Headfort School

Headfort School, founded in 1949 by Lord and Lady Headfort at Headfort House near Kells, County Meath, is Ireland's last preparatory boarding school. Impacted by the Covid-19 crisis, it closed in March 2020. As of August 2020, the school has been announced to be reopening early September 2020, with a new headmaster and operating company.[1]

Location

The school is located at Headfort House, outside the town of Kells, County Meath, some 75 km north west of Dublin. The main part of the house was rented by the school's operating company from the charitable Headfort Trust; the East Wing of the house forms a separate residence. The school utilised the bulk of the remaining gardens and grounds.

Headfort House is over two hundred years old, having been built for the 1st Earl of Bective. It was designed by the Irish architect George Semple, using Ardbraccan limestone for its exterior construction. The interior was designed by Scottish architect Robert Adam: Headfort has the only intact Adam interior in Ireland. Much of the original furniture is still in place.

History

Early history

The school was founded by Lord and Lady Headfort in 1949.

Closure

The school, which had had financial issues for some time, closed in 2020, with the senior master, Neville Wilkinson, commenting that COVID-19 was the "final nail in the coffin" and that "liquidation was the "best of the bad options."[2]

Liquidators were appointed in May. The operating company, Headfort School DAC, with about 25 staff, did not receive capitation grant funding, though some State support for the Montessori element existed. It had finished 2019 with a deficit of over 172,000 euro, and, net of a director's loan, had only recovered 44,000 of that during the next operating period. The High Court, taking into account monthly salaries and rent of around 100,000 euro, and Covid-19 impact on income, approved winding-up.[3]

Relaunch

From May 2020 efforts were made to try to relaunch the school. The original operating company having been wound-up at the High Court, and all staff released, a new corporate structure was proposed, and preparations made to reopen the school from September 2020. The plans, as of August 2020, envisage a new operating company, working with The Headfort Trust and a UK trust acting to support fundraising as well meantime. Kevin Allwright, former principal of Aravon School, Bray, has been appointed as Head for the proposed relaunch.[1] In August 2020 it was announced that with reasonable subscription for places, the school would reopen in September 2020.[4]

Pupils

Headfort caters for both day and boarding pupils from the ages of four to thirteen[5]. In 2002 the school started a Montessori school division, which catered to children from the age of three to six.[6]

Curriculum

The prep school curriculum includes the core subjects of the Common Entrance Examination, while also meeting the requirements of the Irish national curriculum. English, Maths, History, Geography and French or Spanish are timetabled in addition to Religious Studies, Computer Science and Science. Science included practical work in the laboratory, as well as theoretical work. Parents are also offered a choice between Latin and Irish.[7] Singing, Art, Design and Music classes are also regularly timetabled, while afternoons are devoted to Games, including hockey, rugby, cricket, horse-riding, squash, tennis and swimming.[8]

Ethos

Headfort aims to inculcate in its pupils a robust self-confidence, encouraging them to express their own individuality whilst balancing these individual rights with a sense of duty and obligation to the wider community. The school is non-denominational, respecting all religions and the right to have none.[9]

Notable past pupils

References
  1. "Headfort School - Prospectus 2020 (from bottom of Home page)". Headfortschool.com. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  2. Walsh, Louise (25 March 2020). "Ireland's only boarding school for 7-year-olds to close". The Irish Times. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
  3. "Liquidators appointed to private primary school by High Court: Financial predicament of Headfort School in Kells exacerbated by pandemic, court hears". The Irish Times. 18 May 2020. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  4. ""We want children to have the opportunity to enjoy what we experienced here"". The Meath Chronicle. 13 August 2020. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
  5. "Living". Headfort School. Retrieved 28 July 2020. Children may board from 3rd Form...Flexi (maximum 2 nights a week) and ‘ sleep-overs’ for day pupils are welcomed.
  6. "Headfort Montessori". Meath Childcare Committee. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  7. "Curriculum". Headfort School. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  8. "Sports and Extra Curricular". Headfort School. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  9. "Ethos". Headfort School. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  10. Keogh, Olive (8 January 2014). "side Track Q&A: Dermot Dix, headmaster, Headfort School, Kells, Co Meath". Irish Times. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  11. Power, Bairbre (1 November 2013). "Headfort past-pupils turn back the years". Irish Independent. Retrieved 28 July 2020. Jasmine Guinness, ... Domini Kemp ... actor Richard Flood
  12. "Gloss-ip". The Gloss. Dublin, Ireland. February 2017. p. 5.
  13. Donohoe, John (28 December 2011). "Interview: The Nature Lord, Dunsany's Randal Plunkett". Meath Chronicle. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  14. "New Principal Takes the Reins at Robert Gordon University". Robert Gordon University. 22 March 2011. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  15. "Equestrian data firm ready to attempt next obstacle". The Irish Times. 28 February 2019. Retrieved 15 August 2020.

Further reading
  • Goulding, Lingard. Your Children are not Your Children: The Story of Headfort School. Dublin: The Lilliput Press, 2012.

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