The governors have taken a well-informed decision for the long term good of the school in the light of the world changing to preserve the educational and pastoral excellence that are associated with Merchant Taylors, while also ensuring that the School is ready for the future.

We appreciate the significance of the decision, but all Governors recognise it will ensure the long-term growth and prosperity of the School.

While we recognise that we were not able to consult on the decision, the surveys are a genuine attempt to consult on implementation and take parents, pupils, and staff on this journey so that the transition is as smooth as possible.

We recognise the change from the previously published strategy but see this as the logical continuation rather than a total change of direction; with coeducation established at Stanfield and in the VI Form, in cocurricular activities, and so many aspects of School life, this actually represents less change than might first appear.

Since the previous strategy was published, there has been in the intervening period a number of unprecedented external challenges which have posed a threat to the independent schools’ sector as a whole, not least of which, to our School. These issues led the Governors to rethink our strategy so that the School can continue to thrive and that future generations of children can benefit from a much-valued Merchant Taylors’ education.

Stanfield is fully coeducational and, therefore, this move preserves the organisational structure for the current Year 6 [and future year 7] with which the children are familiar; this move actually reduces change and unsettling the children, and ensures that we provide continuity of experience for the girls and boys.

In proposing to keep year 7 coeducation, we are looking at the use of the Girls’ School as the base for this year group during the transitional phase.

Yes, we have a schedule for building works with additional toilet facilities as a priority for September 2024.

We do not envisage any significant change to current class sizes.

The programme for sports, games and physical activity will continue at the same high standard. Pupils will continue to be taught separately in major sports, but there will be opportunities in some areas for pupils to participate in more sports together. The move to coeducation allows us to expand our sport provision for both girls and boys. Our extensive fixtures programme will continue.

The School is committed to retaining and developing all staff so that our provision is of the highest quality. We are reviewing our staff development programme, and the proposed changes in leadership structure also provide a clear development pathway for individual staff aspiring to senior positions.

In preparation for moving towards becoming fully coeducational, we commissioned an external consultant to review our SEN provision across the Schools and to make recommendations on how we can consolidate the departments into one, whole-school department that delivers a consistent and equitable provision for any pupil who requires additional support. During the transition year, Learning Support provision will be available on both sites.

96% of all schools in the UK are coeducational, and this does not present an issue in terms of outcomes, and research data do not show improved achievement as a result of single sex. This would suggest that coeducation does not result in an adverse effect owing to distraction.

It is possible that some will be distracted at some point but this is something young people need to learn to deal with, and this is unlikely to have a detrimental impact on outcomes.

From September 2025, both MTBS and MTGS will amalgamate into one school; by developing our leadership structures and internal organisation, with continuity from both schools, this is very much a development of a new school and not a take-over. With many staff remaining in post from both current schools, this will ensure all pupils are familiar with staff and organisation, which will focus on all.

No, there is no intention or need for the School to move into the maintained sector or acquire academy status.

As our Estates plan will demonstrate, we have both long- and short-term plans for the development of the site, which will provide benefits to all pupils with immediate effect. Some of these projects are already underway [such as Hall Rd].

Inevitably, some developments will arrive in the future; all pupils have benefited from the contributions of those in the past who have supported developments from which they never benefited directly.

Considering current numbers throughout the senior schools, we have an overall 52:48 gender split, and this is approximately reflected across all year groups. When coeducational classes are introduced, we will look to balance the numbers in each class.

Current space alongside developments planned to be completed by September 2025 will allow all senior pupils to be accommodated on the Harrison site, separate to future developments.

As part of our preparations, we are working with staff to develop teaching and deliberately looking at how staff work with all pupils in a class so that all participate fully: boys and girls; the quieter; the louder; the confident and, those less so.

New school uniform will be considered from September 2025 to coincide with the new single senior school, but this will be done to allow for a transitional uniform period in which existing uniform can be used [up].

We will allocate outdoor spaces for children at lunch and break so that they can play separately to older pupils.

We maintain selective entry at 11+ and 16+ to ensure that all pupils can benefit from the School’s provision with a focus on developing value-added.

All organisations have been responding to significant changes since the 2008 financial crisis and especially, the challenges of the last three years. The Governors of Merchant Taylors’ are committed to securing the long-term financial health of the School while developing the quality of our offering through fiscal responsibility; agility and adaptability are at the heart of this.

Clearly, this move creates greater financial efficiencies but does not provide a guarantee against unforeseen or additional financial changes. It will, however, enable us to develop the quality of our offering and outreach.

While the rational for this change is both educational and philosophical, there are obviously financial implications. One consideration was how one can maintain fee affordability while continuing to invest in and develop the education we offer to the standard you expect as parents and which your children deserve.

This is a timely decision designed to allow the School to respond now so that it is well-placed to face the future, to make provision better, and to enable the investment to create a school that compares strongly to others.

The financial viability of the School is regularly reviewed by external auditors, and confirmed each year in its published accounts. By taking this decision now, we are able to adapt and future proof the education we offer.

We anticipate that the School will largely see a balance of girls and boys in all year groups, and we will try to balance classes accordingly. As is already the case in both schools, classes are not designed based on friendship groups and there will be ample opportunity for pupils to catch up with one another outside the classroom.

We have developed foundation-wide pastoral policies and are reviewing the approach to mobile phones in both senior schools so that there is a consistency of approach.