Heathfield provides a balanced, all-round education, meeting individual needs, providing support and developing every girl's different abilities through the provision of a wide range of opportunities. These exist both within and beyond the curriculum, including sport, music and drama.
The school values scholarship and hard work, enabling the students to achieve excellent examination results and continue onto University. At the same time, we emphasise the acquisition of a sense of responsibility, self-confidence and concern for others through our pastoral system. We pride ourselves on being a caring, friendly and happy school where we value each girl equally, whatever her talents.
Core Purpose/Mission Statement
To provide a broad, modern education which will enable young people to achieve academic excellence within an intellectually dynamic environment, whilst developing the flexibility and initiative needed in a rapidly changing world.
Aims
The Girls' Day School Trust
Since its foundation in 1872, the Girls' Day School Trust (GDST) has provided an all-round education of high quality for girls of intellectual promise, at an affordable cost. Early pupils were among the first women to obtain university degrees and to enter the professions; the Trust continues this tradition of excellence in the context of the much wider opportunities that exist today.
Girls are admitted to Trust schools on the basis of their academic potential and ability, without reference to religious or ethnic background or beliefs. Every effort is made to ensure that there is equality of opportunity to enter and to do well in Trust schools.
The Trust is the largest group of independent schools in the United Kingdom with around 19,000 girls in its schools. Much of the administration of the schools is centralised in order to avoid duplication of effort and resources, and to achieve economies of scale so that fees are kept to a minimum, and the largest possible proportion of fee income is devoted to education and the minimum to administration.
At Heathfield, we take every opportunity for our pupils to join in the activities of the wider Trust family and to work alongside girls in other Trust schools as well as providing daily care in a small community of around 600 girls.
A fundamental benefit and principle of a Trust education is that it provides continuity of education and community right through from the nursery or reception classes at 3 or 4 to A-Level at 18. There are no uncomfortable breaks at 7, 11 or at the beginning of GCSE or AS-Level courses even though girls may move to different buildings. Girls nevertheless are welcome to enter Trust schools at any of the ages set out in this prospectus or where casual vacancies exist. Parents will be given plenty of notice if the school feels that it is not in their daughter's best interest to proceed to the next stage. Junior girls have to achieve a satisfactory standard in the 11+ examination in order to move on to the Senior School.
Once girls join the Sixth Form, they become members of the Minerva Network run by the Trust. It is the country's largest 'old-girl' network offering women both social and career contacts.
The Girls' Day School Trust
A Limited Company Registered in England No. 6400.
Registered Charity No. 306983
Registered Office:
100 Rochester Row,
London
SW1P 1JP
VAT Registration No. 627697394
