SEARCH Education Trust was established in May 2013 as Heartlands Community Trust when Heartlands High School converted into an academy. In July 2021 we adopted SEARCH Education Trust as our name, and developed our vision and principles which celebrate our origins whilst opening up a shared space for other schools or Trusts to join us in co-creating a bright and supportive future together in the contemporary educational landscape where all schools are being encouraged to join together in the pursuit of excellence.

Our purpose, which we call our intent, is to grow a network of strong, sustainable and successful schools, which serve the needs of local communities and promote an inclusive education – for life, for the common good of society, and for human flourishing. We look forward to welcoming other schools who would like to share in our values and ways of working and be part of a group of schools that aims to provide the very best for students, parents, staff and the wider community.

We do not prescribe that our schools do everything in the same way. Instead, we do things together that make the best sense of doing them together. We provide frameworks for school based solutions, for example when it comes to the curriculum we seek to provide a whole education for the whole child which is both empowering and aspirational and speaks to life in modern society. We help schools work out what this means for their children and communities. Importantly we ask schools to help young people to grow and flourish equally in their learning and in who they are as individuals. We ask schools to develop young peoples’ character and resilience, their independence and creativity, and their sense of moral purpose; and to nurture a life-long love of learning that helps all students of all abilities and all backgrounds, to be happy and successful and be advocates for justice, fairness and equality in our communities and our wider society.

At the heart of SEARCH Education Trust is a strong set of values that embraces diversity, promotes equality and places inclusion at the heart of everything.

We currently have two academies in our Trust:

The Grove Special School opened in 2018, following the major refurbishment of and old Victorian school building into a bespoke site tailored specifically to meet the needs of young people with a diagnosis of autism. The concept of establishing a special school catering for the needs of children with autism grew out of the considerable expertise and successful inclusive practice at Heartlands High School and in response the wider needs for such a school within the borough. This successful Trust ‘Free School’ has established itself as an exceptionally unique and successful special school, meeting the needs of children with autism from the early years through to sixth form. The school now leads in the wider system, sharing innovation and best practice.

Heartlands High School opened in 2010 as part of ‘Building Schools for the Future’ initiative in a state of the art new building in the heart of Wood Green. The school became an academy when the Trust was established in 2013. The school has established a very strong ethos of aspiration that is focused on educational excellence through a common language of values and shared traditions, capturing students’ imaginations and motivating them to be the best they can be.

The two schools work closely together and are reaping the benefits of collaboration. Both schools are recognised for their have strong leadership, along with a highly regarded training presence in the wider education system.

We look forward to welcoming other schools into the Heartlands Community Trust who would like share in our values and be part of a group of schools that aims to provide the very best for students, parents, staff and the wider community.