Three cheers for Jo Heywood, Headmistress of Heathfield Ascot! It takes a forthright headmistress to state the obvious and this Jo has done recently in taking on UCAS and the university establishment in their attempt to discriminate positively against sixth formers applying from independent schools. Her logic in insisting that applications forms should be silent on the candidate’s school is impeccable. What is disappointing is the slowness of other heads to speak up in similar vein. Perhaps memories are fading of other attempts at social engineering such as bussing which did so much to bedevil the educational scene in the 1970s and 1980s.
AMC’s involvement in international schools makes us all too aware of how much the UK’s independent schools are revered as a global gold standard of excellence, and how easily this perception can be dented by the wrong messages coming from government and educational institutions such as UCAS.
Another feisty head is Mark Mortimer, headmaster of Warminster School and a superb head of history at Giggleswick during my time as headmaster. Mark is featured in the ITV documentary “School Swap – the Class Divide” in which he exchanges with a colleague head from the maintained sector. Both heads are stars and remind me of why I joined the profession forty years ago!
Anythony Millard
Executive Chairman and Director
