The Highlands College, standing by the High Level main trunk road, at Gangodawila, Nugegoda has a unique history. Started as private co-education English school way a back in 1956, nurtured from the beginning by its principal, Mrs. Ganegoda. She ran the school entirely by private imitative and financial contribution of few well wishers and the parents of the students who were enrolled at the beginning. Mrs. Ganegoda as the principal, managed the school with the few dedicated teachers until she fell ill and was unalsce to manage it efficiently. It would have died a natural death, leaving the community in the locality without a school to serve them.