Anita Gleave

The QED Schools Group of international schools has launched this week.

Led by chief executive Anita Gleave, the group is named in honour of the late Graeme Delaney (whose education consultancy was called QED), who died in 2024, following a career spanning almost 50-years dedicated to the care and development of all children.

The founding school of the group is Wycliffe College, an independent HMC co-educational school for pupils aged three to 18 in Stonehouse, Gloucestershire.

Gleave said: “The independent school sector in the UK has been battered – first by Covid and then by financial pressures which have led to a mighty tailspin. Sadly, not all schools have survived and there continues to be much consolidation and contraction in the sector.

“QED Schools Group is resolute in our determination to champion our sector, to promote all that is brilliant about UK education and to build a community of exceptional schools which have every child at their heart. As a group, we honour the best in independent education: integrity, scholarship, community and kindness.

“The world our children are entering demands agility, curiosity and courage. Whereas traditional thinking prioritised hierarchy, conformity and narrow measures of success, QED schools prioritise individuality, agency, adaptability and character – there is no room for the old school.”

Christian San José, headmaster of Wycliffe College, commented: “Today marks a significant new chapter in our college’s history and enables us to plan confidently for the future in a way that many independent schools sadly cannot at this time. When G W Sibly founded our school in 1882, he built it to make a difference: to pupils, to people, and to the world beyond our gates. That same pioneering spirit drives us today and QED Schools Group undoubtedly shares Wycliffe College’s spirit and desire to make a real, lasting difference.

“Life at Wycliffe College will continue as normal. I will remain as headmaster and the senior leadership team will continue to run the school. QED Schools Group will support us with targeted expertise, professional development, access to new educational resources, additional learning experiences and international expansion. These additions will broaden opportunities for all our pupils while keeping classroom life and our values at the heart of everything we do.”

Gleave added: “QED Schools Group is delighted to be partnering with such an aligned founding school as Wycliffe College. Our values and belief in the joy of nurturing individuality and human potential, putting children at the centre of all we do, are entirely in sync, and we are delighted to be part of the Wycliffe community.

“The Wycliffe College way has always been to challenge pupils to aim high, think big and stay curious, pairing academic rigour with encouragement, belonging and belief in every child’s potential with pupils, staff, parents and guardians united to help every child thrive. QED Schools Group looks forward to supporting Wycliffe College to continue and build on their passion for nurturing individuality, developing character and unleashing potential in every pupil which was rightly celebrated in the [recent] very successful ISI inspection.”