The historic organisation representing the leaders of the UK’s leading independent schools has had a rebrand to better reflect its membership.
The Headmasters’ and Headmistresses’ Conference (HMC), founded in 1869, will now be known as HMC (The Heads’ Conference), after members voted to support the name change at its annual conference in October.
The organisation will continue to be known to many around the world as HMC and will continue to be branded as HMC.
The HMC was first founded when Edward Thring, headmaster of Uppingham School, asked sixty of his fellow headmasters to meet at his house to consider the formation of a “School Society and Annual Conference”.
HMC changed its name from the “Headmasters’ Conference” to the “Headmasters’ and Headmistresses’ Conference” in 1996.
A spokesman said: “The change reflects the modern and diverse nature of HMC’s membership – our members are no longer just headmasters and headmistresses, but principals, rectors, directors and others”
Melvyn Roffe, chair of HMC and principal of George Watson’s College in Edinburgh, said;
“This name change, overwhelmingly supported by the membership of HMC at the recent AGM, is an important modification to better reflect the reality of modern leadership in schools, and the diverse membership that exists within HMC.
“HMC will continue to be synonymous with high quality education, fantastic leadership, excellent professional development and be seen as a proactive and forward looking membership body.”
HMC has a global membership of nearly 400 schools, and in 2022, HMC schools educated more than 270,000 children in the UK.