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Mr Barot’s Opening Address to the HMC Conference

As Chair of HMC – The Heads’ Conference, Mr Barot had the privilege of delivering the opening address at the HMC Conference last week, in Belfast. This annual conference serves as an opportunity for Heads from across 300 of the UK’s best and most well-known independent schools (as well as a further 60 globally) to come together to share ideas and discuss the challenges and opportunities the sector is facing.

We are sharing, below, some of the main excerpts from his speech – which you may have seen reported in the media (e.g. here) – for those of you who may be interested. Alternatively, you might like to watch this short (two-minute) interview reflecting on the speech. In it, Mr Barot highlights the positive impact independent schools like BGS have made historically, and continue to make today, for young people and wider communities.

Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJSmDX0sdl4

Excerpts from Jaideep Barot’s Opening Address to the HMC Conference

Our conference theme this year is Innovation and Impact: Independence for the Wider Good.

At its core, this theme speaks to the responsibility we hold as educators and leaders of independent schools, to innovate not just for ourselves or our institutions, but to serve the wider community and the common good. We are here to explore how we can harness the power of innovation to make meaningful and impactful contributions—both locally and globally. I hope you feel, by the end of conference, that it has done what it said on the tin. We are a sector which innovates, and which creates real impact – not just for our own pupils and staff, but more widely. And we are a group of leaders who are driven by a desire to provide an outstanding and holistic education, and to ensure it is not confined to just the privileged few.

Beyond the UK, we continue to see a rise in geopolitical and religious conflict and the senseless deaths in those conflicts of hundreds, maybe thousands, every single day. We witness the continued rise of extremist and populist politics, in all corners of the globe, including those which we have traditionally felt are more immune to it. A populism which often preys on the most disadvantaged in our societies, creating fear, tribalism and othering. All often stoked up by fake news that is so easily spread by social media, and now exacerbated by the vast capabilities and widespread availability of AI. We were not immune to that on our shores in the UK over the summer – with the stoking by various agents of extremism, race riots and partisan hatred, that had me – a naturalised British citizen, resident of these shores for 49 of my 50 years, wondering if this was the right place to be for me and my family. At around the time I was thinking about how to appropriately reflect on the fact that this historic association was about to be led by its first non-white Chair, I was also wondering about the safety of my family, and whether this country was the right place for my children to grow up in. For the record, the emphatic response from so-called ordinary citizens and ordinary communities across the country, mobilising quickly and in numbers against these hateful mobs, was amazing to witness, and reminded me of the kindness and optimism that is out there if we look for it.

These are all things that all educators want for all children. And they are all things that the current UK government says it wants for all children, too, and we applaud them vigorously for that, and agree wholeheartedly. We will continue to seek to work with government and education officials on this, we will continue to seek to be part of a system that values diversity in its schools and school types, and that, therefore, works for the 100%. And for our colleagues in schools around the world, I know that you feel every bit as strongly about the “why” of what we do, and the desire to play our part in ensuring a happier and fairer society, and a kinder world.

One of our roles, amongst the many different ones we have as leaders, is to remain our communities’ optimists-in-chief, as we are the ones who set the tone. So, looking into the light, let’s start by remembering and doubling down on the fact that we are independent schools, and that independence gives us, and has always given us, the freedom and power to innovate and to create impact for the wider good.

We have been free to choose the right curricula for our students, and our adoption of international GCSEs and A levels, as well as the Pre-U in many schools, for example, influenced the decision to reform A levels in terms of both depth and linearity. The EPQ, such an outstanding qualification Level 3 qualification was born from the sector – even from people in this room today – and it continues to evolve. Last year there were almost 50,000 entries for the EPQ, which would put it in the top ten of A level choices, and over half of those entries were from the state sector. Further back, the independent sector played a big part in the development of Business Studies, the Nuffield approach to sciences, and SMP Maths. Today, we keep subjects alive that would be dying off otherwise – notably languages and the classics. At Bristol Grammar School, we run the AFA in Creative Writing, signed up to by students from both the state and independent sector. Schools like Bedales and Sevenoaks pioneered, years ago, school-directed courses and badged-up baccalaureates, and Latymer Upper is moving almost fully to school-directed courses instead of GCSEs. Schools such as Bradfield, Monkton Combe and others are working on courses that actually assess the so-called soft skills that our children need – critical thinking, collaboration and teamwork, creativity and more. St Paul’s Girls School is trialling a new EPQ based around the principles of design thinking, and Manchester Grammar School is launching an orally-assessed EPQ-style qualification for all its Key Stage 4 students, in which the use of AI must feature heavily. Many schools, like my own, are trialling a pupil profile that records and gives credit to so much more than academic achievements, and that gives a fuller sense of the pupil as a person.

There is, in fact, a dizzying array of things going on around curriculum across our sector – we are, in this very real sense, an incubator for innovation. HMC’s own work, on Reform of Assessment, ties up with so many common themes coming out of the work of others, such as the ASCL Blueprint for Education, The Times Education Commission, Rethinking Assessment and more, for what a educational system that works for everybody might look like, and we will hear more about this, and what part we, as independent schools, might be able to play in our session on “Curriculum and Assessment – Modelling Pathways for Change”.

Before that, another area of huge interest to us as a sector, to education more widely, and to society as a whole, is the advent and widespread adoption of AI, which is already changing so much about the way we learn, work, interact, and operate. It is no wonder that one of the most popular workshops in tomorrow’s programme is the one on the subject of RileyBot, the AI assistant developed by the team at Caterham School. (That session is almost as popular as the session on Life after Headship, whatever that may tell us!). Our first speaker, on shortly after me, will look to the near future and talk to us about the connection between human and synthetic intelligence, and touch upon what we might do to prepare our children for the world they will be entering. Tomorrow, the brilliant Daisy Christodoulou will speak to us, and likely challenge us, to think of what we might do as independent school leaders to provide system leadership, particularly in emerging fields like AI.

We are fortunate, as HMC schools, to have the resource and concomitant expertise to focus on physical and mental wellbeing, and the flourishing of all pupils in our schools – no matter their background, their circumstances, their learning and other needs. All things, again, that our state sector colleagues strive so hard for, and do so brilliantly with, on the much smaller resource they often have to work with. We know that more important than anything in our work is a care for the safety, wellbeing and flourishing of every child so that they can grow up into the kind, purposeful adults they are destined to be. The UK government rightly wants to put mental health support into every school, and in the UK and global independent sector, they have several blueprints of how this might be done most effectively. I am delighted that tomorrow, we will hear more on this from the team at The Human Flourishing Centre at Harvard University.

One of the brightest lights I see in the gloom is the partnership work that all of us are involved with in our schools and their communities. This is and will always be one of the most effective ways in which we can leverage whatever resource we are fortunate to have in our schools for the good, not just of our own pupils – and we all understand deeply the benefit our students and staff derive from partnership work – but also for children and others beyond our school gates, and across the societies we are part of. Don’t let anyone convince you it is tokenistic, as some of our naysayers might contend – you know the difference your partnership work makes in your community and your area. The Head of one of our state school partners in the Bristol Education Partnership recently told us that this partnership of 14 state and independent schools and the city’s two universities, has been instrumental in driving school improvement in her school. On the other side of things, we know our own pupils and staff derive so much learning, so much understanding and so much joy from being part of the partnership. Now light years beyond the mere lending of facilities that we’ve done forever, our sector’s partnership work encompasses: teaching in shortage subjects, providing for holiday hunger, provision of teacher training through SCITTs, careers guidance and advice, academic and wider mentoring, musical and performing arts partnerships, outdoor education, refugee admissions and so, so much more.

Beyond partnerships, the bursaries work across our schools is inspirational – and it is life changing in a way that echoes down through the generations. I want to share with you a small selection of what recent Bursary Award holders at Bristol Grammar School have said:

“Your support has not only changed my life but has also inspired me to pay it forward and make a positive difference in the lives of others, just as you have done for me.”

Another: “You don’t have to let your situation define how far you can go. Just because you might not have the same finances at home doesn’t mean you don’t have the same heart and charisma, passion and energy as anybody else.”

And a final one for now: “No words seem sufficient to capture the depth of appreciation I hold for your incredible generosity. As I reflect on my journey, I'm reminded of the profound impact [you’ve] had on my life… Your support has not only opened doors to academic achievements and extracurricular pursuits but has also paved the way for my future aspirations. Securing an offer from my dream university to study medicine is a testament to the life-altering impact of Bristol Grammar School.”

Now, I could have read out dozens of such warm testimonies, and those would all be just from the relatively short time we’ve been running our 500 Campaign, to have one in four pupils on a significant Bursary Award by 2032. And I know that around this room, between us, we must have thousands of stories like these. If we go back over the years, it probably numbers in the tens of thousands, maybe even more. I do not say this in any way as a boast for our sector, or so we can sit back on our laurels and congratulate ourselves on a job well done, as this is work that never ends. But all of it adds up and makes a difference. Yes, there is more we can and we will do, but I want us to ensure, while others may seek to minimise or dismiss the magnitude and impact of our work in this area, we never forget the importance of this work and the real difference it is making to lives.

I have sensed, across the sector, a deep and sustained shift in how we think about this work, one which I greatly welcome. Yes, it brings huge benefits to the children who receive financial help to attend our schools, but there is a strong and clear recognition from all of us that our schools are better places for having these children choose to join us, often from very different circumstances. They are the inspiration for us and for our communities, and just as with the partnership work I mentioned a moment ago, this is a two way process that bring benefit, brilliance and joy to us all. I know how hard we all work to keep widening access to our schools in this way, and with all the challenges we are currently facing, it is proving more and more difficult, but just as with the partnerships work, we will continue doing this because it is the right thing to do, and because it makes our schools and our communities richer and stronger. Societies everywhere, here and around the world, suffer from great inequity, often down to the pure happenstance of one’s birth. We cannot solve this alone, we cannot solve the myriad social and societal issues that afflict the communities we are part of, but we can, and we must, continue to do what we can. Because it’s the right thing to do.

And so, what of us? What of the part we, in this room, have to play in all of this? In finding the light when sometimes the gloom seems too thick to penetrate? Well, personally, I am inspired when I look around this room at all of you. I know a lot of you. I know of even more of you. And I am humbled, awestruck, even a little intimidated by what I see and what I know of you. I am inspired by your passion, your constancy in the face of challenges. I am lifted by knowing who you are and what you do, by your sense of purpose, your dedication, your indefatigability. You carry lightly a heavy burden – this is the life we have all chosen as leaders, in common with our colleagues across the sectors and around the world. I, for one, cannot think of a more noble thing to dedicate one’s life to. I am delighted our conference will close with an address from Sir Clive Woodward, on the DNA of a Champion Leader. Perhaps the cause for optimism today is the fact that you can and will ensure that the light keeps on burning for us to make a positive difference for children everywhere, and in turn, for societies everywhere. I am sure Clive will encourage us to keep our eyes on the prize in tough times, and ours is the biggest prize of all – the upbringing and education of children and, therefore, the future of society.

Now, as I come towards the end of my varied meanderings, I hope you will indulge me for just a moment longer as I talk briefly about my own journey. I am an immigrant. I am the only child of an immigrant family that came here from India in the mid-seventies to seek a better life. I was also an Assisted Places boy – I would not have had access to the life-changing education I received were it not for this financial assistance. And I can directly trace back all good fortune I have had to that education. It is why I – in common with so many of you – am committed to widening access to our brilliant schools. I have somehow ended up entrusted to run the most brilliant and open-hearted school community, and on top of that, I have somehow ended up on this stage in front of you all, as Chair of this historic association – the first and oldest association of Heads in the world. I want to take a moment to recognise, for the association, that this is the first time its Chair is not white. I think this is momentous, particularly given how few of our UK members come from such a background.

Becoming the first non-white Chair of HMC is a significant moment, but it’s one that I approach with a sense of responsibility rather than self-congratulation. HMC has a long history, and while it has evolved in many ways, this appointment feels like an important step towards further broadening the perspectives and voices represented at the highest levels of educational leadership. It's a reflection of the meaningful progress we’re making in creating a more inclusive environment in independent schools.

To paraphrase a much wiser person than me, as the first non-white Chair of HMC, it is my fervent hope that I am not the last. Looking around the room, both here, and at the Deputy Heads conferences I have attended and spoken at, I recognise, as do we all, the scale of the challenge. And, of course, it is not the people in this room who appoint Heads, but rather governing bodies. But we are the people who appoint the staff and leaders from whom heads tend to be chosen.

This is not, as I say, just about being the first in any particular category; it’s about contributing to the ongoing work of making sure that every pupil, regardless of background, can see themselves reflected in the leadership of the institutions that shape their futures. I hope this moment will encourage more conversations about how we can continue to support diversity in leadership, not just in terms of colour, but in terms of gender, race, sexuality, disability, religion and all the ways that matter to the communities we serve. This is an opportunity to focus on allowing children to see themselves represented, as well as ensuring that our organisation continues to benefit from the strength that comes from diversity.

So, as I come to the end of my address, I want to thank you all for everything you do, and everything you inspire in those around you. I hope you never doubt the real and tangible difference you make, along with all educational leaders, in the one of the most important jobs in the world. Let us keep working hard for our children, for children everywhere, for our schools, our communities, and the societies they are in. Let us keep being the voice of reason, and doing the right things simply because they are the right things. Let’s keep remembering why we are here, and let us keep bringing the optimism, even when – especially when – it is challenging. Our children and our societies need us to lead, and to do so with clarity, compassion, and a deep belief in what we do. Together, we have the power to create something extraordinary. Let this conference celebrate our innovation, and leverage its impact for the wider good.