Exclusive Interview with Ms Philippa Studd, Headmistress of Highgate Junior School

It was with the greatest pleasure that I retraced my steps to Highgate Junior School on the 18th of June 2025 to meet the dignified, yet warm and very able, Ms Phlippa Studd. As we sat together in her beautifully appointed office—an elegant palette of green, her favourite colour, I looked around once again at the thoughtfully curated surroundings. The once-familiar jelly bean jars had been replaced by house jars, now steadily filling with tokens, and a hand-drawn name adorned the door. In that moment, I realised that while the furnishings had changed, the spirit of the place remained wonderfully unchanged. It was the same warm lovely welcome, the same sense of being in the presence of a head who was so very comfortable in her role that it was almost just second nature to her. From listening to her speak, seeing how her eyes lit up and a warm smile spread across her face as she talked about the children in her care, about the school and about her plans going forward, it was plain that her interest and commitment was the same as it had been 8 years ago when she first started working at the school. Her passion and her love of teaching was clear as she took me through the journey that had led her to Highgate. After a short stint  as a primary teacher in Spain, which she loved, she went into multilingual recruitment and then realised that teaching was after all, her calling, her only dilemma being whether she should prioritise the age range she loved or the subject she loved and eventually decided on the children. She started her  teaching career at a Senior School in Liverpool (languages teacher) and then proceeded to a 7-18 School in South West London (where she became Head of Languages and then Assistant Head)

. She then took over the role of pastoral head of Key Stage 2 and started looking at Senior Leadership roles which led to her appointment as an Assistant Head.  When the same role came up at Highgate then, she merely crossed over and never looked back. With a background in safeguaring and pastoral care, Ms Studd emphasised that she never takes the role for granted. One of her main priorities as she mentioned, is ensuring that children coming in from the Pre-Prep and those coming in from external schools,  both have the smoothest transition into the Junior School as can possibly be effected. 

Professional and composed, Ms Studd, is a tri-lingual, linguist with a love of learning. She is an inspirational figure at the helm at a time when impressionable young minds are just beginning to understand the world around them and their place in it. The children she teaches, are fortunate to be encouraged to delve deep into what they are learning,  for example, when teaching a carousel of language, they are learning not just the language itself but also the history, evolution and cultural nuances. She also talks freely both about her own strengths and her challenges ensuring that children understand that it is the trying that is important. Most recently she talked about doing the Hyrox competition with her brother. She talked openly as she recounted her experience to parents and children, and her candid sharing of the lessons she learned as she navigated her challenges were eloquent and comforting. She talked of the importance of motivation and perseverence, how to celebrate an achievement no matter what the result at the end was. With two assemblies a week and a principal’s tea for the stars of the week each week, the difference she is making in building up healthy little minds is abundantly clear.

Being godmother to lots of children, and an adoring aunt to her niece and nephew, she is very much in tune with what children need and what works and what doesn’t. A testament to this being, what the children themselves say, for instance,  “She’s really nice”, said one little girl. “She’s (like) really fair so we are not scared of telling her if we are (like)..sad or something”, said another. When asked though, the child was quick to reassure me that he was not sad, he was just letting me know !! It was refreshing, to understand how much the children themselves, valued their head. It is of immeasurable importance that children feel heard and it is a question that many parents ask going into the Junior School given its size. But I have yet to meet a child or a parent at Highgate Junior who have ever felt unheard by her. One little 7 year old told me a while back that Ms Studd had once mentioned in an assembly, that, “it was her job to make sure they are happy”. A statement which sums up how much importance, this head has put on ensuring that the children who pass through the Junior school feel supported, are comfortable in their own skin and have a voice. It is not an easy task but Philippa Studd certainly seems to have done it. 

As we spoke further, Ms Studd explained the value the school places on balancing academic achievement with raising well rounded emotionally strong children. She talked about the introduction of many language classes though the WaLLoW lingusitics program and the vital role being exposed to so many different languages plays, in introducing diversity and cultural understanding at the school. She also runs a general knowledge club and has, for a long while run a walking nature club, which she continues to do today. 

Highgate Junior is a school that has a zero tolerance approach to bullying and effective systems are in place to deal with any incidents quickly and sensitively. From boxes dotted around the school where children could anonymously write in notes about a kindness they experienced from someone, which are then randomly selected and applauded at assemblies, to the restorative approach taken to help children understand boundaries, the school has always been able to handle, nip in the bud and thus stop any indication of anything that might be considered behaviourally unacceptable.

As such, parents then find their children growing up through the years into responsible, mature and most importantly kind young people with a sense of right and wrong. Children who can then take on accountability for their actions and are not afraid to apologise if they have slipped. It is indeed commendable to watch. 

 

Question: Can you briefly share your journey in education and what led you to become Head Teacher at Highgate Junior School?

Answer:

I first fell in love with teaching when I completed my year abroad during my degree, working at a Primary School in Spain. Upon graduating from the University of Liverpool with a degree in French with Hispanic Studies, I spent a year working in multilingual recruitment before studying for my PGCE as a Secondary Languages Teacher. The first few years of my career were spent working in comprehensive schools in Liverpool teaching French and Spanish up to A Level. I then moved to Twickenham and worked at a newly established independent school called Radnor House, establishing the first GCSEs and A Level results as Head of Languages before taking on the role of Assistant Head (Development) with responsibility for the prep school. It was at this school where I really fell in love with primary teaching and when I saw a job advertised at Highgate School where I could be completely focused on KS2 whilst still being involved with the whole school experience from 4-18, I jumped at the chance to apply.

Question: What attracted you specifically to Highgate and what sets it apart from other leading preparatory schools?

Answer:

Highgate is a school with a longstanding and outstanding reputation, and I was attracted to the rich history of the school along with the philosophy and values it stands for. The school’s commitment to developing the whole child and its 3 core values of promoting a life-long love of learning, being a reflective community and developing an exemplar for a healthy life resonated well with my own personal and professional values. In addition, the school’s commitment to fulfilling its objectives as a charity and creating social mobility and opportunities for those from disadvantaged backgrounds is something that I am passionate about. All in all, a perfect match and I have loved every second of being here (8 years now)!

Question: What is your educational philosophy, and how does it shape your leadership style?

Answer:

My educational philosophy is centred around providing an experience for the children in our care that allows them to flourish, thrive, and be happy. I strive to create an environment, through my leadership of the school, where children develop confidence and curiosity, try new things and challenge themselves both personally and academically. I want them to be able to explore themselves and the world around them and be positive, kind, and inclusive citizens.

I want the curriculum to be one which challenges every child and gives them opportunity to extend beyond their comfort zone but also for it to excite and instill a passion in each individual. We aim to have a curriculum where every child sees themselves reflected within it, whether that be through the books that we study, the histories that we explore or the investigations and projects we deliver – every child should connect with the content and come away feeling seen and enthused to take their learning further and deeper.

I think my leadership style is summed up through the 3 expectations I have introduced to the Junior School and share with all who visit us:

1. To have respect for oneself and others
2. To demonstrate empathy and try to see things from others’ point of view
3. To be determined to always be the best version of yourself (but don’t beat yourself up if you fall short from time to time).

Question: How do you balance tradition with innovation at a historic yet forward-looking school like Highgate?

Answer:

We have a lot of fun with this; we respect and value the traditions of the school and make the best of its rich and interesting history. For example, visiting the school chapel or having our archivists bring resources from our museum. The children love the ‘museum in a box’ trips from the school museum – the most popular being in the WWII topic where the children get to see bits of shrapnel from the bomb dropped on the field at the back of the Junior School or documentation from the Junior School pupils who were evacuated to Westwood Ho in Devon during the war. Our assembly songs combine a mix of traditional hymns with modern pop. One week we could sing Lord of the Dance and the next week Roar by Katie Perry or Wonderwall by Oasis.

Question: How does the school integrate digital literacy and technology into the curriculum meaningfully — without overwhelming it? and this one?

Answer:

We have an extensive digital literacy curriculum designed to equip our pupils to know how to keep safe online and use technology responsibly and carefully. It is important that we educate our children on how to use technology and what to do if they encounter anything that makes them feel safe or uncomfortable online. That said, we also try to keep our curriculum as screen free as possible – preferring to focus on an enquiry led approach that enables them to focus on exploring their learning outdoors or using equipment to develop their practical skills. We have a fully equipped DTE lab where pupils are sawing, glue-gunning and designing for the very beginning of Y3. We do have some projects that involve using the 3D laser printers and VEX robotics systems which our pupils find engaging and interesting. Our pupils also have 3 double lessons of Science where they get to participate in an array of exciting experiments – you will often see children measuring gravitational pull from our balconies, tracking their shadows through the day on the court or creating chemical reactions and using Bunsen burners in our purpose built Science laboratories.

Question: What is your long-term vision for the Junior School?

Answer:

To ensure that we are continuing to adapt our curriculum and pastoral care provision to suit the emerging needs of the community we serve. We have some exciting curriculum projects under way which builds upon the enquiry-led approach of the Pre-Prep. We are re-designing our humanities curricula to create more cross-curricular links and embedding a skills led approach across our STEM subjects. We want our learners to appreciate technology and understand its place in the world but not be over reliant on it. Our curriculum is designed to nurture and develop skills like storytelling, critical thinking and practical skills and we strive to make learning as screen free as possible to allow the children to explore the space around them and interact with each other face-to-face.

Another long-term project is to continue to build and increase our bursary provision in the Junior School, which was introduced when I started as Principal in September 2022. In September 2025, we will have bursary pupils in all 4 year groups of the Junior School. The bursary programme further enriches our diverse community and increasing the number of children on fee-assisted places is a long-term goal of ours.

Question: Can you highlight any signature programs or trips that contribute to the “Highgate experience?

Answer:

Our programs and trips are constantly evolving depending on what the children are studying in the curriculum at a given time and so I would be careful not to label them as signature in case we changed or tweaked things slightly and chose to do something different instead. That said, there are so many different experiences that the children enjoy as part of their academic studies. The Year 3 and 4 campouts are always a hit and a good gateway into the 2-night residential to Sayers Croft in y5 and the big residential trip to Devon the week after the May half term in Y6. It is lovely to see the children grow in independence and maturity overnight as a result of these experiences. This year the children have enjoyed code breaking at Bletchley Park linked to their study of WWII, a Victorian Day workshop where they were able to experience life in a Victorian style school setting, trips to local landmarks such as the Heath and Waterlow Park to inform various art, Science and humanities projects and much more.

The Primary Maths Challenge is something which our pupils really enjoy taking part in along with House Countdown and other Maths competitions to pique their mathematical thinking and problem-solving capabilities. We have qualified for the National Finals with our Maths, Science and General Knowledge Quiz Teams multiple times in the last few years and we are looking forward to taking our Science and General Knowledge Teams to compete in this year’s finals at Oxford University the day after term ends.

Question: How does Highgate ensure high academic standards while supporting different learning styles and abilities?

Answer: 

We ensure that we pitch our curriculum in a way that challenges all our pupils – we are an academically selective school with a very high ability range and our curriculum needs to reflect that so that our pupils are engaged and motivated. Alongside this, we recognize that all children have different learner profiles and our staff are trained to be able to accommodate this within the delivery of their lessons along with extra support available to those who may need it through our Learning Support Department.

Question: How do you foster emotional resilience and wellbeing among pupils?

Answer:

Alongside a strong culture and ethos which places the well-being of our pupils at the centre of everything we do, we have a number of programmes to support emotional resilience and wellbeing in the school. We have a qualified ELSA (Emotional Literacy Support Assistant) who works with small groups of pupils who need a little of extra support in developing emotional resilience and a number of school counsellors and well-being practitioners (including a parent practitioner who works with parents and carers) to provide well-being support as required. Pupils can either refer themselves or be referred by a teacher or their parents for this support, and there are worry boxes in each classroom where pupils can request a drop-in if they need it.

Question: How does Highgate Junior School promote inclusivity and celebrate diversity within the student body and staff?

Answer: 

I have mentioned in a previous question the work we have done in reviewing our curriculum to ensure that every child is represented within it and the children have the opportunity to study a diverse range of histories, people and characters from all around the world. In addition, we have an extensive inclusion programme which incorporates various celebrations of different faiths and cultures through assemblies, workshops, trips and visits and guest speakers. We embrace including our parent body in supporting this and workshops are often held by parents and carers of different faiths along with our World Village Event which celebrates all the cultures and countries of our diverse school community. The children love to come in wearing their traditional dress, trying all the different food and learning about different traditions on this afternoon.

Question: What do you believe is the ideal relationship between school and home?

Answer:

The ideal relationship between school and home is one of openness, trust, and collaboration. It is crucial that families and schools work together and support each other. I think we can all acknowledge that life is easier when we can collaborate and lean on each other’s knowledge and expertise to help navigate the rollercoaster of life. I always encourage parents and carers to reach out, even if a matter seems trivial. If it is something which may be affecting the well-being or progress of their child, then it is much easier to support if we know about it. I also work on a mantra of ‘assume best intentions’ and encourage parents to adopt the same approach.

Question: How important are the arts, sports, and extra-curricular activities in the life of a Highgate pupil?

Answer:

This is an integral part of the Highgate experience – we have over 100 different clubs, a wide variety of House events and competitions, a big choice of sports and an extensive music and drama provision. All pupils in the school have the opportunity to participate in sports fixtures, concerts and plays whether that be for fun or at a more competitive level. We have had national success recently in chess, football, netball, General Knowledge, Maths and Science quizzes. Every year, each class performs their own play or musical and there are termly performance platforms and ensembles for our musicians. We also have a number of different school councils including eco, library, sports, charity and community partnerships and digital leaders. There is plenty for children to get involved in, from Minecraft to skateboarding, ornithology to debating, and we encourage all pupils to sign up and try different clubs each term to develop and nurture their own interests and pursuits.

Question: What’s the most rewarding part of being Head Teacher at Highgate Junior School?

Answer:

Each day I get to be part of the most incredible community. A community full of bright, kind and curious children and skilled, hard-working staff. It is an absolute pleasure to stand at the gates every morning welcoming the children into school and speaking to parents, siblings and other important people in the children’s lives. I love our assemblies, particularly the ones where the children perform and we all sing and I always say that I feel extremely privileged to have a job where every week I get to host a Principal’s Tea Party with hot chocolate, cake and 25 stars of the week to hear what they have been recognised for. It really is my dream job, and I love every minute of it!

Question: And finally, if you could give one piece of advice to a new student walking through the gates of Highgate, what would it be?

Answer: 

Be kind, be curious, be brave. Throw yourself into every aspect of school life; sign up to clubs, participate in House events, put yourself forward for performance platforms or positions of responsibility. There is something for everyone here and plenty of people to help you on the way. Never be afraid to ask or try something new and if you ever need support reach out, there are lots of lovely people on hand to help you. And, going back to the three rules I mentioned earlier:

1. Have respect for yourself and others
2. Demonstrate empathy and try to see things from others’ point of view
3. Be determined to always be the best version of yourself (but don’t beat yourself up if you fall short from time to time)

Conclusion
There is much to see in the Junior School. The beautiful building and fantastic multiple play areas, the light streaming in to the classrooms, the incredible artwork that dons the walls, the statues of animals that pop up all around the school, the clear pride, the children take in their school and the instant feel of being where, as one child aptly told me on another occasion, “things happen” is remarkable. It is a fantastic learning space. Little break out hubs on every floor with comfortable, colourful cushions add a homely feel to the school and the well stocked beautiful library is buzzing with activity during the library period. Excellent teaching staff with a low staff turnover ensures longevity, dedication and an even bigger sense of community as generation after generation pass through the same teachers. The sense of belonging and community that the children and their families experience and the shared experiences that siblings gain from this again cannot be put into words. 

At 7+, approximately 25 boys and 25 girls will be offered a place. The bursary scheme is also now well established and will offer grants up to 100% for children who need support. Ms Studd was keen to bust the myth that many parents have, about the transition from the pre-prep to the Junior School vs the academic ability of the children who have come from external schools. She underlined the idea that the reason there was a difference, was not in the learning but in the skill set. One set were being prepared to answer exam questions and the other were learning key social and academic skills. She was confident that it all came together in a year or so and everyone was brought to roughly the same standard as they all settled in by Year 4. 

An enviable  number of clubs include the more traditional clubs as well as the more interesting, walk and talk club, board games,   gardening,  fencing and skateboarding, all fill up mornings and evenings and lunchtimes and children are kept busy both in mind and body. The musical offering is incomparable. The brass, wind, strings and percussion departments perform at a minimum of 2 -3 concerts per term and the musical talent that is showcased is of a very high calibre. The drama department is excellent and shows range from Jungle Book to Mary Poppins and any spin off originals that teachers write and direct themselves. The range of activities on offer, frankly is bewildering but the children seem to have them at their finger tips moving across them every term depending on what tickles their fancy at the time and in doing so, subconsciously,  increasing the gamut of their exposure and experiences  thus, making the most of their time at Highgate. There is no gender bias in games and girls play football just as easily as boys play netball.  It is a happy, buzzing school, where smiling faces and happy children run (not walk) jumping around with dizzying levels of energy. The academic standards are high but children don’t feel pushed. They learn at their pace and are supported and guided to achieve their potential through the years and are prepared for the Senior School in ample time.

The values of ELS – emotional, literacy, support have been introduced by Ms Studd.  This has had a real positive impact on the children. Teachers are encouraged to engage in professional development courses and  children are given individual attention in very manageable numbers in classes.  “A marathon not a sprint” seems to be the informal motto at Highgate where children are encouraged to explore, ask, observe and learn. It is very apparent that the most popular school in North London, continues to thrive, it’s popularity and waiting lists not affected by recent political changes and its’ position strengthened by the head in the driver’s seat for the Junior School , who is to all extents, flying the Highgate flag effortlessly.