The History of Highams Park School
Local Area
The earliest available map from 1863 indicates the site to be greenfield agricultural land, bounded by some trees to the west and east and some likely farm buildings and a Manor House to the south. Hale End was located a further 300m south and Highams Park Lake to the east was then a fishpond.
The roads that border the site, Church Avenue and Handsworth Avenue were constructed by 1897 with Highams Park Station also constructed by this time.
By 1939 the school's main building had been built. You can also see the rise in residential and shopping units around the area. At this time the school was known as Sidney Burnell School.
By 1950 there was still substantial growth in the area bought on by the post war industrial boom. To the east of Highams Park Lake on the field, you can see the prefabricated bungalows that were built post war.
Forward to 2021 and the local area has built up rapidly. With the construction of the new Tesco superstore nearby and more residential units. The area is fortunate to still have plenty of nearby green spaces.
Sidney Burnell School
The school was built originally circa 1938 and opened 20th May 1940 and was named after Sidney Burnell, Director of Education in 1920. The boys being taught in the East of the main building and girls in the West. Below are a selection of photos of life at Sidney Burnell from between around 1940 - 1970.
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The 60's saw the expansion of the school with the East Wing built and the council owned Youth Centre. This was to aid the growing school and growing population post war.
Sidney Burnell School Became Highams Park School - 1974
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The school expanded once again adding the West Wing and Sports Hall in 1978.
Major Fire - May 1988
In 1988 some students set fire to books in the library destroying the rear of the main building (from M9 to the canteen). This was originally a long corridor with classrooms, but due to the fire was replaced with a new library, drama studio and business studies and IT suite.
Memorial Garden
There was a small garden with pond in the East Quadrangle. If you look at the picture on the right you will see that there was also a small family of ducks on the pond! This area would later on become the Memorial Garden in 1993.
Highams Park School became Grant Maintained - 1991
In 1991 the school gained Grant Maintained status. A grant-maintained school was a type of state school in England and Wales that opted out of local government control to receive funding directly from central government, bypassing local bureaucracy and gaining significant independence over its budget and operations. Grant Maintained schools were later abolished by the UK Government in 1998.
Highams Park Restores 6th Form - 1995
In 1995 the school restored in 6th Form, having lost it during the LA reorganisation. A portacabin building with a 10 year life was placed to accommodate the new 6th Form.
Voluntary Aided Technology College - 1997
In 1997 the school became a Voluntary Aided Technology College. It was unique in being one of the few that had no faith association. A Voluntary Aided (VA) school is a state-funded school in the UK. Often associated with faith groups, the land and buildings are owned by a charitable foundation. The school's governing body is responsible for admissions and employing staff, and must contribute 10% towards building costs.
The "Technology College" designation was a specialist schools programme introduced by the UK government in 1993. It allowed VA and grant-maintained schools to apply for additional funding to specialize in science, mathematics, and technology alongside the National Curriculum. These have now been phased out, and many of these institutions transitioned into academies.
Partnership with Arsenal Football Club - 1997
From 1997 the school had a partnership with Arsenal football club, educating the pupils that were training at the nearby youth training facility. One of the stars to come from Highams Park at that time was David Bentley, who went on to play for Arsenal, Tottenham and even the England International team. Below is a photo from that year groups last year.
South Wing Built - 1999
In 1999 the South Wing was built, replacing 2 mobile classrooms that was burnt down during an arson attack in 1997. Art moved in to the South Wing upstairs and downstairs was Music and Drama.
New Sports Hall and Maths Block - 2008
In 2008 the old Sports Hall was demolished to make way for the P Block and new Sports Block. Maths moved into the P Block and the sports block was equipped with a fitness centre, larger Sports Hall and modern changing facilities.
In 2011 the school gained Academy Convertor status following it’s Outstanding Ofsted inspection. An Academy Converter is a previously council-run school in the UK that has voluntarily chosen to leave local authority control to become an independent state-funded academy. These schools receive funding directly from the Department for Education.
The Gym was later extended to become the new 6th Form.
The School Site Before Renovation
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The Future of Highams Park School
In 2021 it was announced the school would be part of the School Rebuilding Programme, replacing most of our older buildings with modern up to date facilities.
Construction commenced in 2024 and the school hopes to move in to it’s new permanent accommodation in 2027, continuing it’s long history of serving the local community.
If you have any further information or past pictures of Highams Park School that you'd like included on this page, please contact tlewis@highamsparkschool.co.uk