Frequently asked questions

What is a Giving Day?

A giving day is an opportunity for those associated with Highgate School all over the world to unite to make a lasting difference in the lives of children at Highgate and beyond.

During this 36-hour online fundraising challenge, we aim to raise as much as we can for three main areas: the general advancement of LAET, the Highgate bursary programme, and the general advancement of Highgate.

We believe that we are in a unique position to help support young people from less advantaged backgrounds and to create enduring partnerships between pupils at Highgate and their peers in our partner schools. We are therefore raising money for three main things that form part of this mission to generate genuine, lasting social change:

  1. The expansion of partnership work between pupils at Highgate and our sibling school, LAET, which will create unique educational opportunities and lasting connections between like-minded young people, regardless of their social or economic backgrounds.
  2. Ensuring that we can continue to offer our transformative bursary provision, which includes serving the pastoral needs of these young people and providing them with a fully enriched education – including instrumental music lessons, funded educational trips and visits, and meeting equipment needs – once they start their time at Highgate.

Why is a giving day different from any other day?

Gifts made during this period will go even further than usual. Thanks to some very generous donors, everything donated on Giving Day will be matched pound for pound.

Furthermore, several donors have provided challenge funds that will be unlocked once we achieve particular goals. Take a look at the ‘Challenges’ page to see if your gift is eligible to unlock funds.

How can I make my gift?

We want to make it easy for you to participate in our giving day, and gifts can be given in a variety of ways on the day:

Online: through our Hubbub Giving Day platform.

By phone: Call +44 (0)208 347 2101

By cheque: To make a donation by cheque, please download and complete a Gift Aid declaration (if applicable). Please post your form, with your cheque made payable to ‘Highgate School’, to:

Development Office, Highgate School, North Road, London N6 4AY

Can I make a gift before the giving day?

Yes! We know that everyone's schedules may not allow them to participate during the Giving Day itself. You can make a gift in advance online through the Giving Day website from Monday 20 February 2023 or get in touch with us at development@highgateschool.org.uk if you wish to make another type of gift.

Why does Highgate need to raise funds?

Highgate was founded in 1565. We were granted land and a title but no endowment to run our school – 95% of our income comes from fees. To do more, we need to generate more revenue: we live by the success of what we achieve now.

Highgate is a charity - we have a responsibility to support our community and donations help us to achieve our charitable vision more quickly and to greater effect.

We enact this in two main ways: partnerships with local state schools and offering means-tested fee assistance at Highgate. Our sibling school, The London Academy of Excellence Tottenham, is making a meaningful difference to the lives of the students there, thanks to donor and volunteer support. In recent data provided by the Department for Education, LAET placed in the top 4% of schools nationally for the attainment of disadvantaged pupils and in the top 2% for Russell Group, Oxbridge, and global top third university destinations.

Donations are already helping to fund more than 90 means-tested bursaries, and we are excited to have expanded this provision to families joining the Junior School at 7+, so even more children can enjoy the transformational benefits of a Highgate education, regardless of their socioeconomic circumstances.

Is Highgate a charity?

Yes, Sir Roger Cholmeley's School at Highgate - to give us our full name - is a registered charity, no. 312765.

What difference will my donation make?

Your gift today will enable us to support all children from all backgrounds to have transformational educational experiences. Whether that means bridging the gap between pupils already at Highgate and their peers at LAE Tottenham, allowing more children to come to Highgate School, or supporting the most vulnerable children in society beyond Highgate’s walls.

How much do people give on a Giving Day?

It depends very much on the individual’s wishes and circumstances. Gifts of any size really do make a difference. Our crowdfunding campaign in 2022 for hardship during the cost-of-living crisis at our sibling school, LAET, surpassed its target with a final total of over £50,000 – and the majority of gifts were between £20 and £200.

Is my credit card payment secure?

Yes. We use Stripe, a secure, off-site payment processor, to handle our credit card transactions.

Is there a minimum or maximum donation I can make?

The minimum online gift amount is £1. There’s no maximum donation, and every donation has an impact.

Can I claim Gift Aid on this donation?

Yes! So long as you have paid as much Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax as the amount of Gift Aid claimed on all of your donations in that tax year, the school can reclaim the basic tax rate (25%) on your gift, with no extra cost to you.

Will my Giving Day contribution be tax-deductible?

UK: If you’re in the UK and eligible for Gift Aid, Highgate School can claim 25% back in tax from your donation. If you’re a Higher Rate Tax Payer (40% and above), you can claim tax back on your charitable donations at the end of the tax year.

USA: Your gift is tax-deductible. When making your gift, just select ‘Donate in USD’. You will receive an email confirmation and tax receipt.

How much of my donation will go towards Highgate's charitable projects?

We put the maximum proportion of your donation towards the area you wish to support. Stripe, our payment processor, charges a small fee of 1.5% + 20p for each donation.

Can I make a regular monthly donation?

Yes! Click the ‘Donate’ button at the top-right of any page in the Giving Day platform and tick the checkbox stating that you would like to make a regular direct debit.

Can I give anonymously?

Yes. When making your gift, tick the relevant box in the ‘Gift Visibility’ section of the form.

How can I help spread the word?

Your support will make a huge difference to Highgate School and the success of our Giving Day. Post about our giving day on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn - and don’t forget to tag us!

How can I get in touch?

Please feel free to email any questions to the Development Office at development@highgateschool.org.uk or call us on +44 (0)208 347 2101.