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.
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 breathtaking 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 (15–18 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 boarder’s 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 other’s 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 colorful 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 boarder’s 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
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 UK’s 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.
