50
ATTLEBOROUGH ACADEMY NORFOLK
CELEBRATES 50 YEARS 1967 - 2017 July 8th 2017 Souvenir Programme
ATTLEBOROUGH ACADEMY NORFOLK
Welcome are all transient – we all have our ‘moment in time’ – and that moment in time is heavily influenced by what has gone before. I do feel very privileged to be the fourth Headteacher of the school and in some senses it has been made easy for me because I took over a school that already had a genuinely child centred ethos and a staff that were united, dedicated and most of all, personable. The vision and leadership shown by my predecessors, Jeffrey, Ted and Stuart had a common thread of always doing what is right for the children, and whilst we have all put our personal slant on the vision, the school remains a caring educational Welcome to our 50th Anniversary event
institution with a truly child centred focus
and for many of you, welcome back!
where excellent relationships between staff
Today we celebrate 50 years of secondary
and students continue to be the norm – where
education in Attleborough and the many
traditional expectations for behaviour are still
successes that we have achieved.
promoted and where we continue to grow and develop decent human beings who
Whatever your connection to the school,
understand the importance of endeavour,
whether you are an ex or current member
respect, kindness and fairness.
of staff, Governor, Trustee or member of our community, you will have contributed to the
Over the span of leadership of the four
admirable ethos and great spirit within the
Headteachers, the school has moved
school that we all enjoy today and we thank
from being a secondary modern, to a
you for that.
comprehensive, to ‘Attleborough High School’ and now to ‘Attleborough Academy
At the very start of my presentation at every
Norfolk’. Along the way, we also created a
Open Evening, I always introduce myself as
Sixth Form. Each of these moves were brave
being ‘proud and privileged’ to be the current
and somewhat of a risk at the time and
Principal of this school. Those of you who have
there is a common thread of them all being
worked with me will know that this is not just
carried out early in the national educational
a marketing spin but is a genuine statement
strategies of the time. I believe they were all
from the heart. I use the word ‘privileged’ not
correct to allow the growth of the school and
to mean that I am fortunate in a lucky sense
I would like to pay tribute to my predecessors
but in an honoured sense and I use the word
and their Governing Bodies for their vision,
‘current’ because I am very aware that we
skill and bravery in being prepared to take
these calculated risks which have allowed us
that let you reflect on the growth of the site
to blossom into the institution we are today.
and the buildings. As such, I would invite you
Whatever the legal status of the school,
as you look through and reflect on the many
however, it has made no change to the
successes these buildings have achieved.
culture that we have all developed over the
To remember the many, many students and
years. The notion that we genuinely CARE in
staff who have walked the corridors, the
this community was the core value when I
halls, classrooms and offices, the hustle and
arrived at Attleborough High School in 2002
bustle, the discussions, conversations, the
as one of the new Assistant Principals and it still
concerns, the anxieties, the frustrations, the
holds true today. We overtly expect students
frowns, the tears, the achievements, the
and staff to care for each other, for the
presentations, the speeches, the learning,
community, for the school and for themselves.
the teamwork, the support, the commitment, the determination, the enthusiasm , the
After the recent passing of Jeffrey Blagg, the
resilience, the participation, the engagement,
first Headteacher of the school, his son Julian,
the encouragement, the confidence,
donated his father’s log book to the Academy
the admiration, the handshakes, the
and it has been fascinating to be able to have
acknowledgments, the camaraderie, the
an insight into Jeffrey’s approach to leadership
banter, the thanks, the hugs, the smiles, the
and his determination to work to enhance
nods, the laughter and the joy, but mostly,
the lives and prospects of all Attleborough
the genuine care shown between us all.
students. Jeffrey clearly had a passion for books and a clear resolve to ensure that the
Here’s to the next 50 years !
school Library would provide the opportunity to open the minds of students to the awe and
Mr Neil McShane
wonder of our world. Jeffrey was adamant
Principal
that a Library would be created in school from the start and continued to ensure it was sustainable and well stocked. It is therefore fitting that we dedicate the Library in his memory today. And so today, we have an opportunity to celebrate, admire and give our respects and thanks to all that has gone before. We have much to be grateful for and admire. In putting this souvenir booklet together, we have pointedly only included the images
The Official Opening of the School was on Thursday 25th May 1967
But the School had been open to students since september 1965. See below the first page of the log compiled by Mr Jeffrey Blagg, the first Headteacher.
The Main School Hall 1967
Mr Jeffrey Blagg and VIPs before the Opening Ceremony
Mr Jeffrey Blagg
Mr Ted Hickling
Headteacher 1965 – 1984
Headteacher 1984 – 2000
Mr Stuart Bailey
Mr Neil McShane
Headteacher 2000 – 2009
Headteacher 2009 – Present
Circa 1970’s
Circa 1980’s
Circa 2000’s
Mr Neil McShane (Principal) with the current School Council 2016-2017
Artist: Richard Bean 1990’s