‘Repositioning not rebranding’ – How Guildhouse School arose from CATS London

The first term of 2022/23 marked the transition of CATS London to the Guildhouse School and at their official launch event there was one phrase that perfectly encapsulates the change – this was a case of repositioning, not rebranding.

Guildhouse School welcomes students of 15 years old and above. Located in Bloomsbury Square, London, it is a day and boarding school that draws pupils from over 40 countries where there is opportunity to study a wide-ranging programme from IGCSEs and A Levels to a course pioneered by Bloomberg.

The CATS Global Schools group couldn’t have picked a better venue for the launch, the capital’s historic Guildhall. Just as that has and continues to influence wide-reaching developments, Guildhouse School carry a deeply rooted foundation of their own. So entrenched are the values that they inspire and pass on to the young people in their care.

ISA were honoured to be a part of the launch, where we were joined by members of the Guildhouse School team, representatives from CATS Global Schools, including CEO Chris Stacey, a councillor of the Guildhall who graciously hosted the event and most importantly the students – who are and always will be the centre of the school.

James Slocombe, Headmaster of Guildhouse School, introduced the launch, the meaning behind the repositioning and the refreshing changemakers philosophy that is motivated across 43 Bloomsbury Square and beyond.

James reiterated the core values that Guildhouse School have instilled their students with, and CATS London for 10 years before it. Knowledge is by no means the only thing that is taught at Guildhouse, clear is the approach to develop the confidence and skills that young people can carry with them throughout their lives. There is an aim for creative mindsets to be allowed to flourish through the curriculum that has been developed, which allows students to explore an array of topics in innovative ways – crucially within a framework that builds lifelong skills like decision making and problem solving.

Entrepreneurial spirit is an underlying focus of the programme at Guildhouse, where a business-inspired education is central to their aims. The business world’s most sought-after skills have been identified and with the commercial insight of industry experts these have been organically blended into the school’s curriculum. Providing students with the chance to learn about skills and ways of thinking that they would not usually encounter until university study is the tool to unlocking the confidence that can inspire students to become the changemakers of the future.

An example of this is the first of its kind Bloomberg Markets Concepts Qualification (BMC), which offers students an introduction to financial markets that is otherwise inaccessible unless young people decide to pursue this field at university. This has proved to be a massive success so far, so much so that it is now being adopted by a fellow ISA school.

James also welcomed the role of the Creative Commerce Board (CCB), a diverse panel of business experts who provide career and industry insight to pupils, personal development, invaluable work experience opportunities and visits to workplaces, as well as specialist programmes, activities and challenges for the students to engage with during their time at Guildhouse. The CCB are not simply a name that adorns the Guildhouse branding and tool for marketing, the school have enlisted their expertise to develop their provision and trust them as critical friends that can challenge their thinking.

Just from the brief snapshot of the school that I witnessed it was abundantly clear that the CCB take a real hands-on approach with students, this is a batch of professionals who are keen to teach and share their experiences with the next generation. There is a true relationship between them and the students, they are not one-time visitors whose engagements are resigned to fleeting moments, instead they meet face-to-face with pupils and seek their views to ensure that what they do is tailored to the young peoples’ priorities.

One of the CCB’s flagship programmes is the annual Incubator Challenge, where students are encouraged to develop their own unique business idea and pitch this to the panel. With a panel formed of professionals from a range of industries, the challenge includes insight on conception of a business, analysis of the market, branding, finances and much more.

The CCB spoke of their purpose, which is ultimately to hold Guildhouse and the wider CATS Global Schools family accountable to their visions and values.

There was one stop of the tour at the launch event that I simply couldn’t escape, given the way it embraced the theme of what was being celebrated on the day. In the Chief Commoner’s Parlour sat four pieces of artwork paying homage to the frescoes painted by John Francis Rigaud for the Guildhall’s Common Council Chamber in 1794.

The didactic works that were commissioned to decorate the four pendentives of the chamber were ‘wisdom’, ‘providence’, ‘innocence’ and ‘happiness’, all values that Guildhouse School embody, nurture and champion every single day for their students.