From Student to Treasurer – Miriam McKay (7s 76-83)

We are delighted to introduce the new Treasurer of Christ’s Hospital, Miriam McKay (7s 76-83), whose dedication to the school has long been evident.

Miriam, a proud Hertford Old Blue and Christ’s Hospital’s second female Treasurer (Chair of the Council of CH), has been a vital part of the Council since 2018, demonstrating deep commitment to the school’s values and financial needs. Her journey from Hertford student to becoming a key figure in Christ’s Hospital’s governance highlights her loyalty to our
community.

With extensive experience in corporate communications, media, finance and consumer services, Miriam’s adaptability and dedication has made her a sought-after professional. Her leadership, financial acumen and collaborative spirit will be invaluable as Treasurer, where her Old Blue perspective ensures Christ’s Hospital’s traditions and future aspirations are equally well supported.

We asked Miriam to share her passion and vision for the future with us:

What is the driving force that led you to become Treasurer?

My story starts with my parents’ sacrifices to give me a good education. My mum taught at CH Hertford twice, as Miss Dolley in the early 60s and as Mrs Radley in the last years before the move to Horsham. I started at Hertford in 1976.

My school days had ups and downs, which helps me to avoid looking at Christ’s Hospital through rose-tinted glasses. I learnt self-reliance, discovered life-long passions for music and modern languages and met people who shaped my life. I also discovered sewing, cookery, hill-walking and God, all of which might otherwise have eluded me. While we can’t overlook what CH was in the past, my allegiance is to the school as it is today.

On leaving Christ’s Hospital I was charged never to forget the great benefits I received. Through a series of happy accidents, I became an Amicable, a Governor and, in 2018, a Court-nominated member of Council. Serving as Treasurer crystallises my response to The Charge.

What do you believe in and stand for as Treasurer?

I stand for a nurturing, transformative education that prepares students from all backgrounds for work, life and global citizenship. We have a duty to our current students – to help them fulfil their potential by providing exceptional pastoral care, excellent academics and opportunities to explore a broader curriculum and develop life-long interests. We also have a duty to future generations to sustain CH and prepare it for the next 500 years.

What changes do you intend to bring to Christ’s Hospital?

The first major change on my watch will be the arrival of a new Head and CEO. Matthew Judd was an exceptional candidate with a strong affinity for what CH stands for and the experience and vision to take us forward. He is empathetic, rigorous and determined, and highly respected by his peers at HMC (the Heads’ Conference). I believe he will be a remarkable leader and ambassador for CH.

Before Matthew’s arrival in September 2025, I am looking forward to a “sprint to the finish” with Simon Reid, ensuring his tenure ends on the high point he so richly deserves.

Longer term, I want to unite and mobilise the Old Blue network to make CH less of a well-kept secret.

How will the introduction of VAT on school fees affect Christ’s Hospital?

It does not pose an existential threat to CH because we are less reliant on fee income than other independent schools. Nevertheless, we must be sensitive to the effect of fee increases on our parents. I am grateful to our finance team for their careful planning and analysis to prepare for this. I am also impressed by the “soft diplomacy” we have initiated to raise our profile with the new government and advocate nuance in policymaking, particularly given their intention to remove business rates relief.

What are your primary financial goals for Christ’s Hospital?

My top priority is to ensure we have plans in place to preserve and strengthen the endowment which funds the school, as we undertake a fundamental boarding house redevelopment. Here is a summary of the challenge ahead.

• The boarding houses need redevelopment. While the buildings remain sound, the buildings’ services must be replaced, and we need a modern, more economical, energy solution.
• If we only update the plumbing and electrics, we miss an opportunity to create accommodation fit for the 21st century.
• We will respect our listed buildings and ensure future generations are inspired by their beauty and grandeur.
• As we plan this multi-million-pound project, we are carefully scheduling temporary drawdowns from the endowment to fund each phase, balanced by replenishment from investment returns and operating surpluses.
• The endowment currently generates sufficient returns to cover about 50% of the school’s annual costs: the rest comes from fees, donations and commercial
income.
• The school runs at roughly break-even on an annual basis: we need to start generating a modest annual surplus to protect the endowment and our charitable mission.

To manage these challenges, we are ensuring we receive the best advice on the redevelopment project and endowment management while planning and budgeting carefully. With the demands of bursary provision, fair staff rewards and complex site maintenance, CH is far from being a “rich school”. Every penny counts.

Longer term, our challenge is to achieve the right balance between encouraging donations, using our facilities to maximise income, and introducing the right number of full-fee payers.

Every extra donation and commercial pound we raise helps to preserve our mission. This highlights the importance of our sports expansion projects which deliver community benefit and income generating for Bluecoat Sports, as well as excellent sports facilities for CH.

I know how emotive the topic of full-fee payers is. My own view is that CH should aim to create a diverse student community of budding global citizens, from a range of backgrounds. Full fee payers play an important role in this mix, alongside bursary students who are at the heart of our mission. Our job is to admit and educate students with the highest potential, who will gain the most from the unique, transformative education we offer.

How do you intend to keep Old Blues informed?

I have a privileged vantage point on how CH is run and would like to visit as many Old Blue groups as are interested to share this perspective.

How can we work together to preserve the school’s financial health?

1. If you are a parent or teacher connected to a junior school, or a member of your local church, could you raise awareness of CH as a senior school choice, for bursary students and full fee payers?
2. If you work for a company with aspirations to promote social mobility, might they sponsor a place at CH or offer work experience to a student?
3. Do you have skills and experience that could be useful on Council committees? Fundraisers, accountants and educators with complementary experience are high on my current wish list.
4. Lastly, I hope this article has given you a sense that every penny we raise strengthens the endowment and helps CH’s life-changing work to continue. We have been extraordinarily privileged, throughout our history and to the present day, to receive substantial gifts from Old Blues to enable others to enjoy the same advantage as we did. These gifts help ensure that CH can plan ahead with confidence. Many Old Blues choose to remember CH in their Wills and today, legacies fund around 10% of the school’s work. Whether you make a significant gift to the endowment or a smaller amount, regularly, to Blue Fund Bursaries (support.christs-hospital.org.uk), every donation is deeply appreciated.

If you would like to talk further about how you can engage, please get in touch with me at govmmk@christs-hospital.org.uk.

“I look forward very much to working more closely with Miriam, as Christ’s Hospital enters a new, exciting phase of its strategic development.”
Head Teacher, Simon Reid

Photo credits: Toby Phillips Photography