As incoming chair of the Education Committee, James Penney looks back on Richard Glover’s tenure and ahead to his own exciting new challenge.
It is a privilege and a significant responsibility to take over as Chair of the Education Committee, particularly following in the footsteps of Richard Glover! The past seven years have seen considerable changes in education and at our schools. Yet the appetite for collaboration, cross-school co-operation across curricular and extra-curricular activities alike, has never been greater. Company wide projects such as Habs Aspire and the Haberdashers Academies Trust South senior leadership course are excellent examples of this commitment.
The broader education landscape is also shifting, partly as a consequence of the change in government. VAT on private school fees as well as the ending of business rates relief will hit the independent sector hard, but the increase in Employers’ National Insurance contributions and increases in the minimum wage will impact all schools.
At the same time, the government’s Curriculum and Assessment Review signals a desire to reshape what and how young people should be educated. Consequently, the fact that Arabella Gonzalez, our Director of Schools, has submitted a ‘Company response’ to this review is a key landmark. Over 12,500 young people are educated in Haberdasher schools, so it is, I think, incumbent on us as a Company to participate in this national debate about the future of education. We are fortunate to have outstanding teachers in our schools, supported by excellent leadership teams, so we should be proud to share our views and our experience, particularly given our involvement in state and independent schools, secondaries and primaries, day and boarding.
However, the Company’s involvement in, and commitment to, our schools is strengthened by the quality of their governance. So, I would end by encouraging anyone who is interested in supporting our schools as a governor or in another role to contact Angus Watson, our Clerk.
The core purpose of the Company is to empower young people from every background to fulfil their potential through our schools and by supporting their communities. My hope is that through the work of the Education Committee, we can help the Company achieve that objective.
– James Penney, Chair of the Education Committee and member of the Court of Assistants
