Haberdashers' Adams: Educating Future Generations with a Commitment to Excellence

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Haberdashers' Adams Educating Future Generations
with a Commitment to Excellence
Incorporated in 1656, Haberdashers' Adams is a
well-established grammar school founded by
William Adams, a merchant Haberdasher with
family connections in the region. Adams' core
vision is to develop confident young men and
women and empower them to achieve intellectual
and academic excellence. The Great Educational
Philosophy A decade ago, Gary Hickey became
Headmaster of Haberdashers Adams with the sole
mission of promoting social mobility and
equality. This mission quickly became the
school's goal, and the organization received
recognition at both local and national levels for
its remarkable efforts. Adams ethos,
Traditional Values, Modern Approach' perfectly
reflects its 368 years of rich history and how
the institution has evolved over the years to
stay relevant. A Harmonious Approach to Academic
Excellence with Personal Growth Haberdashers
Adams is renowned for its academic excellence.
The school also strives to empower pupils with a
broad and deep education that equips them with a
range of information, abilities, and an
insatiable curiosity about the world they live
in. The range of lectures, trips, and
off-timetable activities puts classes into
context and deepens the pupils understanding of
the interconnections between different areas of
life. Distinctive Initiatives by Adams The
Haberdashers' Company is one of London's Great
Twelve Livery Companies. It has moved away from
its historical involvement in the haberdashery
trade and developed into a significant supporter
of education. Haberdashers Advantage identifies
the added benefit that pupils feel at the
nineteen Haberdashers schools. The program
includes multiple opportunities for students to
come together and learn from one another. This
takes many forms, from cross-school sports to
music and art festivals, leadership events for
lower sixth grade students, career conferences,
and mentorship programs.
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An Edge Over Their Peers Boarding at
Haberdashers Adams merges educational excellence
with a home-away-from-home environment. The
boarding housemaster and the team of matrons and
tutors work together to create a welcoming and
homely boarding house. With a capacity of 100
boarders, staff know each boarder as an
individual and can, therefore, provide unique
experiences tailored to each boarder. The
Facilities and the Support at Adams The boarding
experience for junior boarders (ages 11 to 14)
begins at Longford Hall, a stunning Grade II
listed Georgian house with breath taking views of
the surrounding countryside. The boys can roam
over 100 acres of grounds within a mile of the
main school site, including a lake and
woods. Senior boarders (1518 years old)
continue their boarding life in Beaumaris Hall,
the purpose-built home meters away from the
school campus in Newport's market town. Senior
boarding aims to help pupils gain additional
independence and is an ideal stepping stone
between home life and university. The boarding
houses provide the finest country and town living
within their two buildings. As Gary Hickey
shared, Adams educational philosophy comes alive
in the boarding community. They believe boarding
provides the best opportunity for pupils to
flourish and reach their full potential. There
are two pillars of support educational and
personal. In addition to school staff, boarding
staff monitor a boarders academic progress. If
there is a need for additional support, boarding
tutors can help put measures in place. All
boarding staff, especially the matrons, get to
know each boarder incredibly well. The matrons
check in with each boarder at least twice daily
and support them with all their medical
needs. Promoting Diversity and
Inclusion Haberdashers Adams promotes
tolerance, friendship, and understanding of all
religions, cultures, disabilities, and sexual
orientations through different aspects of the
curriculum. This includes corridor/classroom
displays, assemblies, guest speakers, teaching in
Religious Studies (compulsory in Years 7-9),
World Affairs (compulsory in Year 8),
citizenship, and personal, social, health, and
economic (PSHE) education. Adams also has
several student groups that meet regularly and
give its students agency. The student group
Redefine champions inclusion and diversity by
offering a platform for all students of all
ethnicities to come together. The society aims
to change pupils attitudes toward diversity,
create an environment for members to socialize,
and promote pride in each others ethnic
backgrounds. An interfaith club offers space and
time for students from different religious
backgrounds to exchange ideas. In contrast, the
Marsha P. Johnson Society offers the LGBTQIA
student community the opportunity to come
together in a safe space. Additionally, several
annual special events support inclusivity and
diversity. Culture Day, during Charities Week,
sees pupils from around the world wearing a
rainbow of colourful national dresses and
celebrating the diverse student community they
enjoy at Haberdashers' Adams. Redefine holds a
sale of delicious local delicacies from Africa,
Asia, and the Middle East. During Pride Month,
Adams flies the flag for LGBTQ people through a
number of initiatives. Notable Measures to
Support Students from Overseas The dedicated
team at Haberdashers Adams acknowledges that
international students are far away from their
families and familiar environments and recognizes
that such changes can be daunting for a young
person. As Gary shared, they focus on
understanding the culture of the international
boarder and establishing great communication
links with the boarders parents. The
housemasters keep parents updated on school
events and update them regularly on how well
their son is settling into both the boarding and
school settings. Sixth Form Students for Higher
Education and Future Careers
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At Haberdashers Adams, Lower Sixth grade pupils
receive one-to-one career guidance with a
qualified, independent career professional. This
is their opportunity to discuss ideas for their
post-18 pathway, whether they know what they
want to do or are still exploring their career
options. The school also holds career events,
including a university fair attended by over 30
of the UKs leading universities and a career
fair where pupils can discuss their options with
employers and professionals from varied
sectors. Adams hosts a three-day progression
conference towards the end of the lower sixth
grade. The conference aims to enable students to
explore university, apprenticeship, gap year, and
employment options and to provide them with the
tools to succeed in whichever route they
choose. Gary Hickey elaborated that they are
extremely fortunate to enjoy the support from
their network of former pupils (known as Old
Novaportans or ONs) who are happy to give up
their time to support those following in their
footsteps. This is best reflected by the ON
Forum, which sees numerous current and recent
students and apprentices returning to discuss
their courses, universities, or employers with
current pupils. Additionally, ONs help prepare
students to apply to Oxbridge's medical, dental,
and veterinary science programs. Pupils also
benefit from the wider support network that the
Haberdashers Company can provide. They can
attend Haberdashers conferences, which focus on
sectors such as medicine, law, and finance. These
conferences feature individuals at the very top
of their professions sharing their insights and
knowledge with the next generation. The Future
Outlook Haberdashers' Adams will become fully
co-ed in September. Hence, Gary and his team are
actively working to successfully integrate girls
and build a thriving co-ed grammar school with
state boarding for boys. Thank You.