Ever wondered where some of Britain’s brightest minds began their journey? Right here at Highbury Fields School. Let me tell you its story.
Highbury Fields School stands proudly in the Highbury area of Islington. It is a secondary school for girls with a coeducational sixth form. The school’s address is Highbury Hill. It is hard to miss.
Highbury Fields School wasn’t always known by that name. Its history is rich and full of change. The school we see today is the result of an amalgamation in 1981. Two schools joined forces. Highbury Hill High School for Girls and Shelburne High School for Girls became one.
Highbury Hill High School has roots that go way back. In 1844, it started as a Model Infant School. It was part of the Home and Colonial Society’s project. The school was on Gray’s Inn Road. In 1863, boys had to leave because of space issues. The school was then renamed The Mayo School. This honored its founder Elizabeth Mayo. The Mayo School moved to Highbury Hill House in 1894. It was then renamed Highbury Hill High School for Girls.
Shelburne High School also has an interesting past. A mission set up the Holloway Free and Ragged School in 1846. It was located in Hornsey Road and Ingram Place. Later, the London School Board took over. The school became The William Forster School.
The proposal to merge Highbury Hill and Shelburne caused quite a stir. There was public outcry. People marched to the Department of Education and Science. They delivered a petition against the merger to 10 Downing Street. The petition had over 40000 signatures. Despite the protests the amalgamation happened. In September 1981, Highbury Fields School was born.
Highbury Fields School has a special focus. It specializes in Science and Mathematics. The school is also part of the Islington Sixth Form Consortium. This gives students many A Level options.
Many notable people attended Highbury Fields School. Little Simz the actress rapper and singer once walked these halls. Kemi Adeosun the former Minister of Finance of Nigeria is also an alumna.
The school has a capacity of 1050 pupils. As of 2022, the enrolment was 768. Mr. Tim Fox is the headteacher.
Highbury Fields School continues to thrive today. It provides a strong education for girls in Islington. The school has a progress 8 score of 0.82. This is significantly higher than the local authority and England averages. The school’s commitment to excellence is clear.
So as you stand here remember the journey of Highbury Fields School. From its beginnings as two separate schools to its current success. It is a place of learning growth and achievement. A true asset to the community.