The Enlighten Learning Trust (ELT) was born from the Esher Learning Trust in Autumn 2020, which was founded in March 2014. The Trust currently comprises the following schools;

• Esher Church of England High School
• St. Andrew’s Primary School, Cobham
• St Martin's Church of England Infant and Junior Schools, Epsom

The re-naming of the Trust was undertaken to provide a break from the original founding school as we have grown to partner with other schools. We want to be clear that there is equality among the constituent schools and that we are a family of schools who have mutual goals and values.

Statement of Purpose

At the Enlighten Learning Trust we believe that education can help bring about social change. We aim to realise that potential by building and supporting a network of schools that not only provide excellent education, but redress inequalities of access and opportunity, inspire and foster aspiration, and nurture the enjoyment of learning, creative expression, and practical application.

Our Christian ethos is expressed in this aim through our pursuit of a shared understanding of one another and our world, our commitment to social change for the common good, and our desire to enjoy our shared endeavours. Through these activities we believe we both share in and express the love of God. While we understand our ethos as explicitly Christian, we recognise that it can be arrived at from different standpoints. We welcome it being shared by those with no faith background or those of other faiths, without any assumption that it affects the integrity of their convictions or beliefs.

The Enlighten Learning Trust also seeks to help improve the education system as a whole through developing innovations in education and community engagement and through providing services to assist in school support and change management. Our focus will always be on the long-term personal fulfilment of our students, teaching and support staff, and the broader transformation of society.

Philosophy

The name Enlighten reflects both our Christian heritage and our philosophy of education. The enlightenment movement of the 17th and 18th centuries featured an appetite for challenging the accepted thinking of the time, embracing a scientific approach, yet underpinning it with a fundamental belief in God’s hand in the creation of the world. We therefore embrace the role schools play not only in developing a body of knowledge and skills with which to flourish in the world, but also in cultivating the discipline of thinking for one’s self, encouraging the questioning of why we exist, and supporting the finding of one’s purpose through the role we can play in society.

Central to every school is the idea that each member (child and adult) will be given the opportunity to flourish in the broadest sense – rich learning, character development, deep thinking, teamwork, excellent outcomes and mature reflection. We believe that each individual is equal and unique, that they are highly valued and must know this in their daily experience at school. In ELT schools our children will be enlightened about the world and their part in it, and be superbly equipped to contribute to their community within and beyond the school gates.

All the schools in the Trust will have different contexts and communities that they serve, along with differing histories and backgrounds. What unites us is the ambition to support each other in our endeavour to transform the life chances of every child in our schools, regardless of their background, so the schools in the Trust are truly uplifting places, for we believe that ‘together we can’.