About Us

Head’s Welcome

The culture of Colfe’s is its greatest asset. It is grounded, unstuffy and warm – a part of the world, not apart from it.

We are a happy school, a place that celebrates diversity and how it enriches our entire community: there is no Colfe’s ‘type’. We are co-educational because we believe boys and girls learn best when they learn together and from one another. All this is enabled by a talented, committed staff body who go the extra mile and whose first duty is to ensure your child feels safe, secure and confident, excited by school and all the opportunities it brings. Great pastoral care is foundational: we want all of our pupils to be happy and successful, in that order. Our outstanding  pastoral programmes give pupils the tools they need to learn and to live – supporting them at school and preparing them for life beyond.

Our pupils achieve amazing things, such as their excellent results at GCSE and A-level. This is a critical element of our purpose, because these results open doors and give your child choices. The overwhelming majority of our pupils go on to their first-choice university, including Russell Group destinations and Oxford and Cambridge, as well as winning highly competitive places on Degree Apprenticeship courses and at drama schools, art schools and music conservatoires. Their achievement is facilitated by our smaller class sizes, expert teaching and the bespoke enrichment and extension sessions on offer. This culture of aspiration sees teachers working alongside our pupils to inspire and challenge them to achieve more than they thought possible.

And of course this isn’t just in the classroom. In sport, music, art and drama, as well as in the huge array of clubs and societies Colfe’s offers, we want your child to find ‘that thing’ they love – where they can have fun, excel and make friendships that will last a lifetime.

Given our modern buildings it may surprise you to learn that Colfe’s is one of the oldest schools in London, established by our founder Abraham Colfe in 1652. His vision – to provide local children with the opportunity to access a transformative education – remains true today.  Our links with The Leathersellers’ Company, an ancient Guild of the City of London, who have owned and governed the school since our founder’s death in 1657, remain as strong as ever. Their longstanding contribution to the Leatherseller Scholarship Programme is a key part of our school’s culture.

Choosing a school for your child is a big decision and I hope that browsing our website gives you some insight into what Colfe’s is like. That said, the best  way to learn more about us is to come and visit: you’ll receive a warm welcome.

I look forward to meeting you in person.

Dan Gabriele
Headmaster