​

Would My Child Suit A Highly Academic School?

What the Heads Actually Said

There’s a question almost every parent asks at some point: “Is my child right for a highly academic school?”

At the Independent Schools Show, I listened to heads from Latymer Upper, Highgate, American School London, alongside voices from UCS, and Francis Holland.

What was striking wasn’t agreement. It was the differences in how they define “academic”, “fit”, and even “success”.

One of the clearest messages came from Highgate: “There is no one type of Highgate student.”

That sounds reassuring, but it’s also slightly misleading because while there isn’t one type, there are still patterns.

Across the schools, the students most likely to thrive were described as:

• naturally curious
• strong readers
• comfortable thinking independently
• able to cope when things feel challenging

Reading, in particular, came up repeatedly. Not as a “nice to have”, but as a consistent marker of students who thrive: those who read widely, enjoy books, and engage with ideas through what they read.

Academic rigour is not what most parents think There was a subtle but important shift in how “rigour” was described.

At ASL, Caroline challenged a common misconception: Academic rigour is not about testing, it’s about the ability to tackle complex problems.

That aligns with what many selective schools are quietly moving towards.

- thinking under pressure
- making sense of unfamiliar material
- holding ideas in mind and developing them

This is where many well-prepared children still struggle.

The pace at highly academic schools is real (and it matters).

Latymer described a structure that many parents underestimate:

• 45-minute lessons
• running straight into each other
• fast pace
• high expectations

And importantly: students are held to very high standards.

Some children can pass the assessment but then find the day-to-day pace overwhelming.

One of the most refreshing and honest points came from Highgate: struggle is not a red flag. “It WILL happen.” (children struggling). The expectation is not that children glide through. Instead: - struggle is normalised:
- getting stuck is seen as positive
- resilience is actively built

Competition is handled differently than you might expect too. Rather than suppressing competition, schools are trying to reshape it.

At Highgate: - competition is channelled into house systems
- recognition goes beyond academics (participation, kindness, contribution)

The intention is clear: every child should have somewhere to shine.

So… would your child suit a highly academic school?

The honest answer is: it depends less on raw ability than most parents think.

And more on:

• curiosity
• resilience
• willingness to engage
• comfort with challenge
• ability to keep going when things feel hard

Or put more simply: does your child enjoy thinking even when it’s difficult?

A final thought

One of the most useful lines of the day came from UCS:

“You don’t want a child to be a number on a spreadsheet.”

Highly academic schools are not just looking for scores.

They are looking for children who will live well inside that environment.

And that’s a much harder thing to measure.

Did you enjoy this email? Send a tip