A Tribute to Peter Gardiner

Like a man, no school is an island. It is influenced by, and is expected to influence, the political, social and economic circumstances of the society of which it is a part. In the political sphere the schools have seen a swing from right to left and now back to right again, and the independent schools have felt themselves under sufficient pressure to take some measures of self-defence, mainly ISIS. Social changes of all kinds have been considerable — increased tolerance of behaviour formerly frowned upon; the move towards more friendliness, or familiarity — call it what you will; increased escapism as reflected for example in increased consumption of alcohol; changes in acceptable costume and hair styles; the lowering of the age of majority from twenty one to eighteen; increased use of personal transport; the falling birth rate; the spread of belief in co-education; the decline in church-going. The list could be extended greatly, and these changes have all presented problems and opportunities to the schools, whether independent or not. The impact of economic events, too, has been enormous, while ideas in education itself have not been static, by any means.

This, then, is the background against which Peter Gardiner's influence and work at St. Peter's has to be viewed. He took over a school with a well founded basis of scholarship, a sound reputation in the world of school sport, and an unusually good internal atmosphere. It is not easy to follow a long established and respected regime, and, human memory being what it is, the old days tend to be the good old days, but nevertheless the net advantages were great: it was not reform but development and adaption to changing circumstances that were to be the new headmaster's task.

It may well be that, however long his tenure, no headmaster of St. Peter's has had so many external influences to consider, and of these probably the most worrying was the world-wide student unrest of the early 197os, which spread from the universities to the schools. St. Peter's was in fact not much affected, such incidents as there were being very minor and individual. The reasons for this near-immunity are not simple to analyse, but Peter's firmness where it was called for and adaptability where that was appropriate to an improved atmosphere must surely have been amongst them. One of the manifestations of this unrest was the appearance amongst a small minority of hostility to chapel services, just at a time when some dissatisfaction with the forms of organised religion was springing from other and more worthy sources. This problem, more particularly in its longer term aspect, has been met by making services less dependant on ritual and more on relationship to daily experience, bringing them more into line with modern needs. It would be idle to pretend that Peter's guidance in this has pleased everybody or has entirely surmounted the indifference arising from a largely secular society, but it has succeeded in keeping "Chapel" as a substantial influence in the school. And, frankly, that is probably as much as anyone could reasonably hope for. These are but two examples, albeit major ones, of the many decisions he has had to make in response to changing external circumstances. There are many others, ranging from abolition of the school cap to keeping a register of eighteenth birthdays, some easy, some difficult. However, one of Peter's characteristics is to have thorough consultation with

those concerned before making a decision and if sometimes this has seemed to some to have gone almost too far, it means that rarely has anyone not had the opportunity to put his point of view. But ultimately the decisions have to be the headmaster's. Where these have been painful, as they have been on occasion, for such is a headmaster's lot, his reluctance to hurt anyone's feelings has always been very obvious.

Painful decisions, however, tend to be those forced by circumstances. Perhaps not less difficult to carry out, but far pleasanter, are those which could broadly be called developments, and in this field Peter has engineered introductions of major importance and has carried opinion with him. This is no place for a catalogue, but who can deny that the school has benefited greatly from parents' meetings; the encouragement of drama, including the establishment of the Drama Centre; the Sports Hall; the Swimming Baths in their new form; and the great diversity of activities now available ? These are not the only positive developments and perhaps above all Peter will be remembered for the introduction of girls into the VI Form, one of the most successful achievements of his regime. In all these ways he has made with great smoothness the transition from the benevolent autocracy appropriate to the nineteen fifties and early sixties to the more free and easy atmosphere called for in the nineteen seventies. Timing has been important, for influences are gradual in their growth as a rule, and development is rarely urgent. While a school has to move with the times, when changes are for the better or are compelling, it also must not move with every whim or fancy or passing fashion. It is fair to say that at St. Peter's in the last twelve years no policy decisions have been rushed and none delayed too long.

It is hardly deniable that the most vital feature of a school is its "tone", which defies definition, but is an amalgam of discipline, friendliness, tolerance, enthusiasms, manners, and no doubt many trace elements. For at least half a century St. Peter's has had a very good "tone". It is perhaps as great a tribute as any to Peter's headship that he has not only maintained this but has enhanced it.

All this has been done at a time when economic, and to a lesser extent political, developments have been hostile. When over a period economic pressures have been such as to raise school fees nearly five-fold, credit must be given to a headmaster who has seen his school rise in numbers from 645 to 750, his teacher/pupil ratio improve, many classrooms modernised, a Sports Hall buit, the Swimming Baths modernised, and that without any falling-off of standards elsewhere. On the political side there has been no direct threat, but the Headmasters' Conference felt it necessary to set up ISIS as a means inter alia of informing public opinion, and one of Peter's lesser known activities is that he was one of the founders of that body and has served on its committees both locally and nationally.

And what of Peter himself ? He has been no remote headmaster, but has associated himself closely with every school activity, knows all the boys and girls personally, is always available. Thus his concern, his culture, his sense of humour, his enthusiasm and his capacity for hard work have been pervading and incalculable influences for good. It has sometimes been said that it is impossible to be both a gentleman and a good headmaster, but at St. Peter's the dilemma has not existed: we remember him as both.