31 minute read
RECIPES
Baked Trout with Rice
Fennel & Lemon
Serves 2
When gangs go fishing, it might not mean quite the same thing as casting a rod for trout. Oysters, herring, mussels, cockles, sprats and eel were the catch most working-class families would have been eating in the early 20th century, but if you had your eyes set on social climbing, serving up trout would definitely have made a statement.
Total time to make: 30 mins
INGREDIENTS
• 2 skin-on, filleted whole rainbow trout (each about 250g/9oz), washed and patted dry with kitchen paper • 30g cooked white rice • finely grated zest of 1 small lemon • 1 small fennel bulb, cored and finely chopped • 50g frozen peas • a handful of flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked and chopped • 5–6 dill fronds, chopped • 100ml dry white wine • a knob of butter, softened • salt and ground black pepper • steamed greens (such as samphire or green beans) and lemon wedges, to serve
METHOD
1 Preheat your oven to 190°C and line a shallow roasting tin with baking paper. Find some kitchen string. Place one half of each fish fillet, skin side down, on the lined roasting tin and season each with salt and pepper. 2 Tip the rice into a small mixing bowl and add the lemon zest, fennel, peas and both herbs. Season with salt and pepper and mix well. Divide the rice mixture between the two fillet halves, gently pressing it over the surface of the fish to coat. Place the second half of each fillet on top of the first, sandwiching the rice mixture in between. Tie your string around the fillets to secure them together, then pour the wine around the fish. 3 Brush the fish with the softened butter, season with salt and pepper and bake for 15 minutes, until the fish is cooked through. Serve with steamed greens, and with lemon wedges for squeezing over. the sausage skins into a mixing bowl. Add the sage, parsley and black pepper and mix well. 4 Divide the sausage mixture into 6 equal-sized balls. Place one of the balls on a piece of baking paper, and flatten it with a damp hand. Place an egg in the middle of the sausage-meat disc and bring the meat up and around the egg. Gently press the sausage meat around the egg, making sure that the egg is wrapped. Repeat with the remaining balls of sausage meat and eggs. 5 Tip the flour into one wide, shallow bowl, the beaten egg into another and the breadcrumbs into a third. One by one, roll the coated eggs in the flour, making sure they are well covered. Then, turn them in the beaten egg, lifting them out with a fork, and finally turn them in the breadcrumbs to coat – make sure the whole egg is covered in the crumb. 6 Just before frying, preheat your oven to 150°C/130°C fan. If you have a deep-fat fryer, heat the oil to 180°C. If not, one third fill a medium saucepan with vegetable oil and place it over a medium heat. The oil is ready when the temperature reaches 180°C on a digital cooking thermometer, or when a cube of bread floats and browns within 30 seconds. 7 Deep-fry the Scotch eggs in batches of 1–3 eggs at a time, depending on the size of your pan and taking care not to overfill, for about 5–7 minutes per batch, turning occasionally, until golden and crispy all over. Remove the cooked eggs to a plate lined with kitchen paper and keep warm in the oven while you deep-fry the remainder. To make the dip, mix the mayonnaise with the mustard and chives and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve the warm Scotch eggs with the dip, and a watercress salad, if you wish.
Scotch Eggs
with Mustard Mayonnaise
Serves 6
Tommy might insist on Fabergé Eggs, but we think these Scotch eggs at the bar of The Garrison will cause far less trouble.
Total time to make 1 hour
INGREDIENTS
• 6 large eggs • 300g good-quality pork sausages • 5 sage leaves, finely chopped • a small handful of flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked and chopped • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper • 50g plain (all-purpose) flour • 1 egg, beaten with 2 tablespoons full-fat milk • 150g cups panko breadcrumbs • vegetable oil, for deep-frying • a handful of watercress, to serve • (optional for the dip: 4 tablespoons mayonnaise 1 tablespoon English mustard ¼ bunch of chives, chopped salt and ground black pepper)
METHOD
1 Make sure you get your oil good and hot to guarantee a crispy outer crumb. Bring a large pan of water to the boil and carefully lower in the eggs. Boil them for 6 minutes to soft set the yolks, then remove them with a slotted spoon and place them in a bowl of iced water. 2 Once the eggs are cold, peel them and set them aside. 3 Squeeze the sausage meat from
Pea & Lettuce Soup
with Feta
Serves 6
Total time taken: 40 minutes
INGREDIENTS
• a knob of butter • 1 leek, chopped • 1 celery stalk, chopped • 2 garlic cloves, chopped • 1 litre vegetable stock • 2 all-rounder potatoes, peeled and chopped • 1 baby gem lettuce, roughly chopped • 250g frozen peas • a small handful of mint leaves picked and chopped • 60g feta, crumbled • ¼ bunch of chives or 5–6 dill fronds, finely chopped • 3½ tablespoons single (light) cream • extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling • salt and ground black pepper • crusty bread, to serve
METHOD
1 The feta cheese sprinkled over this soup gives a salty, tangy edge to the creamy, mellow pea. For supper at Arrow House, the Shelbys are serving this hot, but you could just as well chill it and serve it as a gazpacho. Melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium–low heat. Add the leek, celery and garlic and fry for 10 minutes, until softened. Pour in the vegetable stock, add the potatoes and bring the liquid to a simmer. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes, then add the lettuce, peas and mint. Continue cooking for a further 5 minutes, then blend until smooth. Taste and season the soup with salt and pepper. Divide the soup equally between the serving bowls. Sprinkle a little feta into each bowl and sprinkle the chopped herbs on top. Finish with a drizzle of cream and extra-virgin olive oil. Serve with crusty bread.
Recipes taken from The Official Peaky Blinders Cookbook by The Shelby Company, White Lion Publishing, £14.99
FINE WINE and WHISKY STOICALLY STABLE
Amidst global stock market volatility
Fine wine and rare whisky are two of an exclusive group of luxury goods that have stood up to the severe hit to assets triggered by the coronavirus pandemic. As a consequence of this global emergency we have seen an unprecedented appetite from wellheeled buyers from all over the world, re-confirming wine and whisky as the two most rewarding investments on the
Knight Frank Luxury Investment Index over the past 5-year and 10-year periods.
“With stable and solid performance of both wine and whisky we are seeing investors flocking to us, seeking to diversify their wealth and move away from the more traditional asset classes that have tumbled in recent times,” comments Robert Whipple,
Director of Sales of London Barrelhouse.
With interest rates at historic lows, investors globally are finding it hard to find a good source of solid returns. Wine and whisky offer a fantastic addition to anyone’s overall investment portfolio because it has a low propensity to lose value during market turbulence. Whiskies from the finest distilleries in the world have increased in value by a colossal 580% since 2008 and have risen over 40% in the previous 12 months alone. Wine has turned out to be the perfect partner for whisky collectors, increasing by a mammoth 147% in value for the same period. “These assets help investors to diversify, hedge and do undoubtedly provide a tax efficient safe haven,” says Peter Charalambos, co-founder of London Barrelhouse.
Amid the coronavirus crisis, the resilience we are seeing in the market should come as good news to both private investors as well as several large corporations with sizeable interest in investment grade wine and whiskies. An investment wine or whisky is nothing like an ordinary drink. Let’s be clear, it often carries a premium price, global brand recognition and high scores from the likes of Robert Parker Jnr and James Suckling. Price appreciation emerges
not just with maturing in the bottle, but moreover as bottles get drunk, the scarcity factor pushes prices further up.
It’s been a great start to the year for London Barrelhouse as they continue to spread their wings on a global scale, meeting the demand for their clients not just at home but abroad. They have opened their first international office in Singapore, and this is the first of several international offices planned to meet demand globally, with a strong focus on South East Asia. Amid the recent global equity meltdown, investor interest has significantly increased.
One of the key benefits that London Barrelhouse offer aside from their knowledge, market expertise and best in class storage is the industry's first Buy Back policy. “We have implemented this new policy to offer our clients additional comfort and confidence when trading with ourselves,” says Tony Charalambos, co-founder. “It has been warmly received by clients and shows that we as Directors stand firmly behind our brand and industry.”
Exciting times lay ahead for London Barrelhouse as they continue to rapidly grow and expand their global reach.
WHISKY OFFERS A REAL INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY
LONDON BARRELHOUSE LTD
020 4518 1333 londonbarrelhouse.com
NEIL DATTA AND MIKEY O'KANE
Refreshing CHANGE
New Breed is an independent drinks shop like no other. We chat to co-owners Mikey O’Kane and Neil Datta to find out how they did it
By MARK KEBBLE
THE CHOICE IS EXCLUSIVE AND EXTENSIVE
Q When did you open New Breed and what inspired it?
A Neil Datta (ND): We opened our doors in Loughton on 22 December, 2020. Mikey and I have been into craft beers, natural wines and drinks that are a bit more under the radar than the mass produced products that are generally available. We were travelling up to London or buying online to feed our enthusiasm and thought why wouldn’t a bottle shop type venue work in our area? We asked that question continually for about four years before finally pushing the button in the middle of a global pandemic!
Q I have always enjoyed discovering new beers, getting a thrill when I find something that tastes wonderful – in a nutshell, is that the kind of experience New Breed o ers?
A ND: Absolutely! We have fridges filled with beers from the best breweries from the UK and beyond, and eight draught taps that are changing constantly, and we love helping customers find what suits their taste best.
Q How do you decide on what you stock?
A Mikey O’Kane (MO): We spend a lot of our time meeting with potential suppliers, which means that we are constantly sampling. It’s a tough job, but somebody has to do it! When we bring on board a new supplier we have a strict checklist. Obviously the product needs to taste great, but we look to work with suppliers that are independent and sustainability conscious that reflect our passion for the industry we work in.Research plays a huge role in finding the best suppliers and the most interesting products.
Q Do you have particular favourites right now?
A MO: I am currently loving a co-ferment beer from Wildflower Brewery in Australia. They have a range of co-fermented beers, but Zibeerbo is my favourite. Zibeerbo 2020 is a golden barrel-matured Australian Wild Ale aged with Muscat of Alexandria (the Zibibbo grape) skins after six months on wine in terracotta amphora. It delivers a cross between a delicate, zippy, refreshing beer and the dry thirst quenching minerality from a
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX zibibbo wine. Di erent, but absolutely incredible with a bit of fish or a salad. ND: I can’t get enough of a Catalonian natural wine producer called Costador Metamorphika. They produce an outstanding range of orange wines, whites and juicy to full bodied reds. Right now I am loving the white Chenin Blanc 2020.A beautifully fresh but robust Chenin Blanc that benefits from a little grape skin contact. Aromatic with notes of pear, lime, kerosene and beeswax on the nose. It goes well on its own, but is the perfect accompaniment to a cheese board. The bottles are clay too with a waxed top, so they look amazing on the side at home when you’re finished with the wine.
Q For anyone who tends to buy their drinks at a supermarket or o licence, how would you persuade them to visit you?
A MO: Lockdown has helped in this respect as I think that people had more time to think about what was in their glass and where it came from. People tried new things and there has been a realisation that the mass produced, industrial sized beers and wines that the supermarkets have to o er are just not a great representation of what is actually out there.We are all about making our outstanding products more accessible.
287 High Road, Loughton, Essex, IG10 1AH newbreedbottleshop.com (nationwide delivery), @NewBreedBottleShop
WORD PERFECT
World Book Day falls on 3 March, so there’s never been a better time to take a closer look at how your child reads and consider what support they need
By SUE LAIDLAW
As a child, I recall my mum constantly calling me down for breakfast whilst I had my nose stuck in a book and, at the other end of the day, having a torch under the blankets just so that I could get to the last page before I heard my parents coming upstairs to check that I was asleep. Not all children are naturally drawn to reading, of course. Their minds and energy may lay elsewhere and that is perfectly fine. However, I think it is the desire of every parent to see their child read and, hopefully, also enjoy.
For some children, the process of learning to read comes easily and for others it takes longer. Don’t worry if your child is one of the latter, this will come and, rest assured, this is not a reflection on their intelligence. The “decoding” aspect of reading can sometimes be a challenge for a child who is either not particularly interested or who “cracks the code” in a di erent way. I often tell worried parents about my cousin – she didn’t learn to read until she was at least seven years of age, but subsequently went on to achieve a PhD in Molecular Cancer Cell research.
Well-structured and perceptive teaching, at a pace that is right for the child, will help. If the struggle continues well past the seven-year-old mark, then talk to a professional about if it is time to check whether your child may have some dyslexic tendencies. At Laidlaw Hall, our Dyslexia Centre, there are many children who need some help in developing their reading skills; some are dyslexic, but many are not.
Do ensure that you make reading accessible – select books with your child that they can read with ease; don’t push them to read classics until they love reading and want to read those books for themselves; and visit bookshops and libraries to find books together.
What is so important is creating a love of stories and words and characters – and developing a sense of warmth and fun in books. Make sure that you find time to curl up with your child and read to them. Use funny voices and make them laugh; create atmospheres and make it a time that they long to share with you, rather than a time to hide or evade. If you have a reluctant reader, take the pressure o making him or her read to you and you take the strain. They will learn so much from your intonation, the vocabulary, and the sheer warmth of the time together. I once taught a boy, a Year 6 sportsman in the making, who had the most wonderful writing style. “What have you done to create such a creative writer?” I asked his mum. “Well,” she replied, with a twinkle in her eye, “I just read to my sons every evening even though they are now ten and eleven-years-old.” It really showed!
If your house is full of books – not just fiction but non-fiction, art books, photography books, books about history – and if your children see you use and enjoy them, for reference, for pleasure, for recipes, then they will absorb a hidden message that books and reading are wonderful. Enjoy World Book Day with your child.
Sue Laidlaw is founder of Laidlaw
Education and Laidlaw Virtual Academy. Laidlaw Hall is a CReSTeD registered centre of excellence in the teaching of children with dyslexia. For more information, call 020 8487 9517 or visit laidlaweducation.co.uk
Forest is a large, vibrant, co-educational independent school that o ers outstanding academic progress and personal development, award-winning pastoral care, and an engaging and comprehensive co-curriculum. Forest bene ts from a tremendous location, surrounded by ancient forest but situated within a wonderfully diverse part of North-East London with 30 acres of grounds. Forest - Where People Grow
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Active imagination
Prep Lead at Avon House Preparatory School, Mr J Manning, discusses encouraging pupils out of class and looks at one talented pupil’s achievements
Q What kind of county and national quizzes does the school get involved in?
A We are signed up to Quiz Club, the largest inter-school competition in the country, which o ers a unique and exciting way to inspire and reward our pupils in their quest for knowledge by competing in interschool competitions locally, regionally and nationally. We also participate in the Primary Maths Challenge and several competitions run by the Independent Schools Association.
Q Why are these helpful to the development of your pupils?
A At Avon House Preparatory School, we are focused on celebrating and supporting every pupil. In order to do this, we place a great value on our children competing in a range of disciplines – including sport, academic, music and drama. Not only does this encourage pupils to develop the values of critical thinking and performance, but also we recognise the pride they take in representing the school, which is translated in their work within the classroom.
Q How satisfying is it when you see a pupil like Ritisha thrive academically?
A As a teacher, I am keen that all pupils achieve their full potential and where I can, help support and encourage them to do this. Ritisha consistently applies the key principles of a successful learner – listening in class, following instructions and challenging herself, so it is no surprise that she has thrived academically.
Q She also has quite a lengthy list of hobbies and sports she excels in. How important is what happens outside the classroom for the development of your pupils?
RITISHA IS A STAR PERFORMER
A It is crucial. We are advocates of character education here at Avon House. The aim of character education is for the individual to flourish and for this to happen, they must gain experience and understanding of a wide range of values. These values are often discovered and highlighted through activities both within and outside of school. When pupils engage in activities outside of the school, we have seen first-hand that it can have a positive impact on the child’s academic performance.
HIGH ACHIEVER
Ritisha’s accomplishments at a glance
Academic: Ritisha has an excellent excellent track record when it comes to her performance in the Internal Assessments during Prep. In addition of scoring full marks in mathematics across multiple terms and years, she has participated and won prizes in mathematics quizzes across Essex and at national level.
Sports & Games: During the last two years where a lot of learning shi ed to virtual sessions, Ritisha developed great interest in chess and excelled. Ritisha participated in a number of 4 Nations Tournaments and won a number of games for her team. Ritisha is a sports aficionado and has been actively learning a number of them including, but not limited to, cricket, football, netball, hockey, American golf, and bowling.
Hobbies: Recently, Ritisha has been learning to play an electric guitar as well as improve her proficiency in French and Hindi languages. She has also been excelling her skills in different forms of art like finger painting, sponge painting, glass paintings and doodling.
MAKING HISTORY
Katherine Je rey, the Principal of New HallSchool in Chelmsford, discusses what it means to be in post for two decades
Q How long have you been Principal of New Hall School?
A The start of 2022 was a special anniversary, marking 20 years’ as Principal at New Hall. I still remember my first visit, in 2001, thinking that I had taken a wrong turn, as I drove along the historic mile-long Avenue, under the stunning canopy of the lime trees. My first glimpses of the former Tudor palace that is New Hall’s main building took my breath away. It was hard to believe that this was a school. Magnificent cedar trees frame part of the Grade I listed buildings and everywhere you look you get this incredible sense of the New Hall story and its di erent chapters down the ages. There is a heady mix of tradition and innovation, which makes New Hall an exciting place to be. All this is just 30 minutes by train from London, with a new station due to open by the school’s entrance in 2025.
Q The school seems to have quite a unique history…
A It certainly does, and a long one too. It’s not often you get to live and work in an early-1500s Tudor palace, with many of its original features. From its earliest days as Henry VIII’s Palace of Beaulieu, the site has many stories to tell, including use as a WWII field hospital. New Hall was founded in Liège in 1642, as a Catholic school, with a distinctive and radical mission for the education of girls. The school moved to the Boreham site, near Chelmsford, in 1799. In 2013, New Hall became the first independent school to sponsor a primary academy; today, Messing Primary School is a happy and flourishing village school, run by New Hall’s Multi-Academy Trust.
Q Today, in a nutshell, what does New Hall School o er?
A At New Hall you find a warm welcome and an inclusive, integrated community. This is a place where everyone is valued and relationships are based on Gospel values of care, trust and respect. We believe that every single one of our students has unique gifts and talents and, if they arrive here not yet knowing what these are, we will discover them and help them to develop to realise their potential.
How do we achieve this? Our teachers are inspirational. The curriculum and co-curriculum give breadth and challenge – students can pick from hundreds of activities beyond the classroom, including in evenings and at weekends.
Q Why have you adopted the Diamond Model?
A There was a new and exciting expression of the pioneering spirit of New Hall’s founders in 2006, with the decision to become more inclusive by opening our doors to senior age boys. Today, New Hall operates an unusual and highly successful ‘diamond model’ structure, i.e. co-education in the Nursery and Preparatory Divisions (1-11) and Sixth Form, with single-sex teaching in the Girls’ & Boys’ Divisions (11-16).
In this way, New Hall provides the best of both worlds in two ways. First, we have the benefits of a co-
THEY ARE STRONG AT SPORTS
KATHERINE JEFFREY
educational environment together with the advantages of girls and boys being taught separately during adolescence. The provision of five years of singlesex teaching enables students to grow in confidence, whilst enjoying an education that is specifically tailored and that recognises the di erent ways in which girls and boys learn. Secondly, we have the benefits of a small school (our six small Divisions), where every child is known and a rmed, alongside the excitement and opportunities of being a big and well-resourced school (with 1,500 students).
The benefits of teaching girls and boys separately at a key stage of their development in the teenage years are unparalleled – under the Diamond Model, girls and boys perform equally well in assessments across all subjects, with no gender stereotyping of subjects. When it comes to socialisation, most co-curricular activities and social events are mixed, allowing for excellent preparation for a co-educational Sixth Form experience and the world of higher education and careers.
Q How would you sum up the boarding experience at New Hall School?
A New Hall boarding is distinctive in that most boarders have single-study bedrooms and the four Boarding Houses are a wonderful mix of magnificent heritage buildings and modern, purposebuilt facilities. We have a popular, flexible boarding model, with students from Years 3-13 able to board 1-7 nights a week. As a large school of 1,500, we have
the scale to provide a rich co-curricular programme and exceptional pastoral support, throughout the evenings and at weekends. Our boarding community enjoy first-class facilities and heritage parkland and gardens that are in the top 2% in England. We even have a small farm on site, and peacocks and ducks roam the grounds and occasionally sneak into the Refectory!
Our boarders, whether they stay with us full time or on a flexible basis, constantly tell us how much fun it is. Many local students opt to board on one or two of their busiest nights, before Swim Academy training or Saturday morning dance lessons, but some board only for their favourite social nights, such as Milkshake Mondays in Petre House, Wonderland Tea Parties in Hawley, or Wednesday’s Sixth Form socials in Dennett and Campion Houses.
The privilege of boarding takes a holistic education to another level. Living and working alongside your peers, making friends in other year groups and learning to trust and respect the adults who care for
A WORLD OF DISCOVERY
you gives young people confidence, independence and organisational skills. In a Catholic school, the family is recognised as the primary educator, so our goal is to complement the role of the parents, providing a wider network of support and opportunities, to give each child the best start in life.
Q What are you looking forward to in the months to come?
A Open Mornings are always fun and the next one is on the last Saturday in April. Our sports teams have some national and international competitions coming up. In March, I am hoping to travel to Andorra to cheer on New Hall’s ski team in the Interschools Ski Races. Our Dance Department just received the news that 25 of our dancers were selected for Team England in the Dance World Cup, and they will be competing in Spain in June. And, of course, our annual New Hall Dance Shows and Termly Concerts are always at the top of my must-see list.
A SCIENCE LESSON AT KNIGHTSBRIDGE SCHOOL
In conversation with MARK BAILEY
As former High Master of St Paul's, Professor Mark Bailey brings top-flight experience to his new role at Dukes Education. Absolutely finds out more
By LIBBY NORMAN
Professor Mark Bailey became managing director at Dukes Education last November, tasked with day-to-day running of a number of its schools. Here was interesting news for anyone with more than a passing interest in the world of independent education. As High Master of St Paul's from 2011-2020, Bailey held one of the top 'premiership' roles. Prior to that, and also for around a decade, he successfully steered hallowed Leeds
Grammar through the choppy waters of a merger with the city's beloved girls' high to create The Grammar School at Leeds.
Throughout a top-flight career in independent schools, he stayed true to his first love – medieval history – and he's no inspiring educator and school leader. What it doesn't reveal is Bailey's dry Yorkshire humour and self-deprecating spin. He really doesn't warm to my summation that he's a heavy hitter, preferring to describe his career as "stumbling my way through".
At Dukes Education, as one of four managing directors, he's bringing all this experience to an innovative group stewarding some of the most distinctive independent schools in Britain. His appointment grew out of a conversation with Dukes' founder and chairman Aatif Hassan while he was at St Paul's School. Governor roles followed and then he joined as Chair of the Dukes Advisory Board in 2018. He becomes an MD at an interesting time because the Dukes family is expanding – now numbering 12 schools in London and five outside the capital. Three London schools joined the fold in March. Then there are the nurseries under the 'Little
dabbler. Having found his muse during his schooldays he went on to obtain a First in Economic History at Durham and then a PhD at Cambridge, where he stayed on as a lecturer and Fellow of two colleges (Caius and Corpus Christi) before heading to Leeds Grammar. He joined UEA in 2010 and, unusually, stayed in post throughout his tenure at St Paul's – he remains there still as Visiting Professor of Later Medieval History. In 2018-19, Bailey was James Ford Lecturer in British History at the University of Oxford (previous incumbents have included V.S. Galbraith and A.J.P Taylor) and he's just published a book on the Black Death.
With all of that, Bailey's Wikipedia page leads on the rugby. He was capped seven times and played for the Barbarians. He could have been a cricketer, having played both sports exceptionally well during his time at Ipswich School and beyond. So, the CV has everything you could want from an
SANCTON WOOD SCHOOL IN CAMBRIDGE IS A CO-ED FOR CHILDREN AGED FROM 1 TO 16
Dukes' umbrella, and the summer schools and consultancies o ering guidance with university applications and career pathways.
Inevitably, the big question is what attracted him to this new leadership role. "Dukes is really interesting," he says First up, he finds the story behind Dukes "compelling". It was started by Aatif Hassan after he founded Cavendish Education (separate, and now numbering 11 schools for young people with dyslexia and autism). Bailey likes the flat structure of Dukes, the warmth of the team but – most of all – he likes the ambition of what they are doing. "Dukes is in it for the long term. It is backed by private investors, and there are a number of stereotypes associated with that, but the reality is that Aatif has an unusually eclectic background. He's a former British Army Paratrooper. He is also dyslexic and he started Cavendish Education with a particular purpose. It is values led and quality led and he wanted to bring the same things into mainstream education through Dukes."
There are other points of di erence about Dukes, he says, not least that it is underpinned by the pensions might of USS (Universities Superannuation Scheme). "USS looks for long-term growth and believes in education, so Dukes' institutional backers are not that conventional and they are in it for the long term," says Bailey. "Dukes are also in it for the long term. What they do is identify a great brand, a school that has earned a really good reputation."
This has been central to the whole approach. At first glance, the schools appear disparate geographically and culturally – from Sancton Wood in Cambridge to Knightsbridge School to Cardi Sixth Form College. Look again and you see a linking thread. For instance, Knightsbridge is ranked among the top preps in the country, Cardi 's exceptional results make it a 'destination school' for overseas students and locals alike. Then consider Hampstead Fine Arts College's reputation for fostering creativity and Eaton Square's success in growing from a small prep into a highly regarded allthrough school for over 600 pupils. "With Dukes' approach, there's always the question: 'what can we add?'" says Bailey. "We have a very strong leadership programme, also expertise in getting the back and middle o ce support services absolutely right. We bring skills in marketing, skills in safeguarding – all that slightly hidden but important stu that takes
MARK BAILEY
up increasing amounts of time and specialist knowledge for all independent schools."
Bailey sees the back o ce "stu " as a key issue for the whole education sector. "The pressures of being a headteacher have increased dramatically over the past 20 years," he says. "You are increasingly the CEO of a very complex organisation." It's something Bailey understands from experience. His own respite was to down his (virtual) mortar board and put on his historian hat. "When I had time for me in the holidays it was just straight into medieval history," he says.
For parents questioning the welldocumented school fee inflation of recent decades, compliance is one huge factor. But Bailey says there are other drivers – notably swelling pensions obligations. Also, salaries come into play because schools compete on the open market for talent. "If you want a top mathematician or physicist to put in front of really bright kids you go to top universities or to the City and you pay attractive salaries."
Compliance, pensions obligations, salary inflation, and now Covid. Unsurprisingly, the medieval historian has the long view on this. "Pandemics accelerate or intensify existing tendencies," says Bailey. "The independent sector in terms of pupil numbers hasn't changed very much, but the tendency is towards fewer bigger schools – they can control costs because there's an economy of scale." This, of course, has parallels to what
KNIGHTSBRIDGE SCHOOL PUPILS
Dukes Education is able to do for its family of schools. "At Dukes, we're all working for the same thing – to take some of that back-o ce load and enable our schools to do what they do best," says Bailey.
He is extremely optimistic about the long-term future of UK independent schools and says the international appeal is clear – temperate climate, transport links, stability, culture and the ability to buy into high-quality education. "London and the south-east have always been attractive for people globally who can work in any number of cities." So what about the many parents up and down the land who want the best for their child? During his years at the helm, Bailey says what parents want from a school has remained constant. He says it comes down to three core elements: "values, results, culture".
Timing is everything and Bailey's book reappraising the Black Death, published in February and based on his Ford lectures, has attracted – if not a groundswell – significantly more interest than he expected. Back to the self-deprecating humour: "There would normally be zero interest in it outside of about ten university departments. Because of this there is zero plus one." That “plus one” included a guest spot on the Knickerbocker Club's 'author of the month' slot. When the call came it was not, as he originally suspected, a mate pulling his leg but an invitation from one of New York's most exclusive gentlemen's clubs. "Before Covid, telling people you were writing about the Black Death was a conversation killer. But now people are curious and ask about parallels. Thankfully, I can tell them there are very few," he says.
A er the Black Death: Economy, society, and the law in fourteenth-century England, by Mark Bailey, is published by Oxford University Press
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