Teachers are ranked among the five most trusted professionals in Britain at 85 per cent – against politicians at 9 per cent. In a fractured civic landscape, schools are among the last institutions communities still genuinely trust. On 4 June, over a hundred governors, staff and Haberdasher members gathered in West Smithfield to spend a day considering: what do schools owe their communities, and what does it look like when they act on that obligation?
The answer turned out to be both demanding and hopeful. Post-event, delegates rated the average usefulness at 4.71 out of 5 and the most frequent words delegates reached for were inspiring, informative, collaborative and engaging.
James Townsend of The Reach Foundation set the challenge “Great schools are necessary but not sufficient… if all children are to enjoy lives of choice and opportunity.” Changing trajectories requires schools to think beyond their own gates – understanding the whole ‘place’ children inhabit, and building partnerships with families as thoroughly as they plan curriculum.
Nic Noble, of Big Education, showed what that looks like in practice in Bermondsey. 90% of Year 6 pupils feel empowered to change issues they care about, against 66% nationally.
Haberdashers’ practitioners shared how schools actively construct community. Elstree described a framework for navigating global conflict. Slade Green engages pupils in leadership roles, fundraising and community action as a matter of course. Monmouth described pupil-led sustainability projects to engage families, local businesses and community groups.
In a session on working with families Hatcham described the school’s full smartphone ban as a story of family collaboration. Tutors United (a Haberdasher sponsored charity) showed how effective family partnership is built proactively.
Session three turned to educational integration. HATS opened with nationwide data showing that pupil engagement collapses sharply at Year 7 and does not recover. Borough Academy contributed how they are working to change this. We heard about the Elstree–London Academy partnership, with 10,900 hours of joint work. Clare Jarmy traced the civic argument from the Company’s 1371 ordinances through Italian city state philosophy to the values that animate Elstree today – Ambition, Curiosity, Courage, Community.
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The afternoon discussion was led by Sabrina Luisi HATS trustee and Member of the Charity Committee. Her story of withdrawing an Oxford application because she had no fax machine gave the day its defining idea: a ‘fax machine moment’ is any structural barrier, invisible to those without it, that causes someone to conclude they don’t belong. “I don’t want anyone else to have a fax machine moment. I just don’t want people making choices because they think they’re not rich enough, or no one in their family has been before.” Every school, she invited delegates to consider, contains these moments.
Strong pledges emerged: to open buildings to communities, to build Parent Hubs, to run CPD on family relationship-building, to strengthen feeder school links. Operation Croesau – Monmouth’s standing invitation to the whole family – was agreed in the room.
The Haberdashers’ family of schools not only recognises its community obligations, it works to fulfil them – and the benefit is reflected in young people’s lives.
