Highland School

Founded in 1928, Highland marks a long history of educational excellence. Our founders knew that a premier education would be active and bring together academics, the arts, and athletics. They also believed that Highland and its students should connect with the community we serve – that a real sense of responsibility to a larger cause must be ingrained in every Highland graduate.

Experience is the best teacher. At Highland, we combine the best of traditional and non-traditional methods to create an active and diverse learning environment where discoveries in the classroom comes to life through hands­-on activities. Highland School is a Pre-K to Grade 12 independent school located in Warrenton, Virginia. Students grow and develop, bound only by their energy and interests. Field Studies make research real. Highly evolved experiential learning programs introduce students to the wonder and majesty of the natural world.

Across all of our divisions, Highland’s courses are as much active as academic. For example, students of drama, literature, and media use digital tools to tell their own stories. Field study trips to environmental centers underscore classroom science lessons. Students of Shakespeare read plays, act out the roles and attend professional performances.

Our robotics teams, which include programs for Lower, Middle and Upper School students, combine mathematics, engineering, and computer programming to solve complex problems. These teams collaborate to make their complex designs a reality.

For our Upper School students, college counseling emphasizes finding the best post-­secondary “fit” for each individual. Admission counselors visit campus each fall to meet students and answer questions. Each January, young alumni return to give presentations and describe their college experiences. Beginning in Grade 9, counseling is an open discussion between parents, students, and Highland faculty and staff about making the best choices for the right reasons.

Highland has embraced sophisticated digital technologies in support of art and music, foreign language and science instruction. Students gain wide­-ranging computer proficiency across platforms and disciplines. In a school that prides itself on community, we’ve all seen that computers and mobile devices are powerful tools for bringing people together. Built around a network of high­ end iMac and PC 's loaded with the latest applications, Highland’s computer labs, available to all students, inspire the academic mind and feed the creative spirit.

In our Upper School, Highland offers 15 Honors courses in a range of subjects and 16 Advanced Placement classes. More than 75% of our seniors take advantage of these course offerings every year. Recent college acceptances include the most prestigious schools in Virginia, as well as Columbia University, Duke University, Stanford University, Yale University and others.

In our dedicated Learning Center, educational specialists deliver a range of support services to Pre-K through Grade 12. The center is available to students in need of extra attention, advocacy, remediation, and individualized instruction. On campus resources help ensure that each Highland student develops confidence, competence, and academic independence.

Today, the Highland experience is defined by our challenging and highly individualized academic program; a unique focus on the power of experiential learning and leadership training; a deep commitment to diversity and fostering a global understanding among our students; a very competitive yet accessible athletic program; and a rich culture steeped in the arts and public performance.

The mission of Highland School is to provide a demanding academic and co-curricular program that develops the skills and character essential for students to meet the challenges of college and leadership in the twenty-first century. To carry out this mission, Highland School has assembled thoroughly modern facilities, a large, diverse, and highly qualified staff, a student body ready to meet the challenges, and an academic philosophy and strategy that makes maximum use of these resources.

The School seeks students who are intellectually curious. Students are selected on the basis of academic potential, without regard to race, color or creed. Entrance to the school is based on the candidate's academic level and aptitude and on his or her ability to work as an individual as well as cooperatively in group settings.

Highland provides an environment that fosters both academic and personal growth. Students at all grade levels are offered a rigorous and varied academic program, exposure to the fine and performing arts, and the opportunity to participate in a wide variety of athletic endeavors. Highland's curriculum includes English, mathematics, all of the social sciences, all of the physical sciences, romance and classical languages, and computer science. A diverse range of electives is available in the Middle and Upper Schools, and include music, studio art, drama, journalism, and photography. Team and individual sports are viewed as integral to each student's development.