Agenda item

Governance Arrangements at Christ’s Hospital

The Committee received a report of the Town Clerk, previously submitted to both the Education Board and the General Purposes Committee of Aldermen, advising Members of proposed changes in the governance arrangements being made by Christ’s Hospital.

Deputy McGuinness highlighted that the report referred to internal governance changes at the School which might result in the reduction of the number of Aldermanic Almoners currently appointed by the City Corporation. She reported that she was a member of the Working Group of the School set up to look at this matter.

The Deputy Chairman, also an Aldermanic Almoner, stated that the proposed changes offered some clarity and simplified current arrangements and that he was therefore supportive of and content with these.

In response to a question regarding the origins of a ‘split’ between the School and the Foundation, Deputy McGuinness reported that there had been some concern in previous years regarding the position of Trustees and the proper protection of the School’s assets from litigation. At the time, it was felt that this was the best way to ‘ring fence’ the assets. She went on to clarify that the new arrangements would continue to preserve the separate identity of the funds but that this would now be done under one, unitary Board which was more in keeping with the governance of similar institutions.  

RECEIVED.

Relationship with Christ’s Hospital

Members expressed a wish to strengthen the Committee’s relationship with the School going forward.

It was proposed that Members continue to be invited to visit the School each year and also that they be informed and take advantage of other opportunities to visit such as speechday and the beating of the retreat.

A Member questioned why this Committee was not formally invited to take part in the St Matthew’s Day celebrations, historically overseen by the Court of Aldermen. They requested that the Town Clerk pursue this matter for future years.

In response to a question regarding the participation of Christ’s Hospital students and staff in City events, the Chairman reported that students from the City Academies and Christ’s Hospital were now invited to attend various events via the City’s Education Board. It was reported that they were also invited to attend high profile City of London Freedom events.

Deputy McGuinness, Chairman of the City’s Education Board stated that, whilst Christ’s Hospital pupils had not be invited to attend this year’s Prefects Dinner, it was hoped that participation in events such as these could be widened to include pupils from those institutions for which the City Corporation was not the proprietor. However, these institutions were, for now, the primary focus.

A Member commented that it would be useful to have further information about the involvement of Livery Companies with the School. The Committee asked that the Town Clerk liaise with the School to provide the Committee with this information.

In response to a final question, the Committee were informed that all City of London presentees at the School now wore the City of London badge.