Habs vs Highgate

[Examprepmum]

DS got offers from all 5 schools we applied with a few scholarships, top choices are Highgate (walking distance) and Habs (40 min coach journey). He also got 15% scholarship from Habs. He loved Habs on open day but almost equally is excited for Highgate. Any advice from people with experience would be appreciated. Trying to understand the real differences beyond league tables and open days.

With that commute difference it’s a no brainer! Think about the quality of life difference - definitely go for Highgate.
well done to your DS!

Highgate all the way - mixed, urban setting which will matter later when they need freedom but can’t leave the Herts countryside except by coach. It’s also close by!
Forget league tables - what that doesn’t show is the amount of tutoring or pressured pushing that goes on behind the scenes.

Definitely Highgate, especially if you’re walking distance!

I have kids at Highgate (in fact eldest left last year and now having a brilliant time at Oxford).

It’s a wonderful school IMO. Very academic, but also very keen that kids have a well rounded education. Art/music/drama all brilliant.

Highgate is always near the very top of the league tables - but if Habs is a tiny bit higher, I think all that’s reflective of is the cohort. I think Habs take a large number of kids who come from backgrounds where parents are very pushy and results are everything, if that makes sense?

The distance would swing it, plus Highgate is co-ed. and it’s not in the middle of nowhere.

Highgate is academically a lot better, closer and coed. Seems like it should be an easy decision. - can I ask why it’s not? Facilities not as huge as Habs but Highgate is in London, whereas Habs is basically the country. I think size of campus is the only thing I can think where Habs has the edge on Highgate?

How is Highgate academically better? The GSCE and Alevel results at Habs are higher no? I dont think the decision should be purely based on academic results but wondered about that statement...

DS was very impressed with Habs grounds, facilities etc. His first choice and the main motivation during tutoring was to get into Habs. Also Habs makes an effort on open days and interviews to impress children which worked with my DS. Plus he got even more excited that he’d be a scholar there. My number one choice has always been Highgate though.
Habs has invited to scholar’s breakfast and offer holders days. Not sure if we should go or it would make the decision even harder..

No, Highgate has slightly better results at both GCSE and A-level I believe.

highgate has 80.2% A*-A. Vs 79% at Habs for a level which I guess is a bit marginal - but Highgate has better leavers results/oxbridge if that matters to you.

Highgate has 85.4% 9-8 vs 73% for Habs for gcse which is not marginal.

Our DS liked both a lot and preferred the grounds at Habs too (who wouldn’t!) but we felt at the end of the day grounds were not a good decision making factor for our family - Highgate grounds are amazing for London

No brainer- Highgate. Remember he’ll have activities after school, matches at weekends etc- being within walking distance will make his life so much easier. It’ll also be easier to see friends.

Thanks for that. Hadnt looked at the data recently. 31 to Oxbridge from Highgate and 23 to Oxbridge from Habs in 2025 but Highgate has a much larger Year 6 form, so lower percentage. In OPs scenario, I would definetely go with Highgate due to walking distance and the quality of life impact of that. Saying that, I loved the Habs grounds!

43 Oxbridge offers for Highgate’s current Y13.

@pollykettleonI bet I taught your kids!

38 Oxbridge offers for Habs for the current Y13 - in a class of 145. There are over 200 at Highgate in Year 13.

Not that Oxbridge rates matter - just another metric when considering these things. We are comparing Habs and City for our kid and it is not the slam dunk I thought it would be!

I will go where the little one like. If he loves habs ground then go with it. I don't think coach is a big problem but depends on what your little one wants. and as I know some schools will have coach for the weekend match anyway.

I’d go with the one that doesn’t make a fuss of scholars. I had a scholarship at Habs back in the day and don’t think it would have been good to be treated as special.
You’re already getting an elite education. More is not necessary.

The commute is key - you will get back 80 minutes (and probably a lot more) per day that would otherwise have been spent commuting, (plus the cost of the journey, which is expensive, but fools you into looking incidental when seen alongside the huge fees).

You can spend that time in a different and more rewarding activity. Having your house become a local hub for children travelling further afield is also brilliant for supporting your kid

Not just saying this because I know (and love) the school….but I think Highgate is broadly regarded as the better school over Habs. Habs is known for having a cohort where lots of homework and external tutoring are very much the norm.

With the distance it’s a no brainer. Don’t underestimate how great it is to walk to and from school and have local friends (particularly for older teens)

Out of interest - how would you rate City vs Highgate?

My advice is to ignore the Oxbridge offer rate as these schools know how to play the game.. Many offers will be for Ancient History or Languages - still impressive but not in the same league as economics or law, and also subjects that favour private schools.

@newmummycwharf1 - I have friends with kids at City, and hear great things! Sounds like it's got a bit more of a grammar vibe than Highgate somehow, maybe due to the more urban location and slightly lower fees.

It wouldn't have been right for us - I have a boy and a girl and wanted them at the same place, plus we are walking distance to HG - but it's obviously a very good school too.

@NOTANUM - Oxbridge isn't everything, but your point re these particular schools is inaccurate.

Yes there are subjects at Oxbridge that have a higher proportion of private school applicants - most state schools don't do History of Art or Classics - but, certainly in my kids' year at Highgate, there were lots of getting in on sciences/medicine/competitive subjects too.

It sounds exactly like us - DS got offers everywhere which we abs did not expect. His aim was always to get to Habs as his dream and because of the clubs there that are unique and the grounds. He got academic scholarship- but he would need to take the bus at 7:20 - meaning a 7:05 departure from home and walk there- so a 6:30 wake up- Ucs is 15min walk and highgate a 10-15min drive . We ve eliminated city merchant Taylor and latymer upper. DS only want Habs but I don’t think he realises the commute. I feel as well he s surfing the 11plus wave and hard work but is Habs going to be so intense ? Feels Habs is too intense an Ucs not enough? I am told you need to be very self motivated at Ucs - highgate we don’t know many ppl the few we know are happy but didn’t seem much work or pressure - so I wonder how they can achieve so good results. Very confused !

Would you take highgate over Ucs?

I always think habs better than Highgate, I don't know why:)