Did you know a 700-year-old City of London guild educates 12,000 young people today?
The Worshipful Company of Haberdashers’ began in the 1300s as a trade association for merchants dealing in silk, velvet, and hats. Today, it’s the driving force behind a family of schools spanning independent and state sectors across England and Wales — from Haberdashers’ Elstree Schools in North London to academy trusts in London and the West Midlands, and Haberdashers’ Monmouth in Wales.
The Haberdashers’ family of schools is now organised into four hubs: Haberdashers’ Elstree Schools in Hertfordshire (independent day schools for boys and girls), Haberdashers’ Academies Trust South and the Haberdashers’ West Midlands Academies Trust (state primary and secondary academies in London, as well as a secondary academy, grammar school and a private preparatory school in the Midlands), and Haberdashers’ Monmouth School in Wales, which became fully co-educational in 2024.
The Company supports our schools through funding and governance, with members serving as governors who bring professional expertise to school leadership. It also runs direct programmes through our Haberdashers’ Advantage programme — including Character and Futures initiatives for students and a Working Together programme for staff — alongside charitable partnerships and support for charities and churches in the communities its schools serve.
The result is rather special: a centuries-old City institution using its historic wealth and networks to fund opportunity across both the independent and state sectors, deliberately including schools “of all types and sizes.” It’s a reminder that livery companies seeped in heritage, can still shape real outcomes for young people today.
