10 minute read
Staff Leavers
Rajesh Datta
Rajesh joined the Maths Department 8 years ago as a Newly Qualified Teacher. He had already done two terms of teacher training with us the year before so we knew how energetic and enthusiastic he was, but what struck us very early on was how totally dedicated he is to getting the best out of every single
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student. From then until now he has committed time and boundless energy to raising the achievement of all those he teaches, but particularly the most able boys in the school. His energy and commitment stems from a genuine love of his subject and the satisfaction gained from sowing seeds with his students to start to develop a similar passion.
Early on Rajesh recognised that provision for our most able students was rather ad hoc amongst all age groups. He was already involved at that stage with helping those capable of applying to do Maths related subjects at Oxbridge via the STEP programme. But he felt that starting this in Year 12 was too late, so he created the STEP-Lite programme to identify and develop students with potential in maths as early as possible. ‘Perhaps we could involve three or four students’ in this STEPLite scheme,’ he thought.
Today the STEP-LIte programme is so popular amongst the boys in the school that there are now about 60 taking part. The time commitment from Rajesh involved in setting, marking and providing feedback has been immense but so appreciated by the boys involved who are realising their potential and enjoying their maths so much more as a result. From STEP-Lite also came the Weekly Challenge which is accessible to all students in Year 7 - again organised by Rajesh for the benefit of the boys in the school, who enjoy taking part. Aside from his significant contribution to the Maths department Rajesh has found the time to get involved more broadly in school life, including accompanying French and German trips, helping to raise money to improve the squash facilities with 24 hour squash marathons, and assisting Dr Smith with writing the school timetable.
The Maths Department are going to miss Rajesh in many ways as he moves on to promotion in a new school in Surrey. We will miss his tenacious approach to all that he does, from writing well thought out and challenging A level tests (though the boys don’t always appreciate this at first!), organising the Maths Challenges, helping us with our maths when we get stuck (yes, this happens), always having a story to tell, not to mention all the excellent lessons he teaches and the commitment he shows to the Department, the school, and ultimately to the boys. We wish him well in his move to Surrey, and the same school as Harriet Rowling, and we hope they will come back to see us now and then..
J M Smith C P Smith
Andrew Streat Angelos Matzoros
Andrew joined us in 2012 and leaves us at the end of his seventh year as a teacher of
English. During that time, he has become something of a cult figure amongst the students, inspiring and enthusing countless individuals to pursue their interests, initially in his role as a knowledgeable, approachable and exceptionally supportive member of the English Department and latterly in his role as Head of Denson House.
I’m very lucky to work in a department that is dedicated, caring, professional and hard-working and Andrew encapsulates all of these qualities. Over the last seven years he has become a popular and integral part of our department and is seen as such by both students and staff.
He is dedicated to his profession and to the subject. No doubt his love of obscure 19th century Welsh fantasy writers and all things gothic endeared him to some of our more eccentric students. His unique sense of humour is welcome both in the classroom and in the staffroom – his love of comedy leading him to run the Friday Comedy Club for the duration of his time here. He has inspired students to pursue their interest in both performance comedy - as well as comedy writing itself - at university and beyond.
He is a genuine, caring teacher. He is exceptionally thorough with his marking; in truth he writes too much. It is a mark of his thorough and supportive approach that he provides the most detailed feedback for all. He spends much of his free time helping individuals: no one is turned away, whether staff or student.
Over the last seven years he has accompanied numerous trips, both within the department as well as helping out others. He has organised and led several A level excursions to see some of our set texts being performed and to attend study days and has made big contributions to department schemes of work, resources and training. Always a lively contributor to staff social events, he will be much missed from the school community as a whole.
Andrew leaves us to join Colyton Grammar School in Devon, relocating with his young family. I will miss him, we as a department will miss him, and I’m certain those who have been taught by him or been led by his enthusiasm for all things Denson will miss him. Students could do worse than living by one of his mantras: ganbatte – ‘do your best.’
During his time here he has built many good relationships with students and produced some excellent class results. He has been proactive in extending his own learning ready to teach less familiar areas in the new Maths and Further Maths A-Levels.
Recently Angelos selected and prepared the Intermediate Maths Team from Years 8 and 9 to compete in the UKMT Team Maths Competition. From initially 1700 schools who took part in the Heats, they were one of only 80 or so teams who reached the National Final in London. A fine achievement for the team.
Outside of the department he has enjoyed involving himself in the wider life of the school, accompanying various trips including for RS, for
English to the Globe Theatre, and with Year 8 to Woburn.
Leaving to develop the next stage in his career, Angelos is taking a rare opportunity of moving to a recently established school, closer to home. He will be missed by the Department but we wish him well in his next venture - exciting opportunities in a new school in Milton Keynes.
J M Smith C P Smith
Harriet Rowling Hannah Brown
Harriet joined AGS as an NQT teaching German and French in 2014 and will be sorely missed as she leaves to take up a teaching post in her native Surrey.
Languages cannot be taught without a combination of passion and enthusiasm for the subject as well as extensive knowledge of grammar, vocabulary, culture and history. Anyone who has been in one of Harriet’s lessons will know that she has all of the above in spades. The Sixth Form in particular benefited from her engaging ways of teaching the idiosyncrasies of German grammar and it is her lessons that have given boys confidence to succeed in this challenging A-Level.
Lower down in the school, Harriet worked to motivate boys by bringing the language to life through song and creativity and her success in doing so is evident in the positive attitude that pupils have when they begin their GCSE. Trips to the countries where the language is spoken is a key aspect of teaching MFL and without Harriet’s contributions over the years these could not have taken place.
I am particularly grateful to her therefore for her organisation of the Year 8 trips to Cologne as well as for accompanying the German Exchange to Stuttgart each year. This is in addition to the visits to Normandy, Burgundy and Bourgeen-Bresse when having a subject specialist on board is so valuable.
At a time when the numbers of pupils learning German and French are rapidly decreasing, it is experienced practitioners like Harriet who are needed who can keep languages alive and make them relevant for young people today. We thank Harriet for all her efforts with the pupils at AGS and wish her all the best in her new post. Für die Zukunft alles Gute – Bonne continuation.
Hannah Brown taught Chemistry and Key Stage 3 Science at AGS for 4 ½ years. She started as a Newly Qualified Teacher and brought with her a sunny and approachable disposition.
In addition to her teaching role, she was an active and well-liked Lee House form tutor.
She organised and accompanied a number of school trips.
She also ran a popular STEM club which brought in external experts and entered competitions. Hannah was a keen supporter of the Duke of Edinburgh Award, finding, checking and encouraging groups of AGS students in all weathers. She leaves with our very best wishes in her future endeavours.
Dr C Gardner
Hazel Robinson
Hazel joined Aylesbury Grammar School in 2006 as our School Matron. Over 12 years Hazel worked tirelessly to support students, parents and staff with all sorts of well being and personal matters.
What students will remember of Hazel is that she spent many hours patching up cuts and grazes, ministering to students with coughs, colds and tummy aches as well as supporting students with some very serious illnesses and injuries. Hazel often went well above and beyond what might be expected and she worked well beyond her hours. She almost never took a break in the day and she was still on site well after she should have been. She supported students willingly and with genuine care, and she never made them feel as though they were not important. Hazel had an ability to listen to the young people in her care, to act in their best interests and at times took part in the school’s mentoring programme. Hazel also took time out of her day when necessary to give help and advice to parents who were sometimes very concerned about their son’s health, both physical or emotional. Her opinion and advice was trusted by students and parents alike. Hazel set up and managed the very successful programme of counselling that the school now provides and she was also, for a long time, the Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead – in these roles she provided invaluable support and assistance to some of our most vulnerable young people. This was especially noted by one parent when she heard Hazel was leaving commented ‘Whatever will we do without Mrs Robinson?’
If, however, you thought that the valuable pastoral role was all Hazel did for the school, you would be very wrong. Hazel was also the Deputy Office Manager and would efficiently and cheerfully deputise for colleagues on a number of occasions. Staff will remember that she helped develop the way that the school administrated school trips – on busy trip days this was truly a sight to behold with First Aid kits, information booklets and permission forms lined up on her desk ready to go. She was pivotal in the transformations that have been achieved in recent years with the School Shop with creating a more efficient and accessible system. Parents will also remember her cheerful voice and helpful manner when answering the phone, taking messages about students who were unwell, had medical appointments, were having immunisations, had forgotten their PE kits…..
Hazel left in November 2018 to a more senior administration role in a primary school nearer to her home. She went with our very best wishes and thanks for her care, compassion and efficiency over many years, she is greatly missed.
