Concordia 2025

Concordia Winter 2024

5

“Of course, this ignores the ways in which independent schools support a wide network of state schools, both primary and secondary. Independent schools want every child to benefit from that ‘tie and crest’; each has a vast array of activities and outreach.”

challenges and develops self-esteem, friendships, resilience, loyalty, team building, leadership – the ‘soft’ skills that are so important to the growth and development of the pupils. Schools like Merchant Taylors’ offer something very rare: success without excessive pressure; high levels of achievement, without sacrifice in breadth and depth. Underpinning it all is our core principle: to learn well, each child must be happy. One hopes that parents will still feel that they enjoy value for money.

I am very aware that school fees are probably the biggest discretionary expenditure in the lives of the parents. Given such sums, no wonder that the parents’ expectations are so high and that further fee increases are so unwelcome. In return, Merchant Taylors’ offers much. We enjoy exceptional academic success; the pupils here make progress well in excess of expectation. They leave us with excellent qualifications, but also as well-rounded, confident, creative young men. A huge range of extra-curricular activities