Welcome to Palmers Green High School Winchmore Hill
The Sunday Times Parent Power Guide’s Independent 11-16 School of the Year for Academic Excellence 2026, Palmers Green High School (PGHS) was founded in 1905 by Miss Alice Hum and has provided girls with an exceptional education for 120 years. At PGHS we specialise in educating girls, challenging and guiding them to achieve their full potential within our warm and friendly school environment. We are a very special ‘through-school’ where pupils progress in a familiar setting and benefit from seamless transitions across the Prep, Junior and Senior Schools. There is an authentic feeling of being one family where strong friendships are formed and extend beyond year groups.
A School Experience Like No Other
At PGHS, all sections of the school (Preps, Juniors and Seniors) enjoy being part of our ‘one school’ community. Preps use the same facilities as the GCSE pupils in some subjects, e.g. Art, Music, PE and D&T, and Juniors enjoy Science in the laboratories. Throughout PGHS, small class sizes and excellent teaching enable rapid progress, whilst exciting extra-curricular activities encourage girls to develop into well-rounded individuals.
Extra Curricular
Recognising the importance of developing well-rounded individuals, we offer an exciting programme of extra-curricular activities. PGHS takes every opportunity to nurture your daughter’s passions and develop her skills, providing over 80 clubs per week.
We’re delighted to share the fabulous news that PGHS has been named ‘Independent 11-16 School of the Year for Academic Excellence 2026’ by The Sunday Times Parent Power Guide 2026.
We are immensely proud of this national award as it reflects the incredible hard work and dedication of our pupils and our teachers.
This guide is widely recognised as the definitive ranking of the UK’s top primary and secondary state and independent schools, and remains an essential resource for parents seeking the very best in education for their children.
It is published online today and will also be available in a special print supplement in The Sunday Times on Sunday, December 7.
👉See link in bio
#schoolaward #outstandingachievement #sundaytimesparentpowerguide2026 #sundaytimes #schooloftheyear #academicexcellence
Our Senior School netball teams have had an excellent week of netball fixtures.
Our Year 9 and 10 team played a nail-biting home game @thewalkerground, finishing with an exciting 11–11 draw. They followed this up with an outstanding 10–0 victory, demonstrating great teamwork and determination.
Our Year 11 team, competing against senior teams that included Sixth Form pupils, delivered a superb performance and only narrowly missed out, losing by just two goals.
The team spirit throughout the week has been exceptional. Well done to all players, and thank you to our parent supporters for their continued encouragement.
#thesegirlscan #netballfixtures #schoolnetball
Pupils from our Lower and Senior School proudly represented North London at the @isaschools National Swimming Finals @londonaquaticcentre! It was an incredible opportunity for our swimmers to compete in an Olympic-standard pool against top swimmers from across the UK.
The standard of competition was extremely high, with participants from all over the country earning their place through successful performances at their regional competitions. Our swimmers rose to the challenge brilliantly, delivering excellent performances and several achieving personal bests.
In addition to competing, pupils were also treated to the inspiring sight of Olympic divers in action - a fantastic experience to end an exciting day.
A huge well done to all our swimmers, and a heartfelt thank you to the parents who came along to support the team.
#thesegirlscan #swimmingfinals #schoolswimsquad
Another fantastic year at the Enfield Borough Gymnastics Competitions! 🤸♀️
This week, our talented gymnasts in the Lower School competed against 16 other schools @southbury_leisure_centre - and they did brilliantly!🏅
Year 2 – 4th Place
Year 4 – 7th Place
Years 5 & 6 – 4th Place
A huge congratulations to our PGHS Gymnastic Squads - we are so very proud of you all!
#thesegirlscan #gymnasticscompetition #enfieldborough #schoolgymnastics
Year 7, with fantastic support from Year 11 prefects Fatimah and Anah, had a brilliant STEM Club session this week.
They used red cabbage indicator and everyday household items like washing-up liquid and vinegar to create their own colourful paper - ready to be transformed into Christmas decorations!
A fun mix of science and festive creativity!
#stemeducation #scienceart
Year 4 had a fantastic day out Broomfield Park this week!
They began with a fascinating tour from the park representative where they learned about the wetlands and the wildlife they support - and they were thrilled to spot a moorhen in its natural habitat!
They then enjoyed a talk from a bird specialist, who taught them all about swans and Egyptian geese, before the café kindly treated every child to a hot chocolate on the chilly day! ☕
To say thank you, the girls rolled up their sleeves and collected two full bags of litter as part of their voluntary service.
The day ended with a hands-on science activity, where they learned how to filter water using natural materials - a brilliant finish to a memorable trip!
#schooltrip #outdoorlearning #naturelearning #communityserviceproject #voluteeringisfun #stemactivities
Fencing is coming back to PGHS!
Huge thank you to @fightingfitfencing for an amazing demonstration this week - our pupils loved it!
We’re excited to launch Junior and Senior Fencing Clubs starting in January. These fun, inclusive sessions teach Olympic fencing skills while building confidence, coordination, resilience, respect and tactical thinking.
Often called “physical chess”, fencing is a brilliant sport for both body and mind - perfect for our pupils looking to try something new.
📲 Book your place using the QR code in the newsletter.
Let’s get fencing, PGHS! 🤺
#fencing #fencingclub
We were thrilled to welcome back former pupil - and now an accomplished actor/filmmaker - Kathryn Prescott @k.prescott77 at last week’s Senior School Prize Giving evening.
Best known for her roles in teen dramas Skins and Finding Carter, Kathryn delivered a captivating and inspiring speech to our pupils and guests about resilience and perseverance after overcoming a life-changing injury.
It’s always a joy to see our alumnae return and inspire the next generation. A huge thank you to Kathryn for joining us and sharing her story.
#formerpupil #alumnae
We recently celebrated our senior pupils academic achievements at our annual Senior Prize Giving event at St John’s Church - always a highlight of the year!
It was a beautiful evening filled with outstanding music and drama performances, plus inspiring speeches.
We were proud to recognise our pupils’ hard work with certificates, trophies and shields. It was wonderful to welcome back our Class of 2025 to receive their GCSE certificates.
Thank you to everyone who joined us for such a joyful occasion.
Huge congratulations to all our prize winners! 🎉
#seniorprizegiving #schoolprizegiving #thesegirlscan #academicachievements
A wonderfully festive afternoon at our Winter Fayre!🎄
So many magical moments and so much fun for everyone. Our school was filled with joy, laughter, and community spirit. We had such a fantastic time celebrating together.
Huge thank you to our amazing PFA for all their hard work in making it such a special day!
#winterfayre #schoolwinterfayre #schoolchristmasfayre #magicalmoments
So much festive fun happening right now! Santa’s here, crafts are ready, games are on - come on down, the Winter Fayre is in full swing!
A big thank you to our amazing PFA for putting on such a fabulous event.
#christmasfayre🎄 #festivefun
🎄 A big thank you to our Year 6 girls for decorating our Christmas tree! They had lots of fun getting it ready, and a special thank you to Mrs Tikare for placing the star on top ✨. The tree is now all set and sparkling for tomorrow’s Winter Fayre!
#schoolchristmastree🎄 #teamwork #itsbeginingtolookalotlikechristmas
