Flourish Summer Edition

FLOURISH

Welcome AGS

FROM THE HEADMASTER

Welcome to the Summer edition of Flourish, a fantastic publication that brilliantly captures the vibrancy, variety and effervescence of life at AGS.

I cannot believe we are at the end of another academic year. The buzz and positivity that surrounds the end of the summer term also brings with it an element of reflection, awe and astonishment at the sheer number, diversity and breadth of School events, visits, fixtures and returning Old Aylesburians that fills our School calendar.

Students have enjoyed a variety of educational visits this term, from exchanges, to code breaking at Bletchley Park, jousting at Warwick Castle, fieldwork on the Lakes, a visit to the Olympic Park and a literary walking tour in Brighton. Not to mention the arrival of our German exchange friends and the pioneers in Malawi helping to build a new secondary school.

This term the hotly contested and eagerly awaited Watson and Brodie trophy winners were announced at the start of the month and, no spoilers here. You’ll have to read on to discover which House gained 2023 glory.

The AGSPTA School Summer Fete was an absolute triumph - with stalls, activities and entertainment for all the family. Thank you to all those involved, and to our exceptionally hard-working PTA who add so much to the life of the School. An incredible amount was raised and we are extremely grateful to the entire community for their continued support in bringing these important events to life.

I was delighted to be asked to open the AGS Sport and PE Racketathon event, taking on our outgoing Head Boy of School Silas Glover (Denson ‘23) in a thrilling (and exhausting) three game special. A huge congratulations to Silas for his win - I will ask the Sports team to arrange a rematch. It was a privilege to be part of this important fundraising event for our students, with the opportunity to support them in raising funds for the Dubai 2023 Tour.

We are incredibly proud to share news that we have been awarded the coveted School of Character Quality Mark Plus, following an extensive assessment process. This accolade is presented to schools and colleges that can demonstrate that they take an ‘explicit, planned and reflective approach to the cultivation of positive character qualities in their students in the interests of human flourishing’. The aim of the award is not just the recognition of good practice, but also to support schools to develop desirable character qualities that contribute to individual as well as broader societal flourishing.

Verulam School hosted its first conference, “Let’s Talk About Boys” on the challenges faced by boys in today’s society and we were thrilled to have three fellow members of AGS staff (Mrs Mawdsley, Mrs Beckley and Mr Taylor) attend the event, as well as an Old Aylesburian present as a keynote speaker. Some incredible and thought provoking talks and ideas on how we can (as teachers) nurture a generation of caring and empathetic young men. Some excellent debate and outtakes, many of which are already part of our teaching practice, and other information we can build on.

Most recently, we have welcomed a new cohort of Aylesburians to AGS, with the Year 6’s enjoying their induction days. The anticipation and excitement coming from the Foundation Hall was palatable.

Together with the cheers and roars of excitement at discovering which House our new students were in. The strength of our House System is an intrinsic part of our School and their journey starts here. From the newest members of our community to our more senior students, we said goodbye to our Year 13 cohort who enjoyed a lively last day in fancy dress, but in great spirits and a collective sense of gratitude.

We also said goodbye to Judi Warman, Office Manager and Catherine Garot, Student Support Officer, both of whom are enjoying their early retirements. I must also mention that Mr Skinner, Head of English and Mr McGill, Head of Hampden House and Leader of Core PE, Games and Outreach, are leaving us at the end of term to take up their new roles as Assistant Head and Director of Sixth Form, and Director of Sport respectively at local schools. We thank them for their incredible contribution to AGS and wish them all the best.

Looking forward, the Governing body and Senior Leadership Team have been discussing the strategic planning process, reviewing the current School’s vision and purpose together, looking at the key areas of focus for the next academic year and beyond.

I’ll leave you with this shot of the Student Senior Leadership Team and myself paying tribute to the iconic photograph from the Beatles’ Abbey Road album. Not quite Abbey Road, more Walton Road, but it’s ours!

Have a fantastic summer and I look forward to returning in September, ready for the exciting new academic year ahead.

Mark Sturgeon, Headmaster

@AGSHeadmaster

Events AGS

FLOURISH IN ALL YOU DO

The summer term brings with it the final House events of the year and announcements of the Watson and Brodie trophy winners! To bring you up to speed, each year the six Houses compete for two trophies: The Watson and the Brodie. The Watson trophy is for artistic pursuits and the Brodie trophy is for sporting activities. We have all the highlights and results right here...

Huge congratulations to Mrs Harris and Lee House for winning the Brodie Trophy! Having not won the trophy since 2017, they were determined to make 2023 their year!

Further congratulations are extended to Mr Walker and Denson House for taking the Watson trophy with an incredible 27 points! Denson have not won the Watson since 2019 and both Head of House and students are delighted!

Events AGS CELEBRATE DIFFERENCE

Back in January, we hosted acclaimed contemporary artist, Corbin Shaw to AGS and invited a group of Year 8 boys to participate in an art workshop, working with fabric to produce a collective tapestry that represents their views on masculinity today.

On Thursday 4th May the collective tapestry was displayed at a multi-media exhibition in London, at Flannels’ flagship department store on Oxford Street, where the boys’ flags were projected onto large interactive screens in a spectacular setting. The exhibition ran until 9pm and we were delighted to be personally invited to enjoy the spectacle.

This workshop was linked to our School research project focusing on helping boys to cultivate healthy masculinity. The research was approved by the Headmaster, Mark Sturgeon and later contributed to the International Boys’ Schools Coalition Action Research Programme, reaching educators around the world.

For the Love of the Lads

@AGSArtDept

On the day, we walked down to the Aylesbury train station and took a scenic train to London, where we passed beautiful countrysides and large urban areas, with hundreds of different things to spot go by and we took the train. For the love of lads is a project Corbin Shaw had been working on to spread the message of positive masculinity and personally, I found the project as a fun and enjoyable way to express ourselves and help spread the important message. As we got to the art gallery, we were able to see our own work displayed on LED boards for the public eye, which is just quite astounding, knowing that someone has been able to see the work that our school has done.

My first impression of the gallery was that it was a large space, which used a way of displaying our art that I found quite good, as it used LED boards to engulf the viewers in the art, helping to express the idea of expressing oneself and not to hide away, but to accept. The actual art however was the centrepiece, being displayed in the centre of the room in a glass case, which gives the art a sense of importance and just adds to spreading the message of positive masculinity.

By Tharuga Patjirajage, 8Pa

Events AGS

EMBRACE OPPORTUNITY

Oh what a night! AGS Cabaret was back with another talented students. We were delighted to see so many John Davie and Hannah Alderton as guest compères for Band, The Charlie Bellini Collective, Midnight Riot, Boston more!

A huge thank you to all who purchased tickets and supported

another fabulous evening filled with music and dance from our many students taking part this year and were thrilled to have for the evening. There were performances from the AGS Jazz Boston Tea Party, Paterson House, The Piano Guys and many supported this fantastic event!

@AGSMusic_Depart

Visits AGS

EMBRACE OPPORTUNITY

Students from Year 8 enjoyed a true culture filled visit to the French region of Burgundy last month. Arriving to a beautiful golden sunset, students settled in a for week of engaging activities and sightseeing.

The first morning saw them put their circus skills to the test with Acro-Balance, plate spinning and diablo practice! With a special mention going out to Mr Travers who nailed the diablo and is seriously considering a new life with the circus!

Having worked up an appetite, students then turned their attentions to creating custard baked fruit desserts, Tartouillat (which were delicious!) and later judged by a panel of experts (better known as the hungry teachers!). Bon aprés-midi!

Evening strolls, market visits and a hotly contested Pétanque, La Finale, concluded a superb stay!

@AGSFrench

The History Department had a fantastic day at Bletchley Park learning about the importance of intelligence and the history behind the site.

Students enjoyed the interactive exhibitions and workshops - some even got to touch the keyboard of an original Enigma machine (worth around £500,000 today!).

Year 12 Politics students (and a few Law Society members!) enjoyed a visit to the heart of government en route to the Royal Courts of Justice.

Having covered the judiciary and enjoyed debating topics, students spent the day immersed in Fleet Street’s enchanting building.

Learning about the history and development of the Inns and how legal training has evolved over the centuries.

Visits AGS

NURTURE YOUR CHARACTER

Year 7 students spent an incredible few days at the established Bushcraft Company’s Blenheim Wood residential site, in Oxfordshire. Enjoying time away together, outside of the classroom and, taking on a variety of challenging outdoor activities students embraced their new outdoor environment!

Arriving at camp students threw themselves straight into their first activity, camp fire and shelter building, discovering the science behind creating a perfect camp fire and stable shelter!

Later, the shelter building competition saw students pull out all the stops to impress the judges with added (and rather excessive use of) facial camouflage swaying some votes!!

Archery and axe throwing filled the day and ‘Tribes Got Talent’ was the talk of evening’s entertainment!

A great (but tiring!) few days had by all!

Visits AGS

EMBRACE OPPORTUNITY

As part of the AGS German Department’s highly successful and long-standing annual German exchange programme, students in Year 10 and 12 enjoyed their visit to Stuttgart at the end of March. Packed with modern and historic buildings, a fascinating history, fun attractions and great food, students immersed themselves in a culture of learning, sharing experiences with their peers and developing language acquisition skills.

@AGSerman

Life AGS

NURTURE YOUR CHARACTER

As the Rackets Tour team approach the final few months before they travel to Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the squad wanted to turn their attentions to a major fundraising event, the AGS Racketathon.

24 hours of playing Squash, (Short) Tennis and Badminton, starting at 16.00 on Friday 16 June and concluding at 16.00 on Saturday 17 June.

It all swung into action on Court One with our out-going Head Boy of School, Silas Glover (13De) taking on the Head, Mr Mark Sturgeon, in a thrilling 11-8, 11-9, 11-9 session! Congratulations to Silas for the win!

Students continued the fun throughout the evening and night, with intense scenes both on and off the court with a word tile game turning rather competitive!

We are incredibly humbled and thrilled to announce that we have raised an incredible £5,000 to date!

There is still time to donate, click the link below:

https://www.justgiving.com/ campaign/racketathon2023

Life AGS

EMBRACE OPPORTUNITY

Congratulations to the AGS Debating Team who won the Debating Matters London competition earlier this month. In a thrilling final the teams debated topics covering cancel culture, commercial surrogacy and billionaires owning media companies.

Well done to Toby Webster (13Le) for ‘Best Speaker of the Day’ and honourable mentions to Oscar Peck (12Le) and Adam Mercier (12Ri).

Life AGS NURTURE

YOUR CHARACTER

We were delighted to welcome retired NASA Astronaut, Dorothy “Dotty” Metcalf-Lindenburger to AGS to share her incredible journey into space exploration with our students.

From a childhood dream of becoming an astronaut to realising that dream in becoming a Mission Specialist with NASA on the International Space Station. It was a truly inspiring talk on a career journey that included space camp, a geology degree, some teaching, time as an aquanaut! Literally reaching for the stars!

Wonderful images of working on the ISS and descriptions of what it really feels like to head out into space.

Huge thank you to Mr Kemp, Head of Physics, for organising this inspirational talk.

@AGSFounded1598

Life AGS

LEAD WITH HUMILITY

Year 8 and Year 10 enjoyed immensely their Enterprise Days. Year 10 were tasked with creating new social enterprises, which are businesses that aim to change the world for the better. Students had to present their viable business idea to judges, using funds available and producing a Business Plan to develop and clarify their ideas.

Following tough competition, the Lifebulb team took first place with a flawless presentation, incredible concept, eye catching branding and viable business plan. Congratulations and very well done to the other teams.

Year 8 welcomed The Inspiration Learning Group (TILG) to AGS for their Enterprise day. Challenging students to use their STEM creativity skills to develop an airline for the future with Airbus.

Huge thank you to Miss Chalk for organising the events.

Life AGS NURTURE

YOUR CHARACTER

Year 8 Geography students enjoyed an educational visit to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

Looking at urban development and regeneration, students learned about the real-life industrial revolution that shaped Stratford.

One of the most deprived areas in England due to the de-industrialisation that came after the industrial revolution. The Olympic Park was seen as a space to not only host the Olympics and Paralympics but as an opportunity to improve the area with the transformations.

We think they enjoyed it!

@AGS_Geography

This term the AGS Gardening team have been busy tending to numerous projects across the AGS site.

The vegetable plot saw 3 crops of potatoes go in with one lot harvested already! The House fruit trees are all doing well with apples on the Denson & Ridley trees, pears and nectarines taking over the Hampden and Lee trees, Phillips trees supporting the local wild life by feeding the birds and Paterson’s plum tree is settling in nicely.

The Flower Garden is developing well and was recently used as the perfect venue to host the New Staff Buddy meeting. Produce from the Greenhouse was sold at the school fete and we were delighted to learn it surpassed last year’s takings!

Finally, our latest initiative: The AGS Zen Garden is finally in progress. With two reclaimed sinks being planted up with succulents that we’ve been nurturing, we’re hoping to finish the stream, surrounding stones shortly.

News AGS

FLOURISH IN ALL YOU DO

There is still time to order your copy of our amazing anniversary book, Aylesbury Grammar School, A History. This beautifully illustrated book details the fascinating history of our incredible School.

Order your copy here

Join us on Friday 29 September at 6.30pm, for our anniversary book launch. An engaging evening with drinks and nibbles and fascinating insights from the author, Dr Joel Burden, together with OA interviews by legendary Jackie Brooker, former Head of German.

It is an evening not to be missed!

As part of the 425th anniversary celebrations we have launched an exclusive new anniversary site bringing people together to share stories and discover more about our incredible history. Stay up to date with all the latest AGS425 news and events, delve deep into our incredible digital archives and uncover lost images of AGS through the years, explore our fascinating timeline detailing AGS’s key events and personalities that have left a lasting impact on the School.

Do you have a Company, Product or Service to advertise in our Aylesburian magazine?

We are proud, as a state school, to be able to create our annual Aylesburian magazine which not only celebrates the previous year’s highlights and achievements, but also serves as a detailed overview of the School year for our archives.

We know our current students, Old Aylesburians and the wider community very much enjoy it and desperately want it to continue. The challenge for us, is funding it!

We are keen to find advertisers who can support the production of our annual Aylesburian magazine by placing an advertisement.

There is a great return on investment – it’s an interesting, editorially focussed A4 glossy magazine, professionally printed, and positioned as a ‘coffee table’ style magazine circulated to the entire Aylesburian community including more than 1,000 parents and 3,000 Old Aylesburians.

Circulation is high and readership is even higher.

The cost for an ad in the magazine is £400 for the inside front/back cover or £300 for a one-page ad in the magazine.

If you can support this, please contact Alison Cox, Development Director, acox@ags.bucks.sch.uk for further details.

Thank you in advance.

Our Under 13 and 15 students travelled to The Guttman Stadium, Stoke Mandeville to compete in a triathlon competition hosted by LEAP.

The teams had 15 minutes swimming, cycling and running aiming to cover the most distance possible. Well done to all the students and thank you to Mr Ramsbottom who ran the club, special well done to the Under 15 team who came second in their competition.

Both did really well to make the ‘playoffs’ in the first season of competing in the Junior NBA, but came up against tough opposition to exit in the first round.

Top work to our Ultimate Frisbee team who have been training throughout the year with Mrs Rogers. The team have continued to improve and travelled to Tonbridge School, Kent to play really well in their first fixtures v Windsor Boys School. Huge thank you to Mrs Rogers for all her hard work and support!

AGS started its first ever Kendo Club under the guidance of Sensei Bowden of Ichi Byoshi Kendo Club, Aylesbury.

The students have spent the 8 week course learning about Kendo and Japanese culture before completing a grading exam at the end of the programme

Junior NBA playoffs for the Under 12 and 13 Basketball teams.

AGS NURTURE YOUR CHARACTER

The summer term is always a really busy time for us in the AGS Sport and PE Team. It has been great to see so many students participating in a number of curricular and extra curricular sporting activities across a number of different sports. As always, these important opportunities would not be possible without the commitment from both the students and staff, we thank all of them for their hard work.

As we head into the summer break, I would like to thank the AGS Sport and PE Team for all their hard work this year; together with all the other members of staff and volunteers who contribute to sport at AGS, without you the breadth and opportunity of sporting activities would not be what it is.

The students are very lucky at AGS to have staff that are willing to support them with a host of activities and sports, ensuring they have the ability to develop as individuals but also as members of a team. I would like to thank Mr Partridge for his hard work and support this year, not only as a PE Technician but also through his Cover role in lessons around School. He has been awesome this year and we wish him well as he starts his University studies at Bath University.

Finally, it is mixed emotions as we wish Mr McGill, all the very best in his new role as Director of Sport, at Dame Alice Owen’s School in Potters Bar. Thank you for your incredible contribution to Sport and PE at AGS over the years, you have created a lasting legacy here at AGS and you will be greatly missed.

Mr Duggan, Director of Sport @AGSSportandPE

Clubs and Societies AGS

CELEBRATE DIFFERENCE

What an incredible first year! The Student Committee for Change have enjoyed championing a number of successful projects and activities, supporting and promoting areas around celebrating diversity, health and relationships.

The team have initiated a number of engaging projects across the School through Awareness Days, Diversity Focus Weeks, Mental Health awareness and support plus connecting with departments to focus on these important topics.

Here are some of this year’s highlights!

Left: Fraser (12Ph) and Chris (8Ha) feeding back to Pearson Schools on their research for the 1st theme: Climate Change & Sustainability as part of the Student Diversity Ambassador Programme. Below and left: Student Committee for Change assembly take over for Diversity Focus Week!

Right: The brand new AGS Mental Health hub for students -click the image to access!

The Student Committee for Change were delighted to be invited to the Bucks Youth Summit at the Aylesbury Waterside Theatre.

Students enjoyed discussing a range of big issues that face young people today from Mental Health Awareness to creating safe spaces & places for young people in Bucks.

The Youth Voice Bucks, Youth Summit invited young people from local schools have to talk about:

• mental health

• sexual harassment

• LGBT+

• crime

• access for young people

• spaces and places

• SEND rights, awareness, and voice

We look forward to welcoming new members to the committee in September and were blown away by the the overwhelming response to applications to join the Student Committee for Change team.

We’re excited and looking forward drawing up new areas of focus and planning ahead to bring about change to our community for the better.

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter for all the latest AGSSCC news and updates!

Staff AGS

SPOTLIGHT ON STAFF

A huge congratulations to Mr Ramsbottom, Head of Year 13, who completed his very first London Marathon! Despite injury inhibiting training preparations ‘Bib Number 7699’ smashed the course in a fantastic sub 5 hours raising an incredible amount for the charity CRY UK.

More congratulations are due, this time to Mr Withey in continuing his excellent form in squash at International level competitions. Mr Withey has won a series of events starting in Slovenian, taking the Squash Masters Open, followed by success at both the Luxembourg and Bordeaux Masters. Great work!

We are delighted to share that our very own Senior Assistant Head, Mr Singh, is in the final stages of becoming a published author!

Here he is delivering the manuscript for his epic book, “101 Ways to Win in Teaching”, to the publisher.

It’s a brilliant book, a book full of great ideas for fantastic teachers supporting them in areas around wellbeing, workload and managing behaviour. To learn more follow his twitter account below:

‘Let’s Talk About Boys’ took place in May and we were thrilled to have 4 members of AGS staff (Mrs Mawdsley, Mrs Beckley, Mr Sturgeon and Mr Taylor) attend the event together with keynote speakers: IBSC Executive Director and Appointed AGS Governor, Tom Batty and Old Aylesburian, Andrew “Bernie” Bernard (Denson ‘85).

Some incredible and thought provoking ideas on how we can (as teachers) nurture a generation of caring and empathetic young men. Having the opportunity to work closely with some of the best boys’ schools, not just in the UK but globally, was incredibly unique and enriching for staff and students.

Verulam School hosted its first conference on the challenges faced by boys in today’s society.

@TheTeacherWins

Staff AGS SPOTLIGHT

ON STAFF

Following the success of the AGS Staff Welfare puzzle challenge, the team are back with a more intense puzzle together with new origami challenges!

Great to see our newest members of staff and their Buddies enjoying an outdoor meet in the beautiful AGS Flower Garden.

In the glorious sunshine, staff enjoyed their chosen INSET Staff Welfare activity. Ranging from a whole host of engaging activities from Irish Dancing with Mr Chambers, to Cookery with Mrs Wilkinson & Mrs McLaren, to Softball on the top field with Mr Duggan, Board games in the Staffroom or Cyanotype photography with Art’s Mrs Tangi and Mrs Gunter-Jones. Look at these incredible pieces created by our AGS staff!

AYLESBURIANS Old

SHARING EXPERTISE

OA Sports Day Afternoon

It was wonderful to have so many Old Aylesburians returning for our annual Sports Day afternoon. The OA’s won the Cricket fixture, with Hamish Sim (Phillips ‘16) scoring a fine 78! Together with some great Futsal and Squash matches going on between multiple teams.

A great chance for everyone to catch up and enjoy the sunshine.

Krish Koria (Phillips ’07)

Krish returned to AGS last month to chat with Engineering students about “What a career in Earth Sciences could look like” and held an open Q&A discussion.

Krish is Geophysical Business Manager at Resources Development Consultants Ltd based in New Zealand.

Sam Ashley (Ridley ‘21)

It was great to see Sam back at AGS, gracing the Geography department one more! Sam returned to speak with Geography students about what it is like to study Geography at Durham University.

Really interesting and insightful to hear about application processes, assessments, reading lists, lectures, field trips and of course, the social life at university.

Heston Harris (Paterson ‘15)

Delighted to welcome Heston back to AGS, to talk to students about his journey into a career in architecture. Heston offered great advice around university interviews and the importance of being able to discuss in detail their portfolios.

He was also thrilled to be reunited with his GCSE sketchbook that Mrs Tangi had kept for him!

You don’t have to be an OA to help! If you would like to get involved, be it part of our Inspirational Speakers Programme, offering career advice and mentoring at one our OA events, please get in touch.

Development AGS

INVEST IN OUR FUTURE

With the 425th anniversary celebrations building momentum, we are delighted to share with you our very special anniversary book, Aylesbury Grammar School: A History, from Profile Editions by Dr Joel Burden. A fascinating journey of the School’s incredible history told through an exploration of key events and personalities that have left a lasting impact on the School.

The story is engrossing, lively, sometimes surprising, and beautifully illustrated, with many stunning photographs reproduced which have not been published previously. Importantly, this is a book for the entire AGS community – those who have left, those who are here right now and those who might be part of our future including of course members of the local Aylesbury community.

It is a book be enjoyed, referred to, and cherished for years to come.

Join us...

We would be delighted if you could join us for the official launch of the Book in September.

The author, Dr Joel Burden, is a local-based historian and publisher with a family connection to the school.

He has undertaken a detailed examination of AGS’s remarkably rich historical archives to search out those forgotten episodes and telling stories which bring our history alive.

He has also interviewed many alumni and past and present members of staff to enrich his story with a range of personal reminiscences and perspectives.

Sign up here and let us know you’ll attend: https://alumni.ags.bucks.sch.uk/event/book-launch

A heartfelt thank you to our donors who are contributing or have contributed to the Aylesburian Annual Fund. Whatever your level of support, collectively, the generous support from our Aylesburian community helps us to deliver the projects we urgently need, and it simply would not be possible without your continued donations.

As you are aware, this year our focus has been on the very much needed refurbishment of our Student Support area. It has taken two years of fundraising, but we are delighted to share that, over the summer, we will be repurposing the south side of the ground floor of the Tower Block into a new, fit for purpose, specially designed Student Support facility. It will be almost double the size of our current area and will be able to support more students, more of the time, providing valuable space in the centre of the School which will be a huge benefit for our students and the team who support them.

Thank you again for your support. Genuinely – thank you from all of us, we are so grateful that you are inspired to support the School and to give at any level.

Governors AGS SUPPORTING STRATEGY AND VISION

Welcome to the Governor section of Flourish. It has been a rewarding summer term with many wonderful School events and activities taking place with opportunities to support these and reach more of our vibrant AGS Community.

This term the Committees have enjoyed visits from staff and students providing valuable updates and insights into matters from Staff Welfare to Community Engagement. These meetings are vital to us as Governors because they allow us to learn more about the School and better understand areas of future focus.

At the start of the term we held our Governor Strategy Day with the Head, Mr Sturgeon and began the initial stages of the strategic planning process looking ahead at the School’s vision and strategy for the next 5 years. By focusing on our current situation and our asking ourselves questions such as: ‘Do our current purpose and mission still hold true?’ and ‘Are our values still valid’ we ask Governors, together with the Senior Leadership Team, we can better reflect on and review our strategic direction.

Below are a few pictures of the “team in action” complete with coffee and croissants!

Richard Williams, Chair of Governors

@AGSGovernors

Another warm welcome...

This term we are delighted to welcome three new Governors to the team.

Introducing Mr Tom Batty, former members of the Aylesbury Grammar School Academy Trust, Mr Doug Conely, Parent Governor and Mr Dilshan Outschoorn another Parent Governor. We are delighted to have you all on board and look forward to your insights into shaping the new strategic direction for the School.

Good News...

The AGSPTA School Summer Fete was an exceptionally successful afternoon. The Headmaster’s Quad, Foundation Hall, the playground and even the playing field were filled with stalls and activities for all the family! It was a pleasure to see the wider AGS community coming together and enjoy the Fete.

The Governors would like to thank all those involved and those who contributed to such a succesful afternoon and congratulations on the record breaking amount raised. These vital funds will contribute greatly to worthwhile initiatives and projects requiring support around the School.

A huge congratulations to the School for receiving the acclaimed School of Character Quality Mark Plus. We are honoured that the character education work, focus and development has been formally recognised following an assessment process.

The assessors commented on how integral character was as part of the vision and aims of the School and how this shone through during their visit. They spoke of how the School’s leadership has demonstrated a purposeful and visionary approach to evolving the School’s character education and how it has “helped shape the strengths of the School’s character provision.”

Thank you again, to all of the staff and students who have contributed to achieving this incredible accolade recognising the high standard of character education that exists at Aylesbury Grammar School.

Mr Tom Batty

Mr Dilshan Outschoorn Mr Doug Conely

PTA AGS GET

INVOLVED

Welcome to the PTA section of Flourish!

This term we were delighted to see the return of the annual AGSPTA Summer School Fete. A glorious day, filled with a variety of stalls, activities and fun for all of the family! We were absolutely blown away by your support and are thrilled to share that we have raised over £8,000! Incredible!

With the Winter and Summer raffles bringing in £4,152, Cabaret Night bar raising £570, Curry Night £2,100 and £2,000 from the Second Hand School uniform sales the AGSPTA were more than happy support the funding of a new-to-us School minibus complete with very smart looking School branding!

The AGSPTA continue to identify and support worthwhile initiatives at the School and following the purchase of the minibus we were also pleased to contribute to the cost of speakers for the RS Department’s Year 10 RS Study Day, Japanese Club calligraphy event and provided materials for Tai Chi and Yoga.

Thank you all so much for your continued support.

@AGSPTA

A special AGSPTA mention must go to Sarah Johnson, for her tireless work in co-ordinating to the most successful School Summer Fete on record!

A fantastic day had by all and the School received many positive messages about how successful it was!

We are always looking for fresh ideas and volunteers! If your interested in finding out more about us then we would love to hear from you!

Email: pta@ags.bucks.sch.uk

Thank you!

PTA AGS NEW 50 | 50 CLUB

The AGS PTA are pleased to announce their first ever 50|50 Club for 2023-2024. This is a fun and exciting way to contribute to our school’s educational programs whilst having a chance to win BIG!

Tickets will cost £25 each and will be available to purchase through ParentPay. You can buy as many of them as you would like to increase your chances of winning each month.

The cut-off date for ticket purchases will be Saturday the 30th of September 2023. The prize fund will be 50% of the total ticket sales, which will be split up into 10 equal amounts and awarded over the following 10 months as prizes (October to July). The remaining money goes to the PTA to help fund vital equipment, resources and opportunities for our boys.

There will be 3 prizes available each month:

1st Prize = Approximately 60% of that month’s prize fund

2nd Prize = Approximately 30% of that month’s prize fund

3rd Prize = Approximately 10% of that month’s prize fund

The final amount to be paid out each month in prizes will be determined once the sales period has closed. More members mean bigger prizes!

100 members = £125 monthly prize fund.

200 members = £250 monthly prize fund.

AGS has approximately 1000 families in it. If every family bought just 1 ticket, that would mean a monthly prize fund of £1250, with £12,500 raised for the PTA!!!

Your support makes a difference! Join the AGS PTA 50|50 Club today. Good luck! @AGSPTA