It is said that one day in the 1950s a boy arrived late back after a half term exeat. The car had suffered a puncture which had caused the delay. The parents came in with their son to explain to the House Master what the problem had been. This was Hailey and the House Master was the fabled "Killer Cook." Even in the 1980s the stories of his firmness and vigour were still told in the House Room and DC. It is said that the parents were assured all was well, invited to the drawing room and given a glass of sherry. Then Cook left the room for a moment. The boy was summoned to the study, beaten for being late, and sent away, while Cook went back to chat to the parents.
Maybe this explains why I am always edgy when we are late getting the boys back to Highfield on a Sunday evening! The difference in attitude now to parents is enormous. From being rather annoying distractions, parents have become partners with the school. "The first and best teacher of the child." The Haileybury Parents' Association is just ten years old. It helps parents to know one another and supports the school with its own events and shared initiatives like the 'welcome day' when new pupils start in their Houses and Lower School.
