Highwoods Academy is part of the Empowering Minds Academy Trust (EMAT)

We are a small academy trust comprising of five Doncaster schools:

• Southfield Primary Academy - Armthorpe
• Tranmoor Primary Academy - Armthorpe
• Bessacarr Primary Academy - Bessacarr
• Hawthorn Primary Academy - Cantley
• Highwoods Academy - Mexborough

Empowering Minds Trust is a growing child-centred Multi Academy Trust where challenge, collaboration, inclusivity and support is at the heart of our ethos. We intend to develop the children we teach to be independent, strong, empowered individuals who fully understand their place in the world.

We are a family of schools where every child/young person receives the best possible education through the sharing of best practice and world class professional development opportunities for staff. We have the highest of expectations, promoting excellence and personal achievement. We believe that children should be at the centre of everything we do and receive the best possible education. The well-being of our pupils is our number one priority. Today’s school pupils are growing up in a rapidly changing world, with a wealth of possibilities but many risks and anxieties too, particularly in relation to pupils’ mental health, self-esteem, relationships and their safety, both online and offline. Our academies follow an established nurturing ethos, rooted in the Thrive approach, facilitated by trained staff to identify and support pupils with any emotional, social or behavioural needs.

We value and embrace each school’s uniqueness and the community it serves, whilst seeking to learn from and share with each other so that we spread excellence effectively.

We believe in system leadership and that all schools are more effective when they work in partnership than when they stand alone.

We aim to provide strong, ambitious and inspirational leadership in every school so that every pupil and every member of staff is encouraged to achieve more than they thought possible.

We aim to develop a co-operative and collaborative ethos across all our schools so that best practice is shared in the best interests of all pupils and all staff.

Our Chief Executive Officer is Sarah Cairns.

Please follow this link to visit the Trust Website: www.empoweringmindsmat.uk