A Coffee Morning with our Founders

Last Thursday morning, the HCA hosted a virtual coffee morning with Jason Fletcher and Fiona Macaulay-Fletcher, who shared the story of the founding of Heritage in 2007, and its growth from 16 pupils in two classes to the current capacity of 200 pupils in Lower Prep through Year 11.

Although this story is documented on our website, parents hearing it for the first time were able to get a better sense of the monumental effort, commitment to vision and remarkable provision that led to the school opening its doors on the first day and at each step along the way, up to the purchase of the building in August of this year. Mrs Fletcher likened the  beginning stages, with all of its uncertainty, to ‘the story of Noah and his ark; building away at the ark but no sign of rain or flood’.

Mrs Fletcher was also delighted to welcome her father, Ranald Macaulay, to the session along with her mother Susan Schaeffer Macaulay, author of For the Children’s Sake, a book about the Charlotte Mason approach to education on which the school is founded. Mrs Macaulay shared her experience of meeting people who were educated in the Charlotte Mason way and are now in their 80s and 90s, saying that their ‘entire lives have been enriched; not just through their achievements but also in their soul.’

Mr Macaulay asked his son in law, Mr Fletcher, ‘What is the magic of the Charlotte Mason philosophy?’ Mr Fletcher replied that it was the view of ‘Knowledge as something that feeds you and grips you… the understanding that we’re aiming for something much bigger than exams and results; we’re aiming at the central role of knowledge and literature.’