Politics

It would be foolish to deny the size of the challenge; for Radley that is a sum in excess of £6 million per annum. It will mean a reshaping of the sector more widely and, of course, there are opportunities in that It is a priority over the next year for Council to think about how best to prepare as we look at strategies to offset the threat and financial planning to manage the impact. We are confident, however, that we are in a strong position financially and have the resilience – as well as the good governance – to be as well-placed as any to weather the storm. Independent schools have faced such storms before, and the best come out stronger.

I am delighted that Politics is now the second most popular A Level at Radley (behind Maths). I hope that reflects that we are a school that encourages boys to think about the world in which they live and that they want to understand the structures of decision making and the motivations of policy. We must embrace debate, new ideas, controversy, intellectual ambition, and innovation.

As we face the challenges we do, what matters most is that we prepare young men with the qualities to lead us. If we are doing that well – and I think we are – we have grounds, however big the challenges, for real optimism For Radley now, and for the future