London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Aug 27, 2026

Highgate School pupils hold walkout after claims of 'rape culture'

Highgate School pupils hold walkout after claims of 'rape culture'

Pupils at a north London private school walked out of classes following claims the school had a "rape culture".

A dossier with more than 200 testimonies by former and current Highgate School pupils was sent to governors and published online.

The document includes first-hand accounts of alleged abuse as well as claims rape was "tolerated" by staff.

The school said it "fully supports" the pupils' action and has launched an external review into the allegations.

The anonymous testimonies made in the document were written by pupils in response to the question: "What is your experience of rape culture at Highgate School?".

Many include claims of abuse in classrooms or off the property, with one describing how they were raped by one boy, sexually assaulted by two others "and sexually harassed by too many to keep count".

The school said the pupils taking part had their full support

Staff are also criticised for not investigating claims and failing to care for those who approached them with allegations.

"The way the school has behaved has resulted in a space where rape is rife and also totally tolerated.

"I would go so far as to say rape at Highgate School is normal," one account states.

According to the school, the walkout took place at lunchtime and involved girls and boys from years 11, 12 and 13 who wanted to show "solidarity with survivors of sexual abuse and harassment".

In a statement, the school's governing body said they were "deeply shocked and horrified by the allegations that have recently come to light" and apologised "to any victim of sexual harassment or abuse who was not properly supported".

"The governing body has commissioned an immediate external review of the allegations led by a team of professionals with expertise in this field."

They added that they "fully support and commend the actions of our pupils today".

Numerous other schools and universities have faced similar allegations in recent weeks as a part of an online campaign where users post anonymous testimonies of sexual assault and harassment they had experienced.

More than 5,600 accounts feature on the Everyone's Invited site and founder Soma Sara previously told the BBC they "expose rape culture and the scale of sexual violence amongst young people in the UK".

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
TSA Unveils Major Airport-Security Overhaul as It Drops Gold+ Privatization Plan
CIA Chief Warned Russia Against Attacking NATO in Secret Moscow Mission
Raheem Sterling Charged With Dangerous Driving After Lamborghini Crash
The Secret Dolly Parton Kept Until Her Death: "She Was Much Sicker Than She Let On"
Middlesbrough House Fire Kills Woman and Seven-Year-Old Girl
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Return to UK Amid Renewed Media Attention
Raheem Sterling Charged With Dangerous Driving After London Collision
Greenpeace Threatens Legal Action Over Crown Estate Offshore Wind Leasing
Nvidia Revenue Surges to Ninety-Six Point Two Billion Dollars on Artificial Intelligence Demand
Meta Agrees to Global Youth Safety Changes Following Multi-State Legal Settlement
UK Government Plans Autumn Summit With Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish Leaders
CMA Caps Veterinary Prescription Fees at Twenty-One Pounds
Thames Water Pilot Records Forever Chemicals at Thirteen Times the Legal Limit
Kent Meningitis Outbreak Reaches Thirty-Four Confirmed Cases
Forty Children Missing From UK Asylum Accommodation Remain Unaccounted For
UK Court Upholds VAT on Private School Fees
US Designates Palestine Action as Foreign Terrorist Organization
UK Approves Massive New Chinese Embassy Complex in London Amid Security Concerns
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Visits Kyiv and Offers Cruise Missile Designs to Ukraine
Glacier Collapse, Not Earthquake, Triggered Deadly Nepal-Tibet Flood
Andy Burnham Drops Plan to Cap Political Donations
Conservative Leadership Contest Intensifies as Robert Jenrick Attacks Kemi Badenoch
French-Born Defence Secretary Wes Streeting Condemns Homophobic Abuse Since Taking Office
UK Government Delays Commercial Robotaxi Rollout in London Over Regulatory Gaps
NHS Complaints About Autism and ADHD Care Waiting Times Triple Over Five Years
UK Government Launches 10,000 Work Placements for Young People With Sainsbury's
NHS England to Offer Free At-Home Cervical Cancer Screening Kits
EU Biometric Border Checks Cause Delays of Up to Five Hours for British Travellers
US Imposes Economic Sanctions on UK-Based Protest Group Palestine Action
Two Planned UK Datacentres Could Produce More Annual Carbon Emissions Than ExxonMobil's Entire UK Operation
London Surgeons Complete First Artificial Intelligence-Assisted Brain Tumour Removal
UK Services Growth Rebounds as Consumer Confidence Reaches Two-Year High
Ofgem Confirms Four Percent October Energy Price Cap Increase for UK Households
Government Considers Insolvency Law Changes to Bring Thames Water Into Public Ownership
Andy Burnham Signs Artificial Intelligence Defence Pact During Visit to Kyiv
Church of England Faces Renewed Scrutiny Over Historical Safeguarding Failures
Reform UK Proposes £30 Tax Credit for Long HMRC Telephone Queues
Greater Manchester Secures More Than £100 Million to Upgrade Victorian Railway Stations
East Midlands Railway Urges Essential Travel Ahead of Bank Holiday Strikes
UK Economy Grows 0.4 Percent in Second Quarter as Global and Energy Pressures Weigh
UK Government and Sainsbury’s Launch Plan for 10,000 Youth Work Experience Placements
Scottish Government Plans Tighter Remote-Working Rules and Possible Voluntary Redundancies
Scottish Budget Faces More Than £700 Million Reduction After Tax Revenue Adjustment
Nearly 100 Labour MPs Press Andy Burnham to Back Electoral Reform Commission
UK Energy Price Cap Rises Four Percent to £1,723 as Middle East Conflict Drives Wholesale Gas Costs
Turnbull Warns AUKUS Could Leave Australia Without Promised Nuclear Submarines
California Billionaires Pour More Than $150 Million Into Fight Over Proposed Wealth Tax
German Broadcaster Goes Dark to Warn AfD Could End Its Saxony-Anhalt Service
Badenoch Plans Major Shadow Cabinet Reshuffle as Tories Struggle in Third Place
UK Government Demands Action Against Social Media Content Promoting Dangerous Driving
×