Sir Peter Birkett
Founder of Highgate Hill House School
Sir Peter Birkett is the Founder of Highgate Hill House School in Devon.
Professional history
An Overview
A pioneer in the education sector, Sir Peter Birkett has been a Government and Department for Education advisor and was awarded a knighthood in the 2012 Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Birthday Honours for services to Further Education and the Academy movement, a model of success which has now been adopted across the UK and further afield.
In a career which has spanned 30 years, this blog will explore the professional history of Sir Peter, with a special focus on policy, learning practices and educational environments.
Currently, Sir Peter is the Founder of a number of SEN schools offering much-needed places to pupils with additional needs across the country, including Highgate Hill House School in Devon which was established in 2015 and Fountain Head House School in Saltash, Cornwall, which first opened its doors to pupils in 2021. He is also a member of the Worshipful Company of Educators and is founding Chairman of the Educational Wealth fund, an organisation which was created to transform our education system and lead it into the 21st Century with its unique vision.
Among his many projects, Sir Peter founded P5e, an education consultancy firm set up to help schools and colleges improve their overall performance. This inspired him to open Highgate Hill House School to help children with special educational needs achieve their full potential. Under his guidance, the school quickly grew to maximum pupil capacity and has been nominated for several prestigious awards. These successes will be discussed in detail within this blog, along with the progress of the school and its therapeutic interventions which has contributed to the high demand for places.
Sir Peter is a member of the Independent Schools Association and the Independent Schools Council and this blog will include details of the work of these two organisations, exploring the mission and values of each entity while providing regular updates and news stories.
The Educational Wealth Fund was established in the UK to provide children everywhere with learning environments that inspire creativity and empower them to achieve their potential through an endowment fund. This fund will help narrow the gap between the private and state sectors by directing capital wealth where it is most needed. The creation of learning environments with a strong focus on nature and fostering relationships with the outdoors to create a sense of environmental guardianship in each child is another central priority. Other key objectives of the EWF are sustainability and an understanding of culture and diversity with an aim to promote equality. Skills to develop peaceful resolutions to problems at every level will be developed, as well as ensuring mental health is at the core of every framework of study. This vision will be explored in more detail in this blog.
Alongside details of his professional achievements and associations, this blog will also take a closer look at several societies and organisations of which Sir Peter Birkett is a member.