Meet the Head of Halliford School

Meet Mr James Davies, who has been the Headmaster of Halliford School since 2017.

What do you most enjoy about being the Headmaster of Halliford School?

Without a doubt, the students are the very best thing about being Headmaster at Halliford School. I am surrounded by wonderful young people with so much enthusiasm and potential – it really is the best job in the world! I am always impressed at what our students manage to achieve. We are a busy school, and there is so much going on. At any point in the day, I can see students working tremendously hard on a whole host of activities inside and outside the classroom. However, the quality of relationships we build in a school like ours is the icing on the cake. I joined Halliford School, having worked most recently in boarding schools, and I set myself a challenge to see if I could create something of the familial atmosphere and strong community that I had enjoyed in such settings. It is, therefore, hugely rewarding to hear students, my colleagues, parents and visitors to the school comment on the strong feeling of belonging they experience daily. I am proud to say that I know each of our students, and it is a real privilege to enjoy their company and have a conversation with them at any point in the day.

What sort of student thrives at Halliford School?

Our motto ‘Come as you are. Go as all you can be’ really does encompass what we strive for each day as a school. We say that we are a school for interesting people, and we fervently believe this! Within our community, there is genuinely a place for all types of young people - clever people, those who excel in the arts and sport, those who aspire to leadership, those who care for others and everything in between, but most of all, we are proud to call ourselves Hallifordians, and that really means something. For us, true success is a quieter, unassuming excellence that looks to make a difference rather than draw all eyes upon it. At Halliford, we offer our students an experience full of empathy without ever compromising on academic excellence and in so doing, achievement comes as a by-product of our school’s culture, not in spite of it.

What does Halliford School do particularly well?

Over the seven years that I have had the honour of being Headmaster, we have seen standards rise at the school due to a great deal of hard work from the students and my amazing colleagues on the staff. We were thrilled to be awarded the rating of excellent in all areas during our most recent Independent Schools Inspectorate visit. We want to inspire each student at Halliford to excel in those areas where they have a real interest or talent, discover new opportunities, and support them in those areas where things perhaps do not always come naturally. As a small school, we strive to offer a vast range of opportunities both within and outside the classroom and having over 100 different co-curricular activities on offer each term certainly means there is always something for everyone. It is a joy to work with a student who wants to set up a new club or society, and these student-led groups are some of the most amazing and exciting events that take place each week.

What do you try to emphasise to young students when they leave Halliford for university?

As students leave Halliford School we will have provided them with the opportunity to develop and strengthen their skills of intellectual curiosity, creativity and resilience in all their endeavours. We also hope they will be warm-hearted, respectful and, in the broadest sense, team players who will make a real difference in whatever field they work in. We know that our students thrive at university and in apprenticeships thanks to the skills and values they have developed during their time with us, and we are hugely proud of all they do to contribute to society. In recent years, we have also been excited to welcome back several former students who have been inspired to become part of the next generation of teachers!

What type of careers would you like to see more of from the next generation?

As educators, I believe we have a real challenge to produce young people ready for a world that is changing so fast! The World Economic Forum’s White Paper stated that the key to success will require young people to have so much more than just a set of qualifications. We already know of leading companies that promote character and values at the top of the list of qualities they look for in potential candidates. We also see that digital literacy and the ability to use technology in ever more creative ways will be essential for future success, so we continue to teach our students about the digital world and, of course, the world of AI.

The great Pablo Picasso said, “Computers are useless. They can only give you answers.” They need humans to have the curiosity to ask the right questions. We recognise that producing young people akin to computers, recalling information when prompted, has no meaning in a digital world where unabridged knowledge often sits in the bottom of our pockets!

We are convinced that our role, now more than ever, is to be human and to produce good people of the future. We are confident that Hallifordians are equipped with integrity, ambition, compassion, and something truly meaningful to give the world. This means that they will not just survive in the modern world but will thrive and be amongst the next generation of world leaders.

What are the school’s plans for the future?

As we look to a future with many uncertainties for the independent school sector, we are proud of our work as a school. We are proud to be a school and registered charity that seeks to support all members of our Halliford community, our local community in Shepperton and the surrounding area. Thanks to the outstanding work of our governing body, we find the school ready to face these challenges in a robust position. We are delighted that in an area with a vast array of choices within the independent school sector, parents feel drawn to what a Halliford School education offers. As a result, our school roll is full, with waiting lists in all years of entry.

After completing an exciting development at the school with a state-of-the-art Learning Resource Centre and six new classrooms, I am delighted that the Governors have given permission for the next phase of development alongside a commitment to further invest in our digital strategy to ensure our students have the very best of resources. Our Theatre has been refurbished over the summer and work is ongoing to create a brand new Dining Room, which will be ready in the coming months.

We invite you to visit Hallford School at one of our open events to discover more about our wonderful school.