The best possible outcomes for every learner, whatever their starting point 

Welcome to Highfield Ely. The whole-school vision above is the touchstone for every decision we make, and our curriculum is carefully designed to lead towards it.


Our Values

Our core values as a school community are:

Equity - fairness in all actions, decisions and interactions

Respect - to each other, ourselves and the wider world

Perseverance - in learning and in life

Kindness and Compassion - to everyone we encounter

These values can be seen consistently across the school and are demonstrated by staff and students alike. 


We operate a single curriculum with three linked Pathways; Green, Yellow and Blue. Students access learning in whichever Pathway is most appropriate for them and they may move between Pathways during their time at Highfield. See our curriculum page to learn more about how each subject looks within each Pathway. Our system is a result of our experience that we can ensure accelerated progress, better learning outcomes and excellent peer relationships when we group learners with others who are working at a similar level and learning in a similar way. At the same time, all students spend time with their peers from different Pathways several times every day. 

Mark Lowery, author of many popular childrens' books had this to say about Highfield Ely after he visited us for a literacy event.

"I just wanted to say how blown away I was by everything I saw when I came to visit you last week. I've worked in education for a long time and visited hundreds of schools, but there was something unique about Highfield. The students were fantastic and the staff were clearly dedicated and talented. On top of this, there was a buzz and a warmth about the place that made it feel very welcoming and special. If my experiences have taught me two things, it's that these things don't happen by accident, and that people are a lot more keen to tell you what you're doing wrong than what you're doing right. So I just wanted to say thank you for welcoming me to your school, and well done to everyone for creating such a wonderful learning environment."

We deliver challenging yet engaging lessons which foster a genuine love of learning. Some of our students may have previously had negative experiences with learning and this is a barrier we work hard to remove. 


Personal Development

Personal development is at the heart of our ethos and our curriculum and we pride ourselves on the incredible personal journeys our students take. We know each and every one of our learners as individuals and we approach their development accordingly. Our vision is "the best possible outcomes for every learner, whatever their starting point" - see our Personal Development page for more details.


We hope that you find our website to be helpful, informative and interesting. If you would like a paper copy of any of the information contained on our school’s website or would like to arrange a visit, please don't hesitate to contact us.

If you have any questions about the school that you cannot find the answer to here, please contact Adam Daw, Headteacher on adaw@highfield.cambs.sch.uk.