What is a world class independent education?

Mike Buchanan, Executive Director of HMC, says great schools focus on the needs of the individual.

“Whatever an education is, it should make you a unique individual, not a conformist; it should furnish you with the original spirit with which to tackle the big challenges. It should allow you to find values which will be your roadmap through life; it should make you spiritually rich, a person who loves whatever you are doing, wherever you are, whomever you are with; it should teach you what is important, how to live and how to die.”

This quote from John Taylor Gatto, an American teacher of long standing, is not a bad definition for what most independent schools work towards alongside you and your children.

Well, there are plenty big challenges for young people and adults alike, not least navigating the childhood and teenage years in order to emerge as a well-rounded, physically and mentally healthy people with the resilience to cope with adult life and the vision to see joy in their life’s purpose. Joy arises from the fulfilment of working closely with others for something meaningful; our families, our workmates, our teammates, our acquaintances are all sources of joy and fulfilment.

Learning to see joy in others is one of the big challenges of life. Too often we strive to place ourselves ahead of others in our desperate search for personal achievement, money, fame or position. In doing so, we often find fleeting pleasure but rarely long-lasting joy and fulfilment.

The best independent schools understand this, and they work towards two simple things. Firstly, maximising the achievements of the children and young people not merely their academic examination results and, secondly, developing them as people. They do this very simply. Firstly, they provide outstanding, expert teaching by experts in their fields which broadens and deepens each student’s knowledge, understanding and skills. You can see this by observing how curious students are and whether they ask probing questions of their teachers. Secondly, the leadership of the school is entirely focused on teaching and learning, inside and outside the classroom by providing a myriad of opportunities that your child can and should take; look for the myriad. Thirdly and equally importantly, great schools focus on the needs, pastoral and academic, of the individual for whom they demonstrate great care and love; talk to those who experience this care and love about their experiences.

Those independent schools in the UK which follow these simple principles are leaders in the world which is why they are in such demand by the parents of the world.

This article first appeared in the 2020 edition of Which School. You can read the e-guide here: