From the Warden

As I sit down to write this, two themes sit alongside each other in my mind. As we survey the social, political and economic landscape, it is difficult to ignore the significant challenges that face us Our electricity bill has quadrupled Inflation is hitting us hard in core areas of College life. Some of our lowest paid members of staff are struggling and boarding numbers are in decline in the UK. We have few friends in politics, with the threat of VAT on fees not just an item on the risk register but an impending likelihood We are not immune to the lingering and lasting effects of the pandemic on generations of children. The social challenges in education are real too; it is much more difficult for schools and parents to shape minds when faced with the alternative lure of the celebrity social media influencer and the mind-rotting algorithms that narrow and cheapen information, opinion, and truth. We are in challenging times

It is important, however, to achieve a balance. We are well placed to meet those challenges. Of course, reality is important; we must avoid our heads being in the clouds or in the sand we must face those challenges head-on. But we should have optimism as we do so. We have the infrastructure, financial resilience, market share, strategic vision and talent to be both confident and bold Above all, beyond the corporate-speak, we have the people that we need: governors and staff, supportive parents, the wider Radley community and – most importantly – the boys. Independent education has faced many a challenge in the past –war, pandemic, political opposition – and emerged to tell the tale Our core business is the pursuit of excellence and that is always needed and always worthwhile. These are exciting times too.

As you read this update, structured around the four key pillars of our five-year strategic plan, please bear those themes in mind. There are challenges, but we must be optimistic.