Huddersfield Grammar School is a co-educational independent day school in West Yorkshire that provides a future-facing curriculum for children aged 3 to 16. Located on an attractive campus featuring a 19th-century listed main house and beautiful woodland, the school is currently ranked 8th nationally in the Sunday Times Parent Power Schools Guide 2025 for high-achieving schools. Its educational ethos, known as the “HGS Identity,” focuses on six key character traits—being inspired, individual, resilient, inclusive, self-aware, and having self-belief—to ensure students develop socially and emotionally alongside their academic pursuits.

Tracing its roots back to St David’s School, which was founded in the 1930s and later moved to the Royds Mount site in 1947. The present school was formed in 1995 through the merger of St David’s School and Kayes College.

One key part of the offer to students this year has been the introduction of the highly valued Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) digital certification. MOS provides a globally recognised, industry-endorsed validation of proficiency in essential business software (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook). Enhancing employability, with certified employees able to bridge skills gaps in an ultra-competitive, digital-first job market. These vital skills are often overlooked in Schools in favour of specialist Computer Science curriculum.

In the first year of MOS delivery at Huddersfield Grammar School around 100 exams have been taken in Word, Excel and PowerPoint with an impressive 80% pass rate with some students passing more than one of these challenging exams during the year.

Mr Mallinson, Head of Computer Science and Assistant Head of Careers, said:
“Before working in education, I spent time in industry and saw first-hand, the gap between what employers expect and the digital skills many young people arrive with. This is reflected nationally, with UK Government data from the Department for Education’s Employer Skills Survey and analysis from the House of Commons Library showing that only 18% of UK adults have essential digital workplace skills, and that productivity software is a common weakness among applicants.

From my experience, it has shaped a personal commitment to help address this gap. Through Microsoft Office Specialist certification, our students are gaining early exam success and industry‑recognised evidence of real digital competence in tools that research consistently shows are essential. Over 90% of UK employers stated that basic digital skills are a requirement for the modern workplace.

I am also incredibly proud of the way our students have embraced this challenge together. Alongside developing technical skills, they have shown real commitment, mentoring and teamwork, supporting one another and developing the communication, collaboration and leadership skills that employers and colleges repeatedly tell us they value just as highly as qualifications.

With UK Government‑commissioned research indicating that a significant proportion of hard‑to‑fill vacancies are linked directly to digital skills shortages, my aim is for Huddersfield Grammar School to be a place that employers, colleges and universities trust and actively want to recruit from. Students leaving, not only have strong academic foundations, but also the proven digital capability and the soft skills needed to thrive.”

Mrs Wareham, Acting Head Teacher of Huddersfield Grammar added:
“We want every student at Huddersfield Grammar School to feel confident, capable and independent in the digital skills that underpin modern learning and future careers. The introduction of Microsoft Office Specialist certification is a powerful example of this commitment, and it has been driven forward with real vision and leadership by Mr Mallinson, who has fully embraced leading our digital development.

This work forms a key priority within our School Improvement Plan, reflecting our determination to strengthen digital capability in a structured and sustainable way. What began as a new and previously undeveloped idea has, within its first year, become a successful and well‑embedded programme delivering clear impact. We are incredibly proud of how students with a wide range of abilities have engaged with the challenge, achieved early exam success, and gained industry‑recognised qualifications that support learning across subjects as they progress through their GCSEs.

We are extremely pleased with the outcomes achieved so far and excited about what this work will deliver in the future. Through Mr Mallinson’s leadership, we intend to continue developing this provision in stages, supporting both students and staff alike, and exploring further industry aligned certifications as we strengthen our inclusive, future focused curriculum.”

The school is supplied with MOS exams and teaching materials by Prodigy Learning. Andrew Lenehan, Account Manager for Prodigy Learning commented:

“From my very first conversation with Mr Mallinson to discuss Huddersfield Grammar School’s interest in MOS certification, I was struck by the care and passion of the school.
Huddersfield Grammar’s commitment to ensuring every student has access to the best possible resources to prepare them for adult life is clearly at the heart of everything it does.
Having visited the school, it is evident that the facilities and surroundings are truly exceptional.

Seeing so many students benefit from MOS certification is extremely rewarding, and I look forward to even more students gaining certification in the years ahead.

We know that holding a MOS certification is highly valued by employers. Prodigy Learning works with many of the UK’s top universities, many of which still need to deliver Office skills training. It is refreshing to see a school like Huddersfield Grammar taking a proactive approach to such skills. By preparing students early, the school is equipping them with essential skills for success in both future employment and higher education”.

Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certification is an industry recognised qualification that validates an individual’s proficiency in Microsoft Office applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. It demonstrates practical, real-world skills that are highly valued by employers and educational institutions alike. MOS certifications help students and professionals stand out by proving they can use Microsoft Office efficiently and effectively in academic and workplace settings.

Reference Sources:
Department for Education – Employer Skills Survey (2024/2025)
House of Commons Library – Digital Skills and Careers briefing (2024)
UK Government / DCMS – Employer demand for digital skills