Dr Tim Hands, Vice-Chairman of HMC (the Headmasters’ and Headmistresses’ Conference)
28th April 2015
In the run-up to the General Election, Education will, no doubt, be a hotter topic that at present when Dr Hands talks to us on 28.3.15. Whilst the focus will surely be on state education, finding out more about what is happening with independent schools- at home and abroad – is needed to develop a balanced view. Of course, what will make this evening’s discussion a bit different is the deep personal interest from Members with children going through or about to go through the education process. All parents are faced with education choices for their children, including basic questions such as “Should parents pay?” and “If so, how much and is it worth it?”
The HMC (the Headmasters’ and Headmistresses’ Conference) represents the Heads of the world’s leading independent schools. HMC’s schools are individual and distinctive, offering parents a rich variety of options when choosing the right education for their child. But, at the heart of every HMC school is a commitment to the benefits of a holistic educational experience: academic excellence coupled with a strong emphasis on pastoral care and exceptional co-curricular opportunities.
HMC exists to serve and support its members, to represent their views and to exemplify excellence in education. In particular, HMC seeks to promote and protect the independence of HMC schools, promote the discussion of national and international educational issues; and, importantly, influence policy and public opinion with regard to the independent sector.
HMC Vice chairman, Dr Tim Hands is also Master of Magdalen College School in Oxford.
Tim Hands is a Londoner, educated in the state sector. He studied the violin at the Guildhall School of Music before reading English at King’s College London and researching 19th Century Literature at Oxford, where he ended as a lecturer at Oriel College, helping to admit and then teach the first women in Oxford’s last all-male college. He taught English at King’s School, Canterbury, before becoming Second Master at Whitgift School and Headmaster of Portsmouth Grammar School where he stayed for a little over ten years. He is now Master of Magdalen College School, Oxford. He was co-chair of the HMC/GSA Universities Committee for seven years and Chairman of HMC for 2013-2014. Tim’s interests include writing (three books on Thomas Hardy, for example), sport (especially cricket and rugby) and music – he was conductor of the Oxford University Chamber Choir, the Schola Cantorum of Oxford, for three years, and is now Vice-Chair of the Choir’s Board of Trustees.