I received from the school was incredible. Every week, and sometimes twice a week, we’d have MedSoc, which at first was for help with revising for the UCAT (the university admissions test required for Medicine), and then it was geared towards interview prep for Med applicants. We would discuss any ‘hot topics’ in the NHS/ answer any frequently asked interview questions together and I found this collaboration so helpful. Opportunities to give talks about different scientific topics in various societies/lessons around school also really aided in being comfortable in my subjects. The mock interviews that I had with teachers, and my UCAS mentor, really helped because I was given the opportunity to talk about science, receive any feedback on my answers and well in advance of university interviews.”
Rayhan, who has been offered a place at Oxford to study Chemistry, reflected on the news saying: “I genuinely believe that without the support of my teachers I wouldn’t have made it. When I was still undecided about whether to apply, they encouraged me and through the practice interviews and after-school extension activities I feel like I was put into a great position for the real thing.”
Verity added: “I am overjoyed that I have received an offer for Classics – I was attracted not only by Oxford’s singular emphasis on linguistic rigour, but also the opportunity for an education of intense breadth, including history, philosophy, and comparative literature. Highgate since year 7 has been helping me cultivate those values – academic rigour and breadth – but I have been especially supported in 6th form with one-to-one sessions: from targeted entrance exam preparation, to philosophical discussions fascinating in their own right, and endless enthusiasm and advice from teachers who weren’t even assigned as my mentor.”
Kay reflected on the process, saying: “I chose to apply for Philosophy and Theology at Oxford because I completely fell in love with A Level Religious Studies through my teachers here at Highgate. Their teaching is so inspiring and amazing. In A level RS I was introduced to philosophical and theological questions that genuinely challenged the way I think about the world. I chose Oxford as the depth of study and tutorial-based teaching really appealed to me.”
Adam Pettitt, considered: “I have a strong hunch that success in entrance tests and beyond is in fact a measure of how well a school has taught its pupils over time, how well it has recruited staff who have the intellectual and emotional wiring to inspire pupils to be self-propelled and to work consistently hard, and how well it has created and curated a culture where rigour, independence and constant improvement become a pupil’s second nature.”
