Haberdashers’ West Midlands federation becomes a family of three with the introduction of Castle House School. The addition of the independent preparatory school brings the total number of schools under the Haberdashers name to 19.
At the start of September 2023, it was announced that Castle House School had joined the family of The Worshipful Company of Haberdashers’ to become Haberdashers’ Castle House School. This news has been met with overwhelming support from the parents, staff and all involved with the school.
All of the local schools have seen how the innovative Haberdashers’ Adams Outreach Programme can benefit their schools. Haberdashers’ Adams reach out to all of the local schools, but as we are a few hundred yards along the road, our relationship has gone from strength to strength.
The Haberdashers’ Adams Outreach Programme has resulted in our pupils being able to use teaching and sporting facilities at Haberdashers’ Adams and participate in a range of events and activities. The direct benefit to pupils is that they gain from the outstanding facilities and the experience of what it is like to walk into a larger secondary school. Our relationship has further worked through the senior pupils from Haberdashers’ Adams developing their leadership potential with mentoring activities with our pupils in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2.
Ian Sterling, Headteacher of Haberdashers’ Castle House School says:
“We now have the opportunities for sharing knowledge and experiences with the other eighteen schools across the Company. We very much look forward to being able to take our children to visit Haberdashers’ Hall in London so they can experience this amazing place to participate in education focussed activities. I am also very mindful that in this time of change across the landscape of education, that here is an opportunity to demonstrate excellent practice when the state and independent school sectors come together and work together in a collaboratively way.”
Haberdasher's Castle House joins its new sibling schools Haberdashers' Adams and Haberdashers' Abraham Darby.
Quality education and learning is a high priority for The Company who supports several schools across England and Wales. The work of the Haberdashers' Advantage programme in particular, aims to provide students with opportunities to develop life and workplace skills; helping to shape the best possible outcome for their futures.
Meanwhile Christopher Hardie, Master at The Haberdashers' Company, comments:
"Castle House will be the 19th school and the 9th primary within the family of schools under the Haberdashers name. To be clear, this is not a branding exercise as we believe that the sharing of expertise and ethos, and the different strengths of our schools, add up to a major benefit for all staff and pupils under the Habadashers Advantage banner."
James Penny, Third Warden and Chair of Governors, says:
"We are delighted to welcome Castle House into the Haberdasher West Midlands Academy Trust fold. With Haberdashers' Castle House joining the Trust, we are able to provide more opportunities to young people in Newport, Shropshire, to take advantage of a Haberdasher education. We look forward to building links with other primary schools within the Haberdasher family as well as locally."
The school will remain independent with the ethos and direction as has always have been. Haberdashers’ Castle House School is non-selective and provides primary school education to boys and girls in small class sizes with a family-centred approach. The only visible changes are the signs on the school and the badges on the uniform, however as a Haberdashers’ School there are some unique benefits.
It should be noted, that the change does not provide any advantage in admissions to Haberdashers' Adams secondary school. Students must sit comply with the agreed admissions system for the Selective Grammar school.