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Welcome to Heartwood House
At the centre of every tree, you’ll find its heartwood, the strongest part of the tree. Welcome to Heartwood House, where the core of our approach is as enduring and resilient as the heartwood at the centre of a mighty tree. Just as heartwood provides strength and stability, our unique and friendly educational environment offers a solid foundation for students who have stepped away from traditional paths, fostering growth, resilience, and a deep-rooted sense of belonging.
Here’s a bit about us
At Heartwood House, we recognise that mainstream schooling isn’t suitable for everyone. Many of our students have faced challenges and disappointments in conventional education settings, feeling unheard and undervalued. Our approach is distinctively nurturing and student-centred, focusing on creating a safe, welcoming, and non-judgmental environment where every student feels valued and listened to. By fostering strong, supportive relationships, we encourage our students to explore their interests and engage with learning at their own pace, driven by curiosity and a desire for personal growth. We emphasize the importance of voluntary participation and self-motivation, ensuring our students understand they are an integral part of our community by choice. At Heartwood House, learning is a pathway to a more positive future, crafted with the student’s voice and aspirations at the forefront.
At Heartwood House, learning is a pathway to a more positive future, crafted with the student's voice and aspirations at the forefront.
Meet the team
We have a small team at Heartwood House including teachers, therapists and student support, in a mixture of full-time and part-time roles.
Cathy Taylor
Executive Headteacher
Chris Seymour
Centre Headteacher, Roxborough Road
Erika Day
Centre Headteacher, Kenton Road
Julie Newell
Centre Deputy, Roxborough Road
Deb Garfield
Centre Headteacher, Off-site provision
Ela Ward
Lead Therapist
Ed Faulkner
Centre Deputy, Off-site provision
Sarah Neckles
Centre Deputy, Kenton Road
Is Heartwood House right for you?
Heartwood House is not for one ‘type’ of student. The students that come here have many different backgrounds and have had different experiences of traditional schools. The one thing that they share is that for whatever reason, mainstream school hasn’t worked for them, and they need a different approach in order to progress. Heartwood House is for students that want to come to school, but need an environment that is warm, informal and nurturing – one that places as much emphasis on their wellbeing as it does on their academic achievement.