High Trees, London
High Trees is a special school for pupils aged 11 to 17 in London.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
High Trees in detail
High Trees in its own words
In its own words: "Established in 2021, SV Care provides 24hr bespoke Residential Care to children and young people within a homely, nurturing environment; taking a child-centred and individualized approach to the care the children receive. We provide residential care for children whose emotional, social and academic development has been severely disrupted by negative experiences throughout their lives."
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to High Trees are Lift Columbus (0.8 miles, Outstanding); The Bridge Columbus (0.8 miles); The Hawthorns School (0.9 miles); and The Sir Geoff Hurst Academy (0.9 miles).
Lift ColumbusThe Bridge ColumbusThe Hawthorns SchoolThe Sir Geoff Hurst Academy
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Chelmsford Rail Station, about 820 metres away (roughly a 10-minute walk).
5 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Anglia Ruskin University (opposite), 280 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 602 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting and anti-social behaviour. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Essex (97), as is usual near a town centre.
Sources: NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 10 months agoOverall
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's December 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
High Trees specialises in supporting looked-after children and those with complex social, emotional and mental health needs. Staff are experienced in teaching children with special educational needs and will focus on building pupils' resilience and confidence. The school offers a flexible curriculum tailored to each pupil's needs, with qualifications and pathways designed to prepare them for education, training or employment.
Key Strengths
- Experienced staff trained in effective strategies to support pupils with special educational needs
- Broad curriculum including vocational qualifications, functional skills and personalised learning matched to pupils' interests
- Strong safeguarding procedures with trained designated safeguarding leads and clear systems for identifying risk
- Therapeutic approach to behaviour management with structured staff training
- Careful admissions processes working with local authorities and virtual schools
Safeguarding
Safeguarding is effective - staff are appropriately trained as designated safeguarding leads, there are clear systems to identify pupils at risk, and the curriculum teaches essential safety knowledge.
Extracurricular Activities
Book club sessions, assemblies on different cultures and people of the world, community fundraising for local charities, physical education at local leisure centre, food technology at local school kitchen
High Trees is a new specialist school for looked-after children with social, emotional and mental health needs and/or disabilities. The school is likely to meet all independent school standards when it opens.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with High Trees
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 25
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 5
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 25 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 20 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
5 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Essex is 9 (the median across 614 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
Area Demand Pressure - London
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for London
Across Essex council
Places available
17,590
Applications
16,568
Got 1st preference
83.4%
Got preferred school
97.0%
All secondary applications across Essex council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
0
EHC Plans
-%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
High Trees is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
0
Total Pupils
0
Boys
0
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
High Trees
Showing 10 of 13 linked schools
Questions parents ask about High Trees
Does High Trees have specialist SEN provision?
High Trees is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to High Trees?
High Trees is an independent school and runs its own admissions rather than going through the local authority. Contact the school directly for entry requirements, assessment dates, fees and any bursaries.
How many road collisions happen near High Trees?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 25 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 20 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 5 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Essex is 9 (the median across 614 schools, same distance and years).
Where is High Trees?
High Trees is at 85 Great Portland Street, First Floor, London, W1W 7LT.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)