Welcome from the Headteacher
Highlands School is a high-performing, mixed comprehensive school serving the west side of Enfield. The school opened in 2000 in brand new buildings surrounded by landscaped outdoor spaces and playing fields. The school is proud to serve its local community and is very popular, with more families choosing us as their first or second choice secondary school than any other in Enfield. The sixth form is also thriving, with nearly 200 students starting year 12 each year, joining us both from Highlands and from other secondary schools across north London. Highlands has been judged ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted in all five categories, quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management and the sixth form. Students at the school outperform students nationally both in terms of attainment and progress.
Our success is built upon our school values and overall ethos: determination, aspiration, respect and equality (DARE).
Our curriculum is broad and academically challenging in order to prepare students for the rigours of further study or work. We are not, however, a school that thinks only of results; Highlands promotes the performing arts, sports and extracurricular activities. We also support learning and raise aspirations outside the school setting through our promotion of programmes such as the Duke of Edinburgh Award and through our fantastic range of visits, which have recently included trips to Zambia, Morrocco, Berlin, Madrid, New York and skiing.
We are an inclusive school. We welcome students from a range of backgrounds, and we have a commitment to nurturing and supporting each and every student that joins us. We chose ‘equality’ as one of our core values because we are a school that celebrates diversity.
At Highlands, we also place emphasis on good behaviour and character. Excellent learning is underpinned by excellent behaviour. We expect our students to show respect when interacting with other members of our school community and to uphold the reputation of the school in the local area. By helping our students develop a calm, hard-working and determined approach to learning, they will be well-placed to achieve highly when they leave our school.
Vincent McInerney
Headteacher
Our key school values are:
Determination
Aspiration
Respect
Equality
Video transcript
At Highland School, we don't just teach,we inspire. We believe every student has the potential to grow, lead, and make their mark on the world.
Judged outstanding in all five categories by Ofsted. We aim to provide a world-class educational experience for every student.
Here we live our motto - dare to flourish. It's more than words. It's a mindset.
We believe in determination, the resilience to keep going even when things are tough.
Aspiration, dreaming big and building the skills to get there.
Respect, valuing ourselves and others and treating everyone with kindness.
Equality, giving every student the chance to succeed and shine.
At Highlands, you're not just part of a school. You're part of a culture that dares you to grow, lead, and succeed.
My name is Vincent McInerney, and I'm the headteacher here at Highlands School. I'm very pleased and excited that you're thinking of joining us as part of the September 2026 cohort.
This year, our school turns 25 years old. It's been a fantastic journey so far. We've been judged outstanding in all areas by Ofsted. We have results that put us amongst the top performing schools in England, and we're enormously popular both at year 7 and into year 12 and our sixth form. As we enter the next stage of our school's development, we very much hope that you'll be joining us.
At Highlands, we don't just dream, we dare to flourish.