A class act? Toby Spence on the virtues of a Quaker education

‘The impact is lasting, the roots are deep.’

In August, my direct relationship with Quaker education will come to an end. This will bring a conclusion to decades of my family’s involvement with Quaker schools, from attendance at Bootham, Great Ayton, Ackworth, the Mount and Saffron Walden, to leadership and trusteeship roles at Sibford. This includes people like Joseph Spence Hodgson, a distant relative, who was the eccentric first president of the Sibford Old Scholars Association (SOSA). Who knows what the future might bring but, for now, a chapter closes.

So, if I don’t say it now, I never will: a Quaker education is a very special treasure. It is deeply valuable to society, and worthy of preservation and championing.

Let’s first confront one issue head on: sometimes, Quaker schools are unequal and imperfect. Some require the payment of fees, some do not. Financial support is offered to many families within independent Quaker education, but there is no getting away from the fact that an independent school needs income to survive and thrive.

The inspiration for Sibford School was borne at a time of need in the early Victorian era. The pioneering and forward-thinking Friends of the 1840s raised money for the land and buildings, and they charged means-tested fees (from £6 to £16 per annum, for those interested in that sort of thing). The educational world of the 1840s was unequal, and perhaps there was criticism of the founding fathers and mothers at the time, but for me, their foresight leaves a legacy that is worthy of celebration.

Every week, because of Quaker schools, thousands of young people, parents, staff and visitors – the vast majority of whom are not members of the Society of Friends – attend Meeting for Worship. They sit in silence. They hear the words of George Fox, and other reflections from Advices & queries. They are immersed in a world of Quaker values, principles and culture. They actively consider peace, sustainability, equality, community and simplicity. Every school has a value set, but it is the unique and embedded combination of Quaker values that makes our approach to education different and special.

Meeting for Worship remains absolutely and unshakably central to our daily life. It’s formative and hugely powerful. Above this, Quaker schools have strong reputations for looking after the individual, for their attendance to wellbeing and pastoral care, for their pioneering spirit and globalism, for their unstinting commitment to holistic education, for their remarkable support for charitable causes (in particular those with Quaker links), for supporting children with different educational needs, for expecting and celebrating the voices of pupils, and for their natural comfort with matters of diversity, equality and inclusion. Our starting and ending point is to look for ‘that of God’ in all. Quaker schools also have strong networks of ‘old scholars’, many of whom are members of the Society of Friends – yet another area of enrichment and sustenance.

I have found it to be a privilege to be a staff member within a Quaker school. The network of collegiality and support, within and across the schools, is exceptionally strong. On a personal level I was hugely grateful for the support of my fellow headteachers throughout the Covid crisis. We leaned on each other, shared our ideas, reflected upon what we got right and got wrong, learned from each other, and nourished each other. As with others, in a time when social distance was instructed, the world of Zoom brought us closer together.

Our network extends across the Quaker school community, including at a management and governance level. It is enriched by the breadth and diversity of the schools involved. Our shared spirit and commonality of purpose is a strong and lasting bind. I know I am biased, but a common theme has been how proactively and sensitively we responded to the very particular demands thrown at us by Covid 19. It spoke to the type of communities that we are.

Quaker schools work closely with their local Quaker Meetings, and this symbiotic relationship is extremely important. Locally (and perhaps nationally), some Meetings are struggling with membership and, thereby, finances. For me, this challenge places even more importance on the sustenance and celebration of Quaker schools, for the greater good of the world of education as well as the world of Friends. We all feel the sense of loss regarding the physical demise of Woodbrooke, while celebrating the new, diversified approach to education. As islands slip away in the wake of ‘progress’, how important it is to support and reinforce those that remain, whatever their imperfections might be. We cannot all survive in the ether; we need to sit in a room together, to shake hands, to interact in three dimensions, to read body language and interact, as humans have for millennia.

This year sees the bicentenary of Bootham School, and next year we will celebrate the 400th anniversary of George Fox’s birth. These are each landmarks in their own right. Fox could have his cantankerous moments but he was also an educator and founder of schools. I think that Fox, while shuddering at many aspects of the world around us, would be pleased that, in 2023, his words are still reaching directly into Quaker school communities. We are still living adventurously, and we are still endeavouring to be patterns and examples, walking cheerfully over the world, turning love into action.

Earlier this week, I spoke with a local headteacher who used to lead a Quaker School. We reflected on how much we have loved working within a Quaker community. I’m going to miss it when I move on. It was a Quaker school that took me to Swarthmore Hall, to Firbank Fell, to Pendle Hill, and to Brigflatts. The impact is lasting, the roots are deep. Quaker education is a rare and precious commodity – worthy of support and sustenance in every way.

Toby is the outgoing headteacher at Sibford School, a co-educational day and boarding school for children aged three to eighteen.

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