“Highfields has been on a journey of change this past 3 years, transforming from an old-style Pupil Referral Unit – primarily as a containment centre for excluded students – to a school with a specific focus on rebuilding the child-adult relationship. We are about academic results at Highfields – we have to be. But we are equally about providing an education to a specific cohort that is trauma-informed and attachment-friendly. However, as we have grown in our understanding of our cohort and arrived at a vision, we also realised we cannot be simply about ‘recovery’ and ‘repair’ – but about continued personal growth for our students.” Matt Grant, Headteacher. This is where the models of Character Education, and all the available resources provided by ACE, have come into play and in a big way. The process of applying for the Quality Mark and having an assessment visit really helped both celebrate where we are at and what we need to do next. Everything about the process has been constructive – not a ‘box ticking exercise’ but a genuinely rigourous, supportive and validating process.”

“The assessors felt privileged to visit the school and were struck by the fact that the unflinching focus on character values allows students, teachers and support staff to flourish and work together in a wonderfully supportive environment that fosters a sense of well-being and positive community.”