City of London Academy Highgate Hill

It is our pleasure to welcome you to the City of London Academy Highgate Hill (COLAHH). The school opened as a mixed, all-ability, non-denominational academy in September 2017, inheriting four cohorts (years 8 to 11) from what was previously, Mount Carmel Catholic Girls College.

We aim to provide a world class education for our students - making them ‘fully-baked’ individuals. Hence we provide a broad and balanced curriculum tailored to the needs of our students. This includes the opportunity for students to achieve the ‘English Baccalaureate’ (Ebacc). The academy’s sixth form will open in a state of the art building in September 2022.

At the City of London Academy Highgate Hill, we believe that all students can thrive in their academic lives and become active contributors to their local, national and global communities, if the right environment is provided. Therefore, we strive to provide a calm and purposeful learning environment underpinned by high expectations across the academy. Students are expected to work hard and show tenacity and commitment towards their studies. We provide opportunities through high quality teaching and support structures offered by our sponsor: the City of London Corporation, to promote academic, creative, sporting, linguistic and personal achievement: this is ‘the City experience’.

As part of our aim to develop students’ creative abilities, all students are provided with a free musical instrument: Cello, Flute, Viola or Violin when they join us in year 7. Students receive free music tuition for the first three years with us. This is sponsored by The Music in Secondary School Trust. Our new Orchestra group have already performed in the Barbican and Goldsmith College.

Our overarching vision is to found an academy which will exemplify ‘Outstanding’ secondary practice, evidenced by excellent attainment and progress for all pupils. From the outset we will want to ensure that the academy is underpinned by shared values and ambitions so that this new member of our educational family can be graded as ‘Outstanding’ within three years.

Each of our existing secondary academies provide learning experiences that reflect the characteristics for which the City is known around the world

• High expectations, aspirations, excellence and a belief that all can succeed
• Contributing creativity, innovation and enterprise alongside tradition and heritage
• Developing people who are confident, resilient, compassionate and democratic

Our over-arching ethos for the City of London Academy Highgate Hill will be:

• To develop the potential and character of all students in all global spheres; academic, social, cultural and spiritual
• To nurture students who are creative, curious and compassionate into adults who are able to make a positive and significant contribution to our world
• To recognise the importance of fostering understanding and respect for other cultures and faiths
• To promote the importance of developing positive relationships with others, resolving conflict through reconciliation and forgiveness
• To promote equal opportunities for all

The city of london believes that every student is entitled to high quality academic, creative, sporting, linguistic and personal development opportunities.

Like all City Academies, the new school will draw on the City of London’s unique and exceptional range and quality of resources.

Education both influences and reflects the values of our society, and the kind of society we want to be. It is therefore important to recognise a set of common aims, values and purposes that underpin the school curriculum and the work of schools.

Learning at COLAHH is an exciting process of explanation, discovery and achievement. We encourage and guide our students to take responsibility for their work, to become independent learners who ask questions, solve problems and communicate their ideas with confidence and clarity.

Our lessons are interactive and practical with an emphasis on team work, participation and enjoyment at every opportunity. We offer a wide and varied curriculum at each Key Stage, backed up by superb facilities throughout the college including our purpose built design and technology centre.All students will follow a two-year programme and begin GCSEs in all subjects in year 9. All students will follow the national curriculum unless the academy (in consultation with students and parents) feels they would benefit from not doing so.

In line with our sister academy, we aim to raise standards and aspirations through leading by example. In our other Hackney school, The City Academy, Hackney 90% of students reach national standards and above in English and maths at Key Stage 3, the progress we are expecting of our students will be well above national average.

All students will study GCSEs in English, maths and science, and there will be a wide selection of options across the remaining subjects. The vast majority of students will follow the English Baccalaureate in Key Stage 4. Our GCSE options subjects will include many of those taught throughout Key Stage 3 such as art, music and technology as well as additional choices including computing, economics and vocational subjects.

In time, the academy will grow to include a vibrant academic Sixth Form. The aim of our Sixth Form will be to develop young learners into independent, studious and professional young adults, by insisting on the same core values that characterise the work of the academy as a whole.