Friday 19th September 2025

Headmistress' Introduction

Dear Parents and Carers

A very busy week at AHS.  

We were delighted to welcome prospective students and their parents to our Open Evening on Wednesday and we are holding an Open Morning next Thursday 25 September 2025 from 9.00 am until 10.30 am, more details below.

Last Sunday, our Greenpower racing team competed at Dunsfold Airfield.  Thank you to all the students, parents and to Mr Sparkes for making this possible.  There are more details below.  

On Wednesday, we welcomed a visiting artist; Year 8s spent a day creating 'Alice the Camel'.  As you can see from the pictures and the article below, they had the most wonderful day and we are very grateful to Michelle Dafaur for coming into School.  Thank you to Mrs Hartwell and the Art Department for arranging this.

Years 11 and 13 Drama Students went to see '2.22: A Ghost Story' at MK theatre on Thursday evening.

Tomorrow we welcome our Alumnae into School for the annual Alumnae Tea Party.  If you are an alumna and you would like to find out more about joining our valued Alumnae Community then please email my PA, Mrs Hilary Osgerby, at secretary@ahs.bucks.sch.uk.  We would be delighted to hear from you. 

Fundraising - Letter sent home earlier this week

If you need to click on any of this links within the letter, then please find them here:

Secretary@ahs.bucks.sch.uk

Financial Assistance Programme

Support us

Open Morning 25 September 

AYLESBURY HIGH SCHOOL - HOME-SCHOOL AGREEMENT - Autumn 2025

Aylesbury High School holds its staff, students and parents in the highest regard and thanks all in its community for the opportunity to work positively together. We believe that successful education is achieved through collective working relationships; relationships of mutual respect, ambition for our uniquely talented young adults and a clear desire to facilitate both the academic and personal development of our students.

What is the Home-School Agreement?

There are many important aspects to the relationship between home and School that lead to a student’s successful career in education.  Some of these are laid down in detailed rules and policies elsewhere in the school.

The Home-School Agreement is a way of recognising two important features of this relationship:

1. Success comes from School and home working together to value hard work, promote achievement and encourage participation and commitment. A list of dos and don’ts does not create successful learning, AHS will focus on building strong relationships with students and parents.

2. This relationship is a process of co-operation and participation - AHS will commit to doing all that it can to foster strong and positive relationships, through clear communication and discussion.

The greatest success comes from a partnership where everybody contributes and all learn.  It is hoped that this Agreement can be used to enhance that partnership and thereby enable all students to be successful.

School Statement

Aylesbury High School offers every student a balanced and broad curriculum which is forward-looking, innovative and of the highest academic quality.  Our staff set standards of excellence for themselves and for their students, helping each young adult to reach their full potential and recognising the individual needs of each student.

Through the formal curriculum and through a planned programme of activities outside the classroom, we cultivate independence, strength and confidence in our students.

We believe that learning is enhanced by a welcoming environment that draws the best out of all in our community.  We will provide an ambitious education that stimulates critical and creative thinking, that values diversity and facilitates dynamic personal development.

The school provides opportunities for all students to develop their skills, particularly leadership skills, and their ideas through the arts, sport and recreation, House activities and community involvement.

In all that we do, we aim to prepare our students for life in the fast-changing world of which they will become adult members, ready to play an active and positive part in the local, national and international community.

SCHOOL Commitment

We will:

• Provide a safe, caring  and mutually respectful learning environment

• Provide a broad, balanced and high quality education 

• Recognise success and reward hard work

• Be aware of individual needs and provide pastoral, wellbeing and SEND support wherever required

• Set realistic and relevant homework

• Provide opportunities for all students to extend their learning outside the classroom and work with the local community  

• Give students feedback on their work, discuss progress with them and set targets for improvement

• Communicate regularly with parents and provide opportunities to discuss progress, welfare and targets

• Maintain high standards in behaviour and dress, and promote mutual respect in the school

• Work closely and supportively with parents and students when improvement is needed in behaviour

• Review this Agreement with students, staff and parents every year

STUDENT Commitment

I will:

• Work to the best of my ability

• Attend school and lessons on time and appropriately equipped

• Help to keep the school a safe and cooperative working environment and be willing to take an active role in keeping it clean and tidy

• Have consideration for the learning needs of other students

• Take responsibility for my learning – be organised, meet deadlines and work towards my targets

• Dress according to the school uniform policy

• Behave with respect and consideration for others and be aware of the need for safety in school  Adhere to the Behaviour Policy and Matrix

• Make the school aware of any problems or concerns that affect me at school

• Make the best of opportunities offered

• Follow the IT Acceptable Use policy and the AI Guide for Students

School Policies can be found on our website

PARENT/CARER Commitment (We ask you to agree to this in our admissions form)

I will:

• Work with my daughter and her teachers to enable her to fulfil her potential

• Encourage my daughter to manage books and equipment effectively

• Provide an area in the home where she can work in peace and quiet

• Take an interest in my child’s work and encourage them to maintain progress and achieve their targets in all subjects

• Commit to supporting the School in the delivery of the full AHS curriculum to my child

• Attend consultation evenings and meetings

• Encourage my daughter to be aware of and respect others’ needs and ideas in school

• Support the school’s high expectations for attendance by not taking my child out of school unnecessarily

• Reinforce and support School policies, such as our Behaviour Policy and Uniform Policy by encouraging accountability in my daughter and ensuring she attends sanctions as required

• Support the School in their commitment to providing trips by supporting behaviour expectations on trips, completing admin tasks promptly, attending trip meetings, dropping and collecting students promptly

• Alert the school early to changes in circumstances which may affect my child’s progress

• Encourage my child to use technology appropriately and responsibly

• Not discuss school matters outside official routes

AHS is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of students and young people.  Our Designated Safeguarding Lead is Mrs H Queralt, Deputy Head Pastoral. For more details please see our full Safeguarding Statement here. 

Attendance 

Every day at school offers your daughter a chance to build on her learning, develop her social skills, and strengthen friendships.  When she's in school, she's part of our community, which helps us to look after her wellbeing as well as her education.  Even a few days' absence can disrupt her routine and make it harder to keep up.  The data is clear: being in school directly impacts academic results. Our analysis shows that students who maintain over 95% attendance achieve, on average, one grade higher in all of their GCSEs.  Our school-wide attendance target for this year is 97.5%, and we're asking for your help to achieve this. Please continue to prioritise your daughter's attendance and inform us of any absences as soon as possible. Thank you for your support.

Group Chats

We know that lots of our students use group chats in very positive ways, such as keeping up with friends and asking questions about homework, but we thought the start of the school year was a good time to remind parents of some of the issues around group chats too.  We have warned all of our new Year 7 students to be cautious with these, as in the past they have been overwhelmed by lots of notifications from large groups.  Please see this helpful guide from Childnet and please encourage your child to ask for help if a group chat becomes problematic in any way. 

Year 12 Information Evening - Wednesday 24 September 5.00-6.30pm

We would like to remind you of next Wednesday’s Year 12 Information Evening, 5-6.30pm. This is a great opportunity to meet your daughter’s tutor in addition to the following:

• Outline of UCAS & Next Steps Support, including applications to apprenticeships

• Deadlines for Work Experience and university applications

• Our Head Girls will talk about how parents can support students

• SEND and wellbeing support tailored to Sixth Form

• Attendance procedures & expectations (including evidence to support!)

• Gold DofE opportunities

Please fill out this very simple Google Form to help us plan for the evening. 

We look forward to meeting you and thank you for your support and interest in your daughter’s Sixth Form Provision. 

Please note there is no on site parking. Refreshments will be available. 

Kind regards

Mr Skinner & Miss Kilkenny

Safeguarding talk for parents on 'Monitoring Devices at Home' - Thursday 9 October at 2.30 pm 

Further to our successful Parents' Afternoons last year, we would like to offer another to all parents and carers on Thursday 9 October.  This afternoon, as before, will be staffed by the Senior Leadership Team, the Heads of Year and the SEND and Wellbeing Teams.  Appointments will start at 3.30 pm and will be preceded by a talk given by Mrs Queralt, Deputy Head (Pastoral) & Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) on 'Monitoring Devices at Home'.  

All parents and carers are welcome, the doors of AHS are truly open.  We ask that you let us know if you are planning to attend the Afternoon and/or the talks, by filling in this Google Form.  We very much hope that you will join us and we look forward to meeting you.  Unfortunately, you will be unable to park on site, unless you require disabled parking.  If you park on the roads around the School, please do so with consideration for our neighbours, thank you.  

SEND Coffee Morning - 22 October 9-10.30 am

We would like to invite you to the first of our Aylesbury High School SEND Coffee mornings. Sometimes being a parent of a child can feel very lonely and this will be an informal opportunity to meet with members of the SEND team and other parents too. There will be a lot to talk about. We will be looking at what is going well and asking for your input on what we, as a SEND team, can do better.  We will also be discussing future sessions and what topics you would find helpful.

The coffee morning will be held in the SEND corridor on 22 October from 9-10.30.  If you would like to come along, please can you fill in this Google Form so that we have an idea of attendance.  We very much hope that you will join us and we look forward to meeting you.  Unfortunately, you will be unable to park on site, unless you require disabled parking.  If you park on the roads around the School, please do so with consideration for our neighbours, thank you.  

Miranda Crafts

SENDCo

Bad behaviour reported at the bus park

At this time of year, Bucks Council deploy additional staff at the coach park to assist with pupils getting onto the right vehicles and waiting in the correct lanes.

This week we have received a report of a small number of pupils being argumentative and disrespectful to the staff supervising the coach park.  We have reminded students about the behaviour we expect in the coach park, but we'd be grateful if you could also discuss this with your daughter.

To ensure everyone's safety, it's also important that they use the designated pedestrian footway to reach their vehicles and not to walk or run in-side the barrier where the coaches and buses are moving.  Thank you for your help with this.  

Physics Talk

On Tuesday of this week, two former AHS students - Anouk and Lizzie, who left in 2024, came to speak to our Year 12 Physicists about what university life is like and in particular their experience of studying Physics at degree level.  Our visitors gave an enthusiastic and inspiring talk about their studies and answered lots of questions about degree level Physics and how much fun they are both having. Thank you to them both for giving up their time to come in and talk to the students. 

Mr Elcock

AGS/AHS Joint Production

This year’s joint AGS/AHS production is an abridgment of Shakespeare’s comedy ‘A Midsummer Nights Dream’ complete with live music, singing and dancing.  

PLEASE NOTE THE START TIME OF EACH PRODUCTION IS 7.00PM 

Venue: AGS Foundation Hall

Performances take place on:

Monday 20 Oct 2025

Tuesday 21 Oct 2025

Wednesday 22 Oct 2025

This production is staged in a Traverse format meaning audiences are on both sides of the stage similar to a fashion show catwalk.  Tickets are unreserved.

Ticket prices:

General admission £10

Concessions (for students OAPs etc) £7.50

Tickets are available via this link: https://buytickets.at/aylesburygrammarschool/1860930



We hope to see you there

AGS/AHS Drama

Wishing all well for a lovely weekend and thank you, as ever, for your support.

Marieke Forster