A message from the Governors Once again, the Governors of Aylesbury Grammar School are delighted to see the achievements of the AGS Community over the last year presented in the excellent Aylesburian magazine, which seems to get better and better year on year. Last year, however, we noticed one serious omission – we didn’t get a mention. Naturally, we thought that this was a significant failing
In many other respects, though,
We appreciate that there is a need
little has changed. The ethos of the
to maintain the excellent standards
school in those days, as now, was
that the school has developed over
to strive for excellence, aiming to
many years, to continue with an
achieve your own personal best and
approach and traditions that work.
help your fellow students to achieve
At the same time, we appreciate that
theirs, whether in sports, music or a
to continue to thrive AGS needs to
broad range of academic pursuits, all
keep moving forward with a modern,
within a supportive and encouraging
bold strategy. This means developing
environment. Perhaps that might
new ways of learning fit for the 21st
be summarised as “Aspire” and
century, absorbing and building
“Respect” – does that sound
on the changes in the curriculum
familiar?
so that the school stays at the
that needed to be put right at the
Old Aylesburians from that era
earliest opportunity, so as outgoing
coming back to the school will see
Chairman of Governors I was
a few other familiar sights too – the
charged with putting together a
main corridor, hall, tower block,
short piece to raise the profile of the
canteen, music room, swimming
Governing Body just a little.
pool and old gym to name but a few.
First, a little personal history. I have been a Governor of AGS for over 15 years, starting as a Parent Governor when my sons were in the lower school. For the six years up to January 2019, I was also proud to be Chairman of Governors,
forefront of educational standards, extending the relationships that the school has both locally and more widely, and ensuring (as our newly formed purpose puts it) that “the school inspires and supports all our
Those hunting the traditional wooden
students to enable them to flourish
cricket pavilion might be surprised
throughout their lives”.
to see a magnificent sports hall in its
However, we see the Headmaster
place these days, and those seeking the lower school physics and biology labs will be greatly impressed with the new library and science block,
and staff striving to balance different needs and demands at a time when funding for schools like ours is perhaps the lowest it has ever been,
a position that brings status and
but otherwise it’s the same place.
worry in broadly equal measure.
All of which brings me to my theme
cope with the pressures of housing
My involvement with AGS actually
– what is the role of the Governing
1,300 students, and when the
Body?
pace of regulatory, legislative and
goes back a lot further, having spent seven years from 1969 to 1976 in
with buildings that are struggling to
curricular change is phenomenal.
Phillips House, all the way from the
At AGS, as at many other schools,
First Form to the Upper Sixth (as
the Governors’ role is a strategic
Years 7 to 13 were known in those
one. We oversee an institution which
days). If this seems like ancient
is working well, which achieves its
history to many of today’s readers,
goals and which needs relatively
it was – for example, caps had to
little intervention – although if we
be worn, tutor group photos were in
thought that a more direct approach
Throughout the year, we set
black and white, and the desks still
was needed, we would seek to help
objectives for the Headmaster
had lids and inkwells.
and advise wherever necessary.
and appraise his performance, we
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The Aylesburian 2018/2019
We believe that the insights and experience that Governors can bring from our external careers are invaluable to help us give support in these areas.
