Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference

The Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference (HMC) is an association of the headmasters or headmistresses of 243 leading day and boarding independent schools in the United Kingdom, Crown Dependencies and the Republic of Ireland. There are also International Members (mostly from the Commonwealth) and a number of Additional Members who are elected as the head teachers of a limited number of outstanding state schools.

Structure

The size of the Conference has grown - as late as the 1970s, membership was confined to a maximum of 200.

History

The Conference dates from 1869 when Edward Thring, Headmaster of Uppingham, asked sixty to seventy of his fellow headmasters,Leinster-Mackay, Donald P. The educational world of Edward Thring: a centenary study, Falmer Press, 1987, ISBN 1-85000-253-3, 9781850002536. p. 100Other sources including some Headmasters' Conference papers say "Uppingham asked thirty-seven of his fellow headmasters ..." (Headmasters' Conference. Independent schools yearbook: Official book of reference at the Headmasters' Conference ..., A & C Black, 1987 )Headmasters' Conference, The Public and preparatory schools year book, Adam & Charles Black, 1968 and twelve were...
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