“You’ll never walk alone” – a tribute to my school and Headteachers’ Association.

Posted on 16/05/2026 by jameswilding

When my wife Jenny and I entered teaching in 1975, the choice was both deliberate and happenstance. I was the son of David and Josephine Wilding, who met at Kings College London when undergraduates studying History, who entered teaching as a career in the early fifties. They determined to set up their own Prep School, found a property called Claires Court in Maidenhead and opened for business in 1960. Embued with the experience of living with entrepreneurial educators, when Dad and Mum offered me a job as a junior Maths, Science and Games teacher, and Jenny a post of teaching secondary History at Newlands school in Maidenhead, our married lives commenced working together in the same career at a perfect time.

In January 1981, I became Master-in-charge of the newly formed Senior School, the juniors being hived off to Ridgeway, the house my parents added to expand boarding in 1964. With my brother Hugh, who’d joined the business to take over the bursar’s function earlier in 1980, I became fellow Principal in 1984, and from then onwards, I joined the collegiate role of school leadership. it’s been a blast.

This April, after 45 years as a head and 36 years as a member of the Independent Schools Association, I stepped down as the Headteacher of Claires Court, notifying both the Government and ISA that I had ceased to be the name in charge. When Rachel from Accounts decided to tax family businesses into oblivion in her November 2024 budget, we were left with no choice other than find a suitable charity into which to reverse the school, the sale of Claires Court in 19 February this year to the Licensed Trade Charity, LTC, provided the perfect solution.

Aged 72, and since 1992 a serving member of Executive Council, the now central body of Headteacher Trustees, my last Annual conference as the school member of the Association was held this week in Bristol. I was privileged to have my time celebrated with the 100+ delegates in attendance at the Annual dinner this Thursday. To date I’ve taken the step away from headship into a new supporting role for the school, managing the 40+ working partnerships and relationships with the wider community in my stride. This Friday, the emotion of the very real severance of my work for school and association hit me. 

Yet by now, as I write this on Saturday 16 May 2026, so many from the wide number of friends from the school (past and present), fellow headteachers, Principals and leaders in education, I realise they saw this coming. I’ve never considered my job as anything other than making a difference in the lives of the children in my care. At its biggest, Claires Court has had over 1100 pupils and 400+ employees, so it’s been a heck of a commitment, but it’s also been a whole bale of fun. 

Jenny and I have lived our lives very privately. We’ve 2 amazing sons, their partners and children (3 boys, Boston Terrier Terence, Freddie & Bertie in order of arrival), my brother’s mob and wider families and chums, our future remains in Maidenhead. By now, after all those years recognised in national contribution, my place is here, my home town, my safe space. Of course, I’ll take a bit of a blow on the sidelines, yet happy in the knowledge that my love of Rugby, Cricket, Golf and Football remains here in the town, associated with all 4 clubs, eponymously named. And above all, I know I’m not alone after all.

And whilst I’ve been a supporter of Chelsea Football club all my life, I can’t help connecting with one of the most brilliant songs of my childhood, “You’ll never walk alone” sung by Freddie and the dreamers.

When you walk through a storm, hold your head up high,

And don’t be afraid of the dark.

At the end of a storm, there’s a golden sky,

And the sweet, silver song of a lark. 

Walk on through the wind,

Walk on through the rain,

Though your dreams be tossed and blown. 

Walk on, walk on,

With hope in your heart,

And you’ll never walk alone.

You’ll never walk alone.

Walk on, walk on,

With hope in your heart,

And you’ll never walk alone.

Thank you, all my friends and colleagues. Whilst my journey’s not yet over, it has been a bit rocky for a little while this Spring. If I may add, somewhat imperfectly to the original verses written by Rodgers and Hammerstein in their 1945 musical Carousel. 

“You’ve reached out through the storm, 

seen the tears in my eyes 

Yet renewed my faith in my choice.

I have hope in my heart,

 I’ve seen the sun break through,

As I know I don’t walk alone.

And I love you all for that.

I can’t thank you enough.

Have faith in my strength.

I’ll be strong now I’m through,

My heart’s in the Game,

And you know above all,

I know you are there,

So I’ll do the same.

Responsibility, Respect

Loyalty next,

And Integrity above all.”

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The Cracked Pot – THE HEART OF THE GAME

Posted on 08/05/2026 by jameswilding

The Cracked Pot* is a famous fable about a water bearer with two pots—one perfect, one cracked—who carries water daily. The cracked pot feels ashamed of leaking half its load until the bearer reveals it watered seeds planted along the path, creating beautiful flowers. It teaches that flaws can create beauty, urging acceptance of imperfections.

One of the opportunities I have always loved about my role as a teacher ( 51 years now and counting) is the influence you can have in your classroom and on the children (or adults) therein. Of course, it’s the same as you rise up through leadership into headship on not just the people you lead but the culture of the operation in hand. If you choose to move irto other areas of life, be that for me to lead the development of Mini and Junior Rugby at Maidenhead RFC (1991-2000) onto the wider stage, if you choose, to influence, if you can, the culture and as a consequence the sense of wellbeing and success of the community you’ve joined.

When my older son expressed an interest in joining his school friends at Maidenhead Rugby Club on a Sunday morning, we swapped church for Braywick, the club’s home. Imagine my surprise to find that there were only 28 players in the mini-section, U7 through to U12. When I asked other parents why so few were signing up, it was because Rugby at the time was beset by stories of poor coaching, poor organisation, and, above all, injuries, particularly to the head. Whilst my initial intention was to drop my son off and hop over to the driving range next door to improve my golf swing, after 2 Sundays, my son had yet to touch a rugby ball, and the age group concerned, just a couple of footballing dads without a clue.

I’d already developed a relationship with Rhino Rugby with the school, and so I bought 72 neoprene headguards, and within the first month of the following season, every rugby player from Under 10 down was required to wear one, and by the time the third season started, the other clubs in the area began to fear Maidenhead, because of course protected by the headguard, the young players were able to be far more committed to the tackle. In that first cohort of players was a 6-year-old James Haskell, whose father Jonathan (RIP) was an inspirational chairman to work with, and clearly, as James wore such a helmet throughout his professional career for Saracens, England and the British & Irish Lions, I played my small part.

Rugby is one of those team sports for which Coaches know they need both the perfect and the cracked pots. I recall endless quiet moments at the side of the pitch,’ horse-whispering’ the child who felt so useless because he dropped the ball which would have led to a certain try, or missed a tackle that led to defeat, not victory. Like on the sports ground, in education, manufacturing, business and service industries, as Jim Collins might say, “you’ve got the right people on the bus, you just haven’t got them in the right seat”! Make them feel valued. Sometimes it’s about helping them see that there’s an objective to share, such as the Janitor at NASA. When asked what he was doing, he replied: “I’m helping put a man on the moon!”

Will Greenwood has just produced 5 short videos highlighting his current time at the same Club, Maidenhead, entitled “The Heart of the Game”. Will goes behind the scenes, exploring rugby’s impact beyond the pitch through powerful personal stories and voices from across the game. He recalls turning up one dreadful December training evening at Maidenhead, to find only 12 players present for the First and Second squads, and found himself wondering, “Why am I here?”. Over the course of the 5 films, we are introduced to a host of characters that make the club the success that it now is, but it was Will’s sense that the Rugby players needed to see themselves as ‘Brad Pitts’ on film, to big them up and help them see more clearly what they place was in the mission of the club. You can find those films on YouTube, the first episode here https://youtu.be/LbXF3ZjjGLM?si=wuTJB30Ow1PkcRIM

Will Greenwood finishes the series with the conclusion that “After everything, the Truth is simple. For Rugby is People, Rugby is Community, Rugby is Belonging. It’s the small victories that feel massive; it’s the safe spaces we build for each other, it’s the laughter, the tears, the graft, the kindness, all stitched together by 80 minutes on a Saturday. And as the whistle blows on another season, and the next one begins, we are reminded once again

THIS IS THE HEART OF THE GAME.

And Ave to that. Whatever the enterprise, the Truth is simple. And for those who lead, keep returning to these truths, and remember that in your role, it’s good noticing that counts best. Well done the Potter, Well done the Coach, well done the President who asked the Janitor the question and well done Will Greenwood – That’s why you are of course, a World Cup Rugby Champion 2003.

*The “Cracked Pot” story is a popular folk tale often attributed to India or China. It is a widely shared parable used to teach self-worth, highlighting how a woman/man uses a leaking pot to water flowers along a path, turning an imperfection into a source of beauty and purpose. 

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“Even Blunkett Knew: Setting Should Be The Norm”.

Posted on 30/04/2026 by jameswilding

In the quiet rhythm of a good school, you can often sense when things are working as they should. A teacher adjusts the work to the child in front of them — stretching one pupil who is racing ahead, gently supporting another who needs more time. The lesson flows. Confidence grows. Character is quietly formed through effort and modest success.

Yet for decades, this natural rhythm has too often been disrupted by an ideological preference for mixed ability teaching in all circumstances. It is therefore worth revisiting a moment of refreshing honesty from a Labour Education Secretary who had the time to look carefully at what actually worked in classrooms.

In his 1997 White Paper *Excellence in Schools*, David Blunkett wrote with characteristic directness:

> “Mixed ability teaching has proved successful only in the hands of the best teachers and should be used only where it is appropriate and can be seen to be effective. We would expect setting to be the norm.”

Blunkett enjoyed something that has become increasingly rare in British education: time in post. He served as Secretary of State for Education for just over four years. In the years since, the revolving door at the Department for Education has spun ever faster. The average tenure has fallen to around two years, with some ministers passing through for little more than a season — and a few for mere weeks. With each change, institutional memory grows thinner and education policy has too often followed the personal priorities or political pressures of the minister of the day, rather than a steady, coherent plan for our children.

This lack of continuity matters deeply. When ministers come and go so quickly, practical wisdom struggles to take root. What remains is too often shaped by short-term whim instead of the patient realities of school life.

From more than five decades of experience at Claires Court, I have seen both the strengths and limitations of different approaches with clear eyes. Setting works particularly well at secondary level for English, Maths and Science. These are hierarchical, cumulative subjects where concepts build sequentially. A secure grasp of fractions supports algebra; foundational sentence construction underpins more sophisticated literary analysis. In well-setted groups, teachers can match pace and depth appropriately, reducing frustration for those who need more time and preventing brighter pupils from marking time.

Even in these carefully setted classes, however, size still matters. When numbers rise much above 24, even the best teaching begins to fray. Individual attention and responsive feedback become harder to sustain. Misconceptions go unchecked for longer. The teacher’s ability to build deep relationships with every pupil weakens, and the sheer volume of marking and planning pushes towards shallower tasks. Progress slows not because of poor intent, but because human attention and relational teaching have their natural limits.

Conversely, I also recognise why mixed ability grouping can work better in many other secondary subjects — History, Geography, Religious Studies, Art, Music, Drama and PE, for example. These subjects often thrive on discussion, collaboration, peer modelling, interpretation and the rich exchange of different perspectives. Stronger pupils can raise the quality of debate and act as natural models, while the social and creative nature of the work benefits from diversity within the group.

At primary level, the case is rather different and leans more strongly towards classroom stability. With one class teacher largely responsible for the whole breadth of a child’s learning and development, deep knowledge of each child becomes even more vital. At these formative stages, young minds are growing and changing rapidly; what a child struggles with in one term may suddenly click in the next. The continuity and personal understanding that a single teacher can provide far outweigh the benefits of early pigeonholing by ability. In primary years, it is often wiser to keep children together in stable classes where the teacher can nurture the whole child, adapting support and challenge day by day as they grow.

At Claires Court we have long sought a “Goldilocks solution” — one that is large enough to challenge, small enough to care. We deliberately keep class sizes around “plus or minus 18”. This is neither so small that pupils lack the healthy friction and breadth of peer interaction that builds resilience and character, nor so large that teachers lose the capacity to know each child deeply and respond to their individual needs in the moment.

This balanced approach allows us to use setting where it brings the greatest benefit — particularly in the core hierarchical subjects — while retaining the flexibility of mixed ability or broader banding where collaboration and diverse viewpoints enrich learning. Above all, it protects the conditions in which skilled teachers can truly teach: with enough time to care, enough stretch to challenge, and enough continuity to help every child develop the character, resilience and self-worth that will serve them long after they leave our gates.

In the end, education is a long game. It does not thrive when treated as a short-term political project to be reshaped with every change of minister. What our children need is principled, practical wisdom that respects the realities of how young people learn and grow — the very wisdom David Blunkett glimpsed back in 1997, and the kind we continue to pursue at Claires Court every day.

**Et Omnes Unum Sunt.**

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The Engine of Character: “Show up on the BAD days

Posted on 23/04/2026 by jameswilding

As I write this, the air in the halls of Claires Court has shifted. It is late April 2026, and the “stratosphere” of school life feels particularly charged. For our Year 13s, the countdown has reached its final sequence. Next week, the familiar rhythm of the school bell will be replaced by the quiet, intense focus of study leave.

I found myself standing before them this morning—joined by our Year 12s, who are watching their mentors prepare for the jump—to share a final thought together. I started with a quote that has been rattling around my mind lately: Champions aren’t made on good days; they’re made by showing up on the bad ones.1

It’s a sentiment that rings true whether you are a world-class athlete, a student facing a daunting Further Maths paper, or a Principal navigating the “bumpy ride” of a major institutional handover. Success is easy when the sun is out and the coffee is working. But the real work—the “alchemy” of growth—happens on those Tuesday mornings when you’re tired, the mock results weren’t what you hoped, and you’d rather be anywhere else. That is where a champion is forged.

We often treat A-Level results as the destination. In reality, they are merely a high-performance vehicle. These grades are the engine and the bodywork; they determine how fast you can go and what doors you can open. But as I told our students, even the fastest of cars is useless without a driver.

“That driver is your Character.

In a 2026 landscape where AI can simulate knowledge and algorithms can mimic problem-solving, your human values—our Claires Court values—are the fuel. Without them, you are just a fast car with no one at the wheel.”

I challenged them to look at our four pillars not as school rules, but as survival gear for the world beyond our gates:

  1. Responsibility: Taking 100% ownership. Not blaming the exam board or the “bad day,” but deciding to be the operator of your own life rather than a passenger.
  2. Respect: Recognising that we are an interconnected network. In the heat of exam season, respect means being the person who calms the room rather than adding to the panic.
  3. Loyalty: Understanding that the “Family” doesn’t end at graduation. These peers are your safety net for life.
  4. Integrity: This is the cornerstone of the entire Sixth Form experience. We ask you to “Aim High, Believe in Yourself, and Make a Difference”, but those are more than just aspirational rungs on a ladder. They are a test of character. If your achievements aren’t built on a foundation of absolute honesty, the structure you’ve worked so hard to build will eventually find its own level—and usually, it collapses.

As I readied our Year 13 for their final week of study before departing on study leave, I left them with one final biological reality check. 

“We are built with a very specific ratio: two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, and only one mouth. The world you are stepping into is noisy. It is full of people jumping to early conclusions and shouting over the data. My advice to you, our departing seniors, is to honour that ratio. Look and listen twice as much as you speak. Breathe in the environment and see the world from all sides before you decide you have the final answer. Be the person who understands the room before they try to lead it. The results will open the doors, but your character will keep you in the room. Show up on the bad days, keep your eyes open, and go and see the world clearly.”

“Et Omnes Unum Sunt”

Footnote 1 UFC Featherweight and current Lightweight champion Ilia Topuria

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Reflection: The View from the Stratosphere

Posted on 16/04/2026 by jameswilding

“Evening all,” as Dixon of Dock Green used to say. It is a strange and wonderful thing to be an in-service Principal leaning back to watch a younger, more talented generation lead your school toward a bright new future.

The Handover

Passing the baton to Christine Cunniffe and the team at Claires Court in the early Spring of 2026 has been a strategic necessity. While it successfully shielded a family business from the Chancellor’s deepening reach, the true victory lies elsewhere: uniting our school with the Licensed Trade Charity. This partnership provides the scale and reach essential for the decades ahead. At the same time, I know I carry a lot of that history with me, hence my privilege in presenting to Gareth Wellen and family his ISA Whitbread Certificate for outstanding performance at GCSE this Thursday 16 April, and to be able to lead the Sixth Form assembly next Thursday before Year 13 depart on A-level leave. 

The Artemis Transition

As with the NASA Artemis 2 return to Earth overnight, a transition of this magnitude is bound to be a bumpy ride for a time. However, with the Summer term now with us, and significant investment liberated for new works and projects, the momentum is undeniable. I am very clear that my on-going purpose is to develop further the many relationships, business and otherwise, that we’ve formed as an institution to date, and as each interest comes into focus, I’ll certainly publicise where next for that interest. For example, this week has included ensuring our 4 main cricket squares are ready for the new season, and with 6 major adult teams based at CC, it’s great news to report that we’ve been able to install 2 new artificial wickets into place to support the game should the weather otherwise prevent play.

Looking Ahead

In my developing role as Principal Emeritus, I find myself looking after more such features in the “stratosphere.” The PTA remains an incredibly important feature of Claires Court life, and now formally as a Trustee, I can help shape that even more closely to meet the school and community’s lead for years to come. My own interest in research and academy has remained as keen as ever, so being able to contribute to national debate and to represent our sector is of equal importance. While I will inevitably look back to ensure safe landings for those on the ground, my focus remains fixed on the stars. It is in the strength of our grasp for the future that the promise we offer our students—young and old—will be fulfilled.

“Et Omnes Unum Sunt”

(That they all may be one)

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Rockets Climbing, Voices Calling: Finding Light in Dark Times

Posted on 04/04/2026 by jameswilding

During this Easter break from the routines of school life, I’ve managed at last to catch up on some private reading and reconnect with what’s happening in the wider world.
My goodness, what a sobering contrast it presents. With the terrifying war continuing to grind on in Ukraine and the Middle East now in flames following the choice of Trump and Netanyahu to take on Iran and their allies, and our own governments seemingly losing the plot on more local matters by the day, it does the heart good to see that humans are heading back to the Moon once more.
I’m reminded how, in the bleak days of the Vietnam War, two quite different forces helped lift the spirits of a troubled age: NASA’s audacious mission to put man on the Moon, and the creative, artistic flowering of the Sixties that did so much to emancipate minds and societies across the globe.
Today, too, we are seeing voices of reason re-emerging to recentre us. Figures like Germaine Greer and J.K. Rowling have stood firm in reminding society of a simple biological truth: that a child’s sex is determined at birth. In an age of fashionable confusion, their clarity helps anchor us back to material reality rather than ideology.
Alongside them, the sharp humour of Ricky Gervais has cut through the noise, poking fun at the modern explosion of adults catastrophising their own lives — and those of their children — around mental illness and anxiety. With a wry eye, he helps us recentralise around what it actually means to be human: imperfect, resilient, and far more robust than today’s therapeutic culture often suggests.
Perhaps that’s how it has always been. When the headlines grow dark and the outlook feels heavy, we need both wonder and imagination — rockets climbing toward the stars, songs, stories and ideas that set the soul free, and clear voices that call us back to biological and psychological reality. In such times, exploration, creativity, and plain speaking are not luxuries; they are lifelines. And right now, it feels quietly reassuring to be reminded that we remain capable of all three.

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Beyond the Digital Wilderness: Finding Our “Rat Park” in the Age of AGI

Posted on 20/03/2026 by jameswilding

Dateline: 20 March 2026

Claires Court U15 RFU Vase final v Wirral Grammar School at Ealing Trailfinders 2026

Here in the United Kingdom in 2026, education centres are rapidly moving from the cold, dank days of winter with what now feels like lightning speed. With spring sunshine abounding, the mood can’t help but be optimistic for the future beyond the Easter break. In school and our wider town, the shorts are out, the sculls on the river, the rollers flattening the cricket squares, there’s a smile on the faces and a skip in the step. Put simply, we are on the seasonal helter-skelter, gravity is doing its work, and we’ve just got to hang on tight. How can we wrest back control?

I shared a speaker platform on Wednesday with Sir Anthony Sheldon, looking forward to a world which has chosen for its children a smartphone-free life, whilst being up-skilled in understanding how to use Artificial General Intelligence to keep control of the new technologies that threaten to accelerate the 4 phase of revolution 10 times faster than the stage the UK led, that third stage we know as the Industrial revolution. It’s been extraordinary that, in a rash societal experiment, whilst we’d never provide our children with unlimited access to alcohol, many have been given screens to enjoy gaming with, but underpinned by technology built to make the consumption of social media deeply more addictive. Across the globe, countries aren’t just banning smartphones; they’re retreating to books, parents, and handwriting, in an effort to regain the cognitive development expected of teenagers and young adults now deemed perhaps a ‘lost’ generation.

Anthony extended the rollercoaster, accelerating us through what AGI would bring humanity within most of the current living population’s lifetimes. Wherever computing power has been achieved so far, quantum computing takes us into a new dimension where ideas we could never have conceived arise spontaneously as a result of algorithms working in ways yet to be imagined. This all seems very threatening, and it is, and the challenge is to determine whether, as humans, we have the capability to respond and react at 10 times the speed seen to date?

Being the optimist I am, I see the challenges now faced are as unexpected as they’ve been in the past. I’m reading articles talking about Generation Alpha being unable to process in the traditional ways of the past, doomed as their lives have been, completely changed by the never-ending screen doomscrolling, becoming unmanageable at home and at school. It’s said that traditional discipline – punishment, timeouts, taking things away- doesn’t work; their brains need explanation and collaboration, not authority. These kinds of sweeping statements seem to ignore that what is now being described is actually teenage adolescence, which has always been thus. What’s changed is the growing impotence of the grown-ups around the children to make the difference, change the record and get cracking on including their young, getting their engines running and helping them ‘crack-on’.

We’ve known we needed to do this throughout the written history of humanity. Some 2,400 years ago, the Greek philosopher Aristotle introduced two different ways of reasoning: syllogism, logical reasoning, and phronesis, often translated as practical wisdom or prudence, referring to the ability to make sound judgments and decisions based on moral understanding and practical experience. At the conference yesterday, involving heads, bursars, operations managers, and academics from the independent sector, we saw the challenges but also the opportunities and the conditions that need to be provided to bring children and young people in from the digital wilderness that might otherwise consume them.

Over the last few days, I’ve seen and heard of our athletes at Claires Court rowing in the School’s Head on the tideway, playing in the U15 Rugby RFU Vase final, gymnasts being placed in national finals, whilst witnessed amazing A level Drama performances, hearing of musical concerts for young and old, fancy dress and mufti days, Year 7 solving the heinous crimes committed during Science Week and all. The reality of school life with me is both families severely limiting screen time and making sure the absence created is tolerated and alternative solutions found, and school safely introducing through education programmes and understanding of AI and its uses and usefulness. In short, the grown-ups are capable of exercising their phronesis, making practical choices and creating healthy environments. It’s ‘Rat Park’ revisited, a 1970s experiment which revolutionised the understanding of addiction by highlighting the importance of environmental richness and social connections, shifting the focus from solely biological explanations to include social determinants of health. With only morphine solution available, rats quickly drank themselves to death, yet when toys etc. were added, the rats ignored the drugs and lived a much healthier life.

​Ultimately, the goal is to shift the narrative from “screen doom scrolling” and “digital wilderness” to intentional, human-centred engagement. By exercising our own phronesis, we can bridge the gap between traditional authority and the collaborative needs of modern adolescence. Whether it is through partition or Cup Finals, the arts or forensic sciences, we must provide the “toys” in the park that make the addictive lure of the digital cage lose its appeal.

​As we navigate this seasonal helter-skelter, we must remain the optimists who believe that the challenges of AGI can be met with the same resilience as the Industrial Revolution. By up-skilling our children to understand these new technologies while simultaneously retreating to the grounding influence of books, handwriting, and face-to-face parenting, we ensure they are not a “lost” generation. We have the tools to change the record; now, it is simply time to get our engines running and help our young people truly crack on.

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Let your light shine so brightly that others can see their way out of the dark.” — Katrina Mayer

Posted on 13/03/2026 by jameswilding

Reflecting on the milestone year to date of 2026, I find myself looking at the long arc of my journey alongside Claires Court. Earlier this year, I shared thoughts on “Making the Magic Happen”—observing those quiet, vital moments in our classrooms. More recently, in “Fifty Years and Counting,” I looked back at the evolution of leadership and pedagogy, mindful of the foundations laid by those who came before me. My brother and I know that we have found perhaps the most significant partner in  England to secure the future of Claires Court in the Licensed Trade Charity (LTC)’ a charity of great longevity and significant service to its own community and more broadly to Education, both in school and in adult life beyond. 

Maidenhead: A Shared Campus: My own growth is inseparable from the ecosystem of the Eastern Thames Valley. For 66 years, Claires Court has been part of the fabric of Maidenhead, and I have always viewed the town not merely as my home or a location but as a living campus. The relationships built here are a willingness of RBWM to host the paddling centre on Boulter’s Island, to the rowing and sailing clubs whose facilities I am grateful to share and the sporting clubs we helped found, with the Phoenix and Claires Court Sports Club in Taplow 43 years ago to Maidenhead Royals Cricket club, based on our lovely playing fields at Claires Court Juniors, at Ridgeway Maidenhead Thicket.

I have been a quiet supporter of ‘The Friends of Maidenhead Waterways Trust,’ and after the previous three years of helping clear Strande Water, it is a joy to see the “flow” return. The school always looks forward to our active participation in the Waterways Fun Day in September at the Chapel Arches centre—a testament to what happens when a town thrives. I am clear that while the school is a destination for many, it is our presence as a neighbour and a partner in the town’s sporting and community life that defines our true value.

Lessons from a “Silent Spring”: As someone deeply invested in Ecology, Psychology, and Digital Technology, I often return to the warning in Rachel Carson’s 1962 book, Silent Spring. Her work exposed the “bioaccumulation” of toxins that threatened our world, sparking a movement of awareness. Today, I feel a similar responsibility to ensure our children understand that “Their place is here.” To protect their future, I believe Education in schools must:

Prioritise ‘Forest School’: Not as an extra-curricular, but as a fundamental way to ground children in the natural world.

Cultivate Cognitive Capacity: To help students become critical analysts who judge by actions, not just words.

Spark Internal Momentum: So that they may eventually find their own path to becoming changemakers.

Turning Toward the Light: There is a simple truth in physics: when you turn toward the light, the shadows fall behind you. My intention as I move forward is to keep my focus aligned with that brightness. If I can maintain a steady, hopeful path, perhaps it helps clear the way for others to do the same, which in practice means keeping hold of the many hands that exist within our links to the town and our community partners, as well as reach out to grasp new opportunities where they exist to support the life and vitality of the area. Which is of course a great starting point, because as the Top-Ranked Vitality Index (2026 by Lambert Smith Hampton (LSH), Windsor & Maidenhead was named the top-ranked location, retaining its status from 2025 and 2022.

I am not celebrating my own tenure; I am celebrating the opportunity to be a small part of a much larger story—one of lighting the way for the generations to come.

“In nature, nothing exists alone.” — Rachel Carson

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Fifty Years and Counting: Leadership, Management and Teaching Through the Ages — A Précis

Posted on 05/03/2026 by jameswilding

The image in the header celebrates the occasion of the Claires Court Boat Club’s Annual Dinner on Saturday, 7 March 2026. Whatever the drama, school life carries on.

The Headteachers’ Association I am a member of, and as a consequence so is the school is The Independent Schools Association. It’s the largest of the Associations, and it produces a quarterly review. Just in time, as you might suggest, they published in the Spring Journal this post. I’m quite proud of the 3 pages that’s been published, but for followers of my blog, please find below a summary of my life in teaching… thus far!

The full article can be read here.

My career in education spans more than half a century, a period of extraordinary social, political and technological change. It has allowed me to observe, from the inside, how schools respond to shifting family structures, evolving expectations and successive waves of reform. While policies, examinations, and technologies have come and gone, each generation of pupils has revealed something enduring about what young people need to thrive. This précis traces that journey through five generational lenses, reflecting both my personal experience and the broader story of British education.

Baby Boomers: founding, growth and traditional schooling

My story begins before my own teaching career, with my parents and the post-war baby-boomer generation. In 1959, responding to rapidly growing demand for education, my parents—both history graduates—founded Claires Court School in Maidenhead. Like many pioneers of that era, they took considerable risks, driven by the belief that education should combine academic ambition with strong values and personal care.

When I entered teaching in 1975, much of school life still looked remarkably familiar. Textbooks, curricula, and expectations differed little from those of my own childhood. Grammar and public school preparation dominated, and parental trust in teachers was high. Yet even within this traditional framework, innovation was emerging. Curriculum developments such as Nuffield Science emphasised practical understanding, curiosity and experimentation, laying early foundations for a broader view of education.

Latchkey Kids: confidence, coursework and co-curricular life

The 1980s brought significant social change. As more dual-income households formed, children became more independent, and schools responded accordingly. Coursework began to replace some rote learning, careers education was introduced, and work experience became a key feature of secondary schooling. Education increasingly focused on what pupils could do rather than what they could recall.

I assumed senior leadership responsibilities as headteacher during this period, gaining first-hand experience of inspection, regulation and changing pastoral expectations. The school flourished, supported by strong parental engagement and a growing PTA culture. Sport, drama, music and exhibitions became central to school identity, reinforcing the importance of confidence, teamwork and creativity. The acquisition of Maidenhead College in the early 1990s allowed us to establish a sixth form and extend opportunities while retaining independence of thought and action.

Millennials: optimism, reform and early digital learning

The 1990s were marked by optimism. GCSE and A-level reforms rewarded breadth, modular learning and coursework, while access to higher education expanded dramatically. The National Curriculum initially promised balance and opportunity, and early digital technologies enhanced research and communication without dominating classroom life.

As an independent school, we were able to preserve strong co-curricular programmes, leadership development and international links. Independence allowed us to align academic success with wider personal growth, reinforcing my belief that education works best when schools retain the flexibility to respond to individual learners rather than narrow performance measures.

Generation Alpha: screens, centralisation and wellbeing

The new millennium brought sharper tensions. Mobile technology transformed childhood almost overnight, while exam reform and increasing centralisation narrowed curricula and intensified pressure. Collaboration gave way to competition, and well-being concerns rose sharply.

We embraced digital tools where they genuinely enhanced learning, adopting platforms such as Google Classroom and Chromebooks, but remained cautious about screen overuse and distraction. The pandemic further exposed both the resilience of young people and the fragility of education systems, reinforcing the importance of structure, relationships and community. Independence once again proved vital in maintaining balance during uncertainty.

Generation Beta: returning to balance

Looking ahead, I sense we are approaching another turning point. Growing parental concern about screens, social media and mental health suggests a desire to restore balance rather than reject progress. Each generation arrives shaped by new forces, yet the fundamentals remain unchanged.

After fifty years in education, I am struck less by how much has changed than by how often we must relearn old truths. Young people thrive when schools value humanity as much as performance, breadth as much as results, and purpose as much as ambition. Education exists not to serve systems, but to grow people—and that conviction remains my reason for optimism about its future.

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The Author, the Village, and the Paradox of Independence

Posted on 12/02/2026 by jameswilding

On Monday 23 February, my brother and I announced that the ownership of Claires Court Schools Ltd. had moved from the Wilding family over the the Licensed Trade Charity, a venerable organisation established in 1793 to support children and families in that trade. 10 days earlier, I had written this blog, foreseeing that event, in reflection of the 66 years the school has been created and led by our family. The post will be succeeded next Thursday; as Principal leading Claires Court into the future, I’ll be able to report further on the incredible and positive response from alumni, families and the wider education community in recognition of the school’s impact on their lives and futures. It’s been truly heartwarming.

Back in January, I wrote about ‘Making the Magic Happen in 2026’. Since then, the weather has seemed determined to test that optimism. The rain has been relentless, and at times the year has felt more grey than glittering. But perhaps that is when magic matters most.

Real magic is not sunshine-dependent. It is the steady confidence of a community that knows who it is and why it does what it does. If anything, these damp weeks have sharpened my conviction: the magic at Claires Court is built daily — deliberately, consistently and together. I’ve attended almost every parents’ evening over the past 3 weeks, sat through concerts, stood on the muddy touchlines, and led some assemblies, too. Indeed, so much has sparkled. 

My commitment to leading this school is both professional and deeply personal. Founded in 1960 by my parents, David and Josephine Wilding, Claires Court has shaped my life. My brother Hugh and I were among the first 19 pupils to walk through its doors, and for over 45 years—now well into our fifth decade of leadership—we have had the privilege of guiding this community. This is not simply a role; it is a calling.

We have not just led the school — we have lived it. Our own children were educated here before heading to university, equipped with resilience, confidence and the ability to communicate and lead. Now, as I welcome my grandchildren, that circle begins again, reinforcing my determination to preserve the “village” that sustains us.

Yet warmth alone is not enough. Parents choose Claires Court for the uncompromising quality of our academic education. Community gives us heart; intellectual rigour gives our students their future. Whether joining at 11+, 16+, or leaving after Sixth Form, every pupil is here to develop the mastery that unlocks the next stage of life — not simply to pass tests, but to thrive beyond them.

We also understand the “independence paradox”. As young people grow, they seek space — sometimes wishing their parents invisible at the school gate — even as academic pressures intensify. Our task is to honour that independence while ensuring no student walks alone. We provide structure, expectation and encouragement, allowing pupils to feel ownership of their success, supported quietly but firmly in the background.

The magic lives in how we bridge childhood and adulthood. A moment on stage or on the sports field may begin in joy, but it develops discipline, courage and teamwork. Play evolves into character. By the time our students leave, they do so not only as capable scholars but as grounded young adults who carry the strength of their village with them.

After fifteen years of blogging, one might ask what becomes of a story when its original author steps aside. At Claires Court, the answer is simple: the story was never about one pen. It lives in second-and third-generation families, among former pupils who return as parents and staff, and in values that outlast individuals.

The rain will pass. We can only hope – next week is Half-Term!

The magic endures — because it is written collectively, by a community that continues to shape its future, whatever the forecast.

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