Hoc Age and the values that guide us
Current pupils, Old Bradfordians and scholars of antiquity will know that the Latin phrase Hoc Age translates most closely as “Do this” or perhaps more contextually, “Pay attention to what you are doing”. It’s a succinct call to focus, to act with purpose and be present in the moment. Its roots, I read, trace back to ancient Roman rituals, where Hoc Age! was a command issued by priests to ensure silence and attentiveness during ceremonies.
Bradford Grammar School (BGS) is not the only school to have adopted Hoc Age as a motto to instil a sense of discipline, diligence and action in their pupils. Quite when BGS took up the motto is a little unclear when you consult different sources; but we know it resonated during the industrial age and has guided us ever since.
Hoc Age – ‘Do this’. But do what exactly?
It’s a fair question because BGS has done different things, served different purposes down the ages. This is where the BGS ethos and values come in. We say in our strategy document that: “Our values reflect BGS character, ambition and optimistic world view; they define who we are and where we are going”, in effect they light the way ahead.
Our values are straightforward – excellence, opportunity and happiness – only those three and a simplification going forwards relative to what we had before. This is how we express them:
‘Excellence’
We are at ease with excellence in a straightforward ‘Hoc Age’ way, show our character by overcoming challenges and ask more of ourselves than others.
‘Opportunity’
We embrace and enjoy life, broaden our understanding of the world around us and recognise we have a responsibility to help others and our environment.
‘Happiness’
We are respectful, treat everyone thoughtfully and act to address wrongdoing; in so doing we make the most of our opportunities, aspire to excellence and build the foundations for fulfilled and happy lives.
These values underpin our vision statement which reads thus:
“BGS encourages intellectual, emotional and physical wellbeing, and fosters the moral code and resilience to make a difference. We aspire to excellence, make the most of our opportunities and enjoy life”.
Our current values can be traced back to a time when the modern grammar school was beginning to take shape. The drivers of this transformation were twofold. First, the Forster Education Acts of the 1870s, which removed our school from church control and placed it under the care of the local education authority. It was during this period that the school became secular. Second, the expansion of a scholarship scheme funded by the local council, particularly in the 1890s. These external factors broadly coincided with the leadership of the reforming headmaster William Hulton Keeling.
Keeling’s tenure saw a drive towards higher standards, enabled in part by the school’s ability, through the council’s newly acquired governance, to recruit bright and ambitious boys from working-class families via a far-reaching scholarship scheme. It is from these developments that our commitment to excellence (higher academic standards) and opportunity (widening access) began to take root. Keeling was the right headmaster, with the right governing body, at precisely the right moment to shape the future of our school.
The value (and pursuit) of happiness has become more prominent in recent years. In a very real sense, this reflects the natural progression of Enlightenment thinking and activity fostering human flourishing. The door to such philosophy and educational practice was overtly opened at BGS when we became co-educational – a moment of redefinition for our School. The proponent and architect of co-education was former headmaster David (Dags) Smith.
The changes that Dags ushered in, with the support of the Governing Body, coincided with enlightened external influences that placed increased emphasis on wellbeing, pastoral care and safeguarding in schools of all kinds. BGS rose on this rising tide. Dags did much to galvanise an intention to provide conditions where one can find personal fulfilment, now overtly signalled by our values; although no one doubts that schoolboys were enjoying BGS life many years before it became official policy!
In 2025 BGS moves forward as an inclusive, diverse and kind school, and we wear our three values proudly. These three qualities stood out when groups of current and former pupils, parents and staff were surveyed just before I joined BGS as Deputy Head in 2014. They remain at the core of our conversations with stakeholders across BGS to this day. They are also a recipe for our future success provided we, collectively, are tightly aligned around them and share the vision for high standards that our values provide.
Our motto is a call to action, a command perhaps. Our values direct the course of that action. It is with our values in mind – excellence, opportunity and happiness – that we go forward collectively into a new school year.
Everyone at BGS plays a role in influencing and shaping the culture that wraps around us all, pupils and staff alike, shaping all our futures. So, let’s do things properly, excellently. And with all that said, channelling my inner Bill and Ted (for those of a certain generation!), I wish everyone a happy and successful school year to come.
(Readers interested in BGS history might wish to take a look at the following page of our website and the references therein: Bradford Grammar History)
“Our motto is a call to action, a command perhaps. Our values direct the course of that action. It is with our values in mind – excellence, opportunity and happiness – that we go forward collectively into a new school year.”