News

The Grove Consultation – We want your views

Dear Parents, Carers and Stakeholders,

We are writing to inform you that it is our intention to increase the planned admissions number at the Grove from 104 to 125 due to the increasing demand within Haringey for places for children and young people with a diagnosis of autism. Our rationale for increasing the planned admissions number from 104 to 125 is to build on the success of The Grove and to:

Meet the local deficit in places for a broad range of children on the autistic spectrum.
Respond to the demand and support from local parents, the local authority and local schools.
Extend 6th form provision and build on the success of The Grove

We are genuinely interested in hearing your views and would, therefore, like to open a consultation with all stakeholders and the community. The consultation runs for four weeks from Friday 23rd July to Monday 23rd August 2021. Please make sure we receive your comments and completed questionnaires by 9am on Monday 23rd August 2021. You can respond to the consultation by completing this paper questionnaire and returning it using the freepost address provided.

Alternatively you can complete this online questionnaire.

Parents, carers and stakeholders are warmly invited to join us for an informal Zoom session on one of the following dates;

10am Monday 9th August:
https://zoom.us/j/96246894293

7pm Monday 9th August:
https://zoom.us/j/97940749455

10am, Monday 16th August
https://zoom.us/j/99109512432

6pm, Monday 16th August
https://zoom.us/j/98644169453

You will be able to hear more about the proposal and ask any questions. If you are not able to attend this session, you can fill out this questionnaire or request a printed copy from the school office which can be returned by free post.

Thank you for your participation!

Online questionnaire
View and complete

Leaflet (pdf)
View and complete

Congratulations to The Grove who have just been awarded Advanced Autism Accreditation in recognition of the high quality provision it provides for its pupils and our community.

Read their Final Report and the NAS Committee letter on their feedback page here.

The Grove were awarded the NAPCE award for The Pastoral School of the Year
Huge congratulations to all staff and members of the school community!

Embracing diversity, promoting equality, and being fully inclusive are at the
centre of all we do at Heartlands Community Trust.  Our schools are reflecting on
the death of George Floyd and the response from the Black Lives Matter
movement.

We recognise our duty to ensure that we speak out and send a message that we
all agree that racism is unacceptable and prejudice is never to be tolerated.

We pledge to

• Champion equality, ensuring we are driving change and dismantling systemic racism
  through our behaviours, curriculum and policies
• Continue to offer opportunities to listen to all members of our community
• Relentlessly show the love, dignity and respect which everyone deserves
• Create opportunities to work with all stakeholders to listen, learn and take action
  together to improve the life chances for all
• Commitment to ensuring our workforce reflects local diversity and that we maintain a
  supportive and inclusive working environment, which is free from discrimination or
  harassment

In this way we will honour the memory of George Floyd (1973–2020), and all
those who have suffered the consequences of racism, and stand in solidarity with
the Black Lives Matter movement.

Anthony Billings
Chief Executive Officer
Heartlands Community Trust

On Tuesday 29th October parents, carers and families are invited to celebrate the opening of our new school The Grove.

Outcome of Sixth Form Consultation

The opening of a new Sixth Form on the Heartlands High School site requires external funding. The Trust has applied to the Condition Improvement Fund (CIF), which requires compliance with all Department for Education (DfE) conditions prior to any funding approvals. Accordingly, one such condition is open consultation where significant changes are proposed.

The Trust originally consulted for the Sixth Form in 2017 (8 May – 26 June) to support the unsuccessful 2017 CIF bid. However, in lieu of the 2018 CIF resubmission, a new public consultation took place between 21 January 2019 and 25 February 2019, this being a five week period.

This involved sending details of the proposal and inviting comments from:

• all parents/carers – via text and email linking to an electronic questionnaire
• the Local Authority
• local Sixth Form providers including those outside the Authority
• Schools and Colleges likely to feel an impact of the Sixth Form (inc. Primary Schools);
• the Regional Schools Commissioner

The details were also posted onto the school website, with an invitation of translation, on request, to one of four major languages within the school.

In addition, a public meeting was held on 6 February at 7pm, in which a small number of parents attended. No objections were raised at this event.

Overall 95 people/parties responded (note, 137 responded last time) using an online questionnaire/email of which:

• AGREE: 88% (84) were in favour of the school opening a Sixth Form (note, 85% were in favour last time)
• DISAGREE: 9% (9) of respondents said that they did not want the school to open a Sixth Form (note, 14% disagreed last time)
• NEITHER: 2% (2) respondent neither agreed or disagreed, but just asked about a possible course

In conclusion, the consultation was effective and demonstrated that an even higher percentage of stakeholders support its opening, i.e. 89% of respondents. There is also a strong argument as agreed by Haringey that the coming pupil bulge will require extra sixth form places over the coming years.

GROWING THE GROVE

Heartlands Community Trust is looking to raise money for The Grove a specialist school for children and young people with autism here in North London.

The building refurbishments are progressing but additional funding is needed to improve upon the sensory rooms, soft play areas and for other items of equipment to provide the best possible environment for pupils to achieve their full potential. Access to these world class facilities will enable pupils to learn about, and cope with the difficulties that life can throw at them.

There are many ways we are doing this: applying to grant giving trusts and foundations, working with parents, engaging with the local community and businesses, asking our Heartlands High School students to fundraise exclusively for The Grove, and by approaching corporations and individuals, but to succeed we need help from them all and you.

You can find out more by downloading our fundraising brochure below.

To get in touch please contact Angela Hay by email angela.hay@heartlands.haringey.sch.uk, or telephone on 07958 037 909.

Growing the Grove – Fundraising Leaflet
View and download (pdf)

You can also donate via the Paypal button below: