Applying for a Place at our School
To join our school, your child must have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) in place. Learners who are identified as having additional needs but do not yet have an EHCP, will need to undergo the Education, Health and Care Assessment Request (ECHAR) process. If capacity allows, Highgate Hill House School may support local authorities, families, and learners in gaining an EHCP by offering a short-term placement whilst all assessments are completed. If, following assessment, a learner is given an EHCP, admission will be considered to Highgate Hill House in line with our Admissions Policy.
We have a formal admissions procedure which is outlined in our Admissions Policy and which ensures we are able to meet a learner’s needs.
Our school works with learners with a broad range of SEND, including Cognition and Learning, Communication and Interaction, Social Emotional Mental Health, and Sensory and Physical.
Learners can join our school at any time during the school year and will follow a personalised curriculum package to meet their individual needs.
Our caring and committed staff team will spend time getting to know you and your child during a carefully planned transition, to ensure they feel safe, settled, secure, and ready to learn.
Book a personalised tour of our school using our Book a Visit button. Or, alternatively, contact your current provision or Local Authority SEND Co-ordinator for more information about joining our unique and special school.
Learner Case Studies
We love to celebrate our learners’ successes and achievements! We are proud to share with you some of the stories of how the school and our incredible team have supported learners to fulfil their potential.
Learner A
Imagine a world where you can only communicate with your immediate family, where you cannot manage social interactions with more than one person at a time let alone be present in a classroom. For this young person the barriers to learning were immense.
Taking a person-centred approach in creating an individual support and learning plan was key to showing her that she was listened to and supported at every step of her journey with us.
Having had mostly online learning prior to joining us, it was a very gradual process integrating into a different environment, but with the strong foundation of supporting emotional needs, her social skills began to flourish.
Within a short period of time this young learner was able to start attending the school in person and by the end of the following academic year sitting GCSE’s in multiple subjects including all three sciences, maths and English.
By ensuring her emotional and mental wellbeing were given priority, her social and academic skills have blossomed.
Learner B
Learner B has autism, ADHD and a traumatic past surrounding her developed PICA as a stress-coping mechanism. She started at HHHS when she was 11, and had been asked to leave 2 different mainstream settings before coming to us.
For the 5 years that she has been here she has been supported by multiple key adults who she felt safe and comfortable with and has advanced in Maths, English and Science as well as excelling at art both in school and in off-site provision.
Learner B is fully integrated into a class with 3 other students, and she feels happy, comfortable and safe, and is now willing to try to work on things that she has little to no knowledge of. She gained her entry level 3 functional skills in English and next year will continue with this as well as acquiring functional skills qualifications in Maths. Learner B is also incredibly artistic and has developed her own unique style in clay work. Her sculpting teacher has even said that an artistic appraiser could look at their work and easily assume it is that of a ceramicist who has worked for decades.
Learner B has also worked with key adults to improve her mental health and the way she deals with stress. Her PICA is now almost non-existent, and she is much more successful when regulating her own emotions.
Learner C
Learner C began at Highgate with a non-Verbal ASD diagnosis. We strive to create a neurodivergent inclusive educational space where learning experiences can be positive for everyone.
With complex needs and severe communication challenges to face as well as a hyper-sensitivity to the world around us, this young student has many barriers to overcome.
We have built trust and understanding by taking a person-centred approach. We have asked questions and listened to the response. We have tailored the learning experiences to support this, and this has helped ensure that the young person always feels supported.
As this trust has developed, the young person has found their voice and has moved from being pre-verbal to communicating verbally. Their academic skills have grown exponentially. He is a valued member of our school family.
Learner D
In the past, Learner D has been very reluctant to engage in any academic learning. He was disruptive in a classroom situation and at times showed high levels of anxiety at being in school. He struggled socially with his peers as he does not read social cues and does not understand the point of view of others.
Through breaking down the learner’s day and giving the learner their own space, we have managed to reduce his anxiety about being in school. We allow peers into his space, and the learner is also beginning to interact in different classrooms. The academic learning takes place through games and activities, so he is still progressing with learning. We are now introducing some formal learning in very short bursts.
Following this support, Learner D no longer deregulates. He is really happy to come to school and his parents have noticed a huge positive change in his behaviour at home. He is a very different young person to the one who arrived a year ago. He is even beginning to engage in more adult led activities as well as being able to focus on small amounts of learning in maths and English.
Testimonials
“When we first visited Highgate, Zac said to me afterwards ‘This is the one Mum’, and he was absolutely right. Highgate is the perfect school for my boy.”
“Jack absolutely adores coming to school it’s his favourite place to be :)”
“Highgate has been a fantastic experience for a boy who lost all confidence and self belief in previous schools. Thank you Highgate for letting me see my boy again, can’t wait to see where we go next.”
“The staff at Highgate have been amazing the children arrive home happy every day and enjoy their time whilst there. I cannot thank the staff of Highgate enough for supporting not just the children but also myself”
“Since coming to join Highgate, my son has gained so much confidence and is so much happier than he has ever been in a previous school. He has come home and told me that he ‘loves being at school.'”
“Earlier this year, we were despairing, thinking that our son would never thrive in an educational establishment again. Happily, that has all changed since he started at Highgate. He actively enjoys going to school, and the bespoke transition that the highly skilled staff at Highgate have arranged has ensured that he has integrated seamlessly.”
“I can only sing the praises of Highgate Hill House School! My son has attended for the last four years, and I can attest to the kindness of the staff, the patience to support him and the skill developing his life skills and academically.”
“The quality of teaching, the approach, the support that they give is exceptional. I can’t begin to tell you what a difference they have made to our mental health, let alone our daughter’s.”
