Any organisation that stands still will go backwards.  This is a belief that lies at the heart of development here at Concord.  Education should be a vibrant process that meets the needs of current pupils and prepares them for an ever-changing world.

We must also continue to change and develop to ensure that we are ready to meet the needs of the Concordians of the future.  It is also my intention and that of the Concord Board of Trustees that Concord’s name should be synonymous with high quality in education and further to enhance its global reputation for excellence.

Here at Concord we are keen to develop and refine the curriculum and facilities that we are offering.  Curriculum change has been a constant in the UK over the last two years with the introduction of new GCSE and A-level syllabuses.  This process is now complete and Concord academic success over the last two years is a tribute to the dedication and skill of teachers and educators responding to this change.  We will continue to monitor the new syllabuses to ensure that they provide the most appropriate intellectual challenge for our students.  In terms of facilities, a great deal has been done in the past year with the opening of the 22 laboratory Science Building, the relocation of the Art, English and Economics departments into the newly remodelled Castle Block, the extension of the Dining Room and the opening of the 32 acres of Hall Meadow for student sports and recreational use.  For the next twelve months, we will be consolidating on these improvements and making use of the many educational opportunities they have opened up.  In the next three to five years it is likely that a further boarding residence will be opened for our youngest students, that the ‘temporary’ sports hall will be replaced with a bespoke sports and assembly facility and that we will start to consider the relocation of the Library to a dedicated site.

On a different note, it is also hoped that further funds will be made available for Scholarships at Concord.  The Concord College Anthony Morris Foundation has been established and is becoming a significant asset for the College: its intention is to provide support to very bright students whose families might not otherwise be able to afford an education here at Concord.  We are also seeking ways to enhance Concord’s profile and presence outside the UK.  We are already proud to be working with the Shanghai Concord Bilingual School in the Huangpu district of the city.  We are also exploring further educational opportunities in China, Malaysia and elsewhere.

As you can see, there is a great deal of ambition with the Concord family.  There is also the total belief that it is our purpose to nurture and develop the students in our care.  All development is undertaken with this at the forefront of our thinking.

Mr Neil Hawkins

Principal, September 2018