Vision and Values

At The Goldfinch Trust, our vision is for every child and young person with medical and mental health needs to thrive in education and to develop the capacity to enjoy learning as a curious, confident individual. Our approach is informed by research, practice, and lived experience across our schools. These are our draft values, developed collaboratively across the Trust as we continue to refine and embed our shared ethos.

Our Mission

We exist to deliver exceptional education to learners who are unable to access mainstream provision for a period of time due to medical or mental health needs. This mission is rooted in the belief that high-quality, ambitious education is not optional for these children—it is essential. We work collaboratively across our schools and with clinical partners to design a curriculum that does more than fill gaps; it inspires, challenges and supports each learner to grow.

 This collaboration is not an add-on. It is fundamental to how we work. Teachers, clinicians, therapists, support staff and families form an integrated team around each pupil. Our joint focus is not only on outcomes, but on process: how learning is accessed, how engagement is supported, and how confidence is rebuilt. We invest time and energy in building this team because we know it matters.

Our Vision

We aim for every learner to thrive—educationally, socially and emotionally. Thriving means different things to different pupils. For one, it might be re-engaging with maths after a year of absence. For another, it could mean contributing to group discussion for the first time. Our role is to recognise what thriving looks like for each learner and to remove barriers so that it becomes possible.

We believe in a school experience that goes beyond the classroom. Our schools help young people to prepare for adulthood, to re-enter education, employment or training with confidence, and to develop the social and emotional skills needed to live independently. We also take seriously the importance of curiosity, creativity and joy in learning. These things matter—particularly for children whose education has been disrupted or who may not have seen themselves as successful learners in the past.

 Our Values

Our values inform our decision-making, shape our culture and define how we work day to day:

• Collaboration: We value partnership—across schools, with families, and with external clinical and educational expertise. We know that integrated working leads to stronger outcomes.

• Courage: We are willing to do things differently. Sometimes supporting our pupils requires flexible thinking, new strategies, and a refusal to accept that one size fits all. We act with professional courage in service of our learners.

• Hope: We maintain a belief in the potential of every young person, even when they face significant challenges. Hope is the foundation of our approach, not a luxury.

• Ambition: We expect great things—from our staff, our systems and our learners. Ambition means setting high standards and offering the right support to meet them. It also means refusing to define learners by their diagnosis or difficulty.

• Pride: We celebrate effort, resilience and achievement. We acknowledge the strength it takes to re-engage with education after difficulty, and we take pride in walking alongside our learners as they do just that.

These values run through all aspects of our work—from curriculum design and staff development to governance and long-term planning. They are reflected in our leadership, our school culture, and our partnerships. They are visible in the classroom, in the corridor and in the conversations we have every day with the young people we serve.

Vision and Values PDF