APRIL 21 - 28, 2024

CO-HOSTED BY 
SHREWSBURY SCHOOL, STOWE SCHOOL, WELLINGTON COLLEGE, WINCHESTER COLLEGE (UK)

Shrewsbury School was honoured to host the opening two days of the 2024 G30 Heads’ Conference in the UK.  With Charles Darwin, Sir Michael Palin and Sir Philip Sidney amongst its notable alumni, delegates explored the unique history, traditions and language of Salopian culture.  After a welcome dinner, guests moved to the Barnes Theatre to enjoy a pupil revue telling the history of the school through dance, drama, poetry and song.  The next day we considered the landscape of independent and state education in the UK, before dipping into some of the distinctive heritage of Shrewsbury, discovering the use of ‘spells’ in teaching and learning, with demonstrations from current pupils who spoke for 4 minutes on a chosen quotation.  We discussed Artificial Intelligence in learning with the Head of Digital Learning and tried out a range of Salopian activities (rowing, fives, design technology and choral singing).  On the second evening, we enjoyed a safari supper with entertainments and story-telling in three of the School’s 12 boarding houses.  The programme included valuable delegate ‘circle time’ and concluded with interactive talks on the School’s award-winning Partnership and Community Engagement Programme and unique relationship with The Shewsy, a Youth and Community Club in Everton.  We then headed from one great British boarding school to another, alighting at Stowe in glorious sunshine. - Leo Winkley, Head Master of Shrewsbury School

Stowe was delighted to welcome G30 members. The first Headmaster, JF Roxburgh, said that no one should leave Stowe without being able to appreciate beauty for the rest of their lives and the visit began with a rooftop survey of the entire estate followed by a whistle-stop tour of the ducal palace and landscape gardens. This highlighted the importance of the school's partnerships with the National Trust and Stowe House Preservation Trust who have spent the last twenty years conserving and restoring the estate and widening public access. The following day began with a visit to Stowe's partner school, the UTC at Silverstone, which opened in 2013 and specialises in technology and engineering. While we saw plenty of impressive high-performance engineering, we were a little disappointed not to see any racing cars on the legendary Silverstone circuit. Back at Stowe we were introduced to cutting-edge pedagogy by the Head of Teaching and Learning, Luke Radley, while James Tearle, Faculty Chair of Sciences, made the invisible visible by orchestrating controlled explosions. Learning walks around the academic area were followed by co-curricular activities which included tennis, cricket, golf, athletics, riding, drama, beagling and even a demonstration of quidditch. The day ended with dinner and a concert which showcased the versatility of Stowe's musicians. The next day, G30 delegates were welcomed to Chapel which remains the physical and spiritual heart of the school. After a rousing hymn we headed to Winchester... - Dr Anthony Wallersteiner, Head Stowe School

Delegates then travelled to Winchester College, where they were offered a tour of the ancient College buildings, rare collections, museum and school archives, before joining pupils in their boarding houses. There they joined the pupils at the dining table for the daily ‘family’-style meal, during which pupils and adults engage in lively conversation – a key training ground for the development of Winchester’s culture of conversation and inquiry. Talks followed from ground-breaking researchers on ‘Building Belonging in Schools’ (Luke Tryl, More in Common), offering a different approach to embedding inclusivity into a school community, and a thought-provoking workshop on the opportunities and pitfalls of promoting mental health in young people (Jack Andrew, University of Oxford). Delegates also had the opportunity to experience the glories of the English choral tradition with a full Choral Evensong in Chapel. The service included the rare ceremony of induction of a ‘Quirister’ (boy chorister) at the age of 10 into the choir – a tradition that is written into the College’s constitutions, written by William of Wykeham, authorised by Richard II and dating back to 1382. The evening concluded with a dinner in the beautifully preserved 14th Century College Hall. - Elizabeth Stone, Headmaster of Winchester College

The Conference finished where the G30 began back in 2006 at Wellington College. The focus turned to leadership as author, Associate Fellow of the Oxford Character Project, and Director of the Wellington College Leadership and Coaching Institute, Dr Emmie Bidston, reconnected delegates with their own core leadership values and sense of purpose. After the (in)famous and inaugural G30 pub quiz, the final day began with in-depth sharing across the group of the challenges facing school leaders in the modern world, followed by a historical tour of the College and dinner, where guest of honour, Sir Anthony Seldon, spoke brilliantly about his own leadership journey, most recently at Epsom College, and also the history of the G30. A fitting way to finish a brilliant, inspiring and occasionally tiring week. - James Dahl, Master of Wellington College