Aubin de Gruchy

Do you remember when or how you decided to follow a career within the church?

My matric subjects were all geared towards becoming a vet, but my involvement in a really active youth group meant that I started seeing my future involved working with people, so after completing school, I registered to study social work. In this time, I became far more aware of the enormous struggles individuals and society were facing while also training as a local preacher.

Aubin completed his theological training at Rhodes University in South Africa and later completed a Masters degree at the University of South Africa. Aubin was ordained as a minister of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa in 1982 and served in a number of congregations in South Africa. He was appointed as the Chaplain of Kingswood College in Grahamstown in 1989. In 1999 he was appointed as Deputy Head and Chaplain of Somerset College in the Western Cape.

Aubin’s two children Simon CO04 and Sarah CO09 both attended Truro School.

Take us back to your school days –what were they like?

My dad was a banker which meant we moved a fair amount. I cannot say I enjoyed the schools I attended particularly and all the things I enjoyed happened outside of school, i.e. music lessons, sport, church youth group involvement. It was best to keep your head down at the last two schools I attended as the prefects and senior students often wielded more unpleasant power than the staff!

Sensing that my vocation lay within the Church, I switched to studying for the ministry and became a probationer in the Methodist Church of Southern Africa. In 1982, the second year of serving as a military chaplain, I was ordained as a Methodist Minister. I enjoyed working in different congregations and then was invited to serve as Chaplain at Kingswood College, where as a family we spent ten happy years, experiencing school in a somewhat different life-enhancing manner to that which I had experienced as a boy. My next appointment was as Deputy Head and Chaplain at Somerset College in the Western Cape.

You started at Truro School in 2002, can you remember what it was that encouraged you to make the move from South Africa to the UK, and what was the transition like?

When I applied and was shortlisted for the post at Truro School I flew from Cape Town to Johannesburg and then to Heathrow, transferred to Gatwick to fly to Plymouth. There was an eight-hour delay which meant I had to catch a taxi and then a train and arrived in Truro where it was snowing, to be warmly welcomed by Mr and Mrs Paul and Cathy Smith.

Half an hour later I was in my first Hall for Cornwall Music concert. Given the opportunity to work overseas and experience education and chaplaincy in another country, we made the move to Truro.

We began our time at Truro School in 2002. Initially it was meant to be for two years but we are still here 21 years later! In the interim I transferred to the British Conference of the Methodist Church and we acquired dual citizenship. Our move to Truro was one of the easiest moves we have made as we found ourselves warmly welcomed both into the School and Church.

Are you able to describe any of your strongest memories from your time working at the School?

Whole School Chapel services at Truro Methodist Church, teaching Religious Studies at the Prep and Senior School with Philosophy and Ethics A-Levels under the guidance of Mr Clive Case was all a joy. More recently I have taught less and been more involved with counselling.

Other joys have been running the ACHE training with Lower Sixth students over the years; the fantastic World AIMS team of staff and pupils with some amazing trips to Uganda and Slovenia; the C Team – all those who have led Chapel services, served as Chapel stewards and provided music for worship. Coaching various football sides has been a pleasure. It has also been a privilege to train over 100 members of staff and students as Youth Mental Health First Aiders.

Strongest memories also include wonderful celebrations of weddings of staff and former pupils, baptisms, alongside those incredibly sad moments of memorials and funerals.

It was a huge privilege to see the opening of the Heseltine Gallery with the exhibition of the Methodist Collection of Modern Spiritual Art, the opening of the Sir Ben Ainslie Sports Centre and Leith Catering School. At the Prep School the opening of the Matthew Lovett Hall with the magnificent stainedglass windows created by pupils and the Jane Grasby classrooms.

The biggest privilege and pleasure, alongside working with students, has been the support and friendship of colleagues. From the front door with the Reception team, the Grounds team, the Catering staff, Finance and Human Resources, the Nurses in the Medical Centre, the Marketing team, Development and Alumni Relations team, the Archivist, the Estates team, Caretakers and fellow teachers.

Your children Simon CO04 and Sarah CO09 both attended Truro School. That being said, how does it feel to be departing as not only Chaplain but as an Old Truronian parent? Simon and Sarah previously also worked at Truro School, Simon as a sport coach for a short period before going to university and Sarah for Truro School Enterprises. Mrs de Gruchy worked at Truro School from 2002 until 2015 as a TFL teacher and also within the Learning Support department. She remains enormously proud of the foreign students who were able to complete the English qualifications required for them to continue their studies at British universities.

What would you say to someone hoping to forge a similar career path? Serving as Chaplain has been an enormous privilege and Iwould recommend it for those who sense that this might be their vocation.

What are your plans after leaving, if any?

A lot more paddling on the river!

Going forward I will continue to be involved with Truro School in that I have been appointed as Pastoral Visitor to the Methodist Independent Schools Trust (a role which is also linked to the Methodist Associated Schools and Methodist Academies) alongside working in the Mid-Cornwall Circuit of the Methodist Church.

Martin Palmer retires from Truro School having left a legacy building up one of the largest and busiest music departments in the South West. He joined as Director of Music in 2004, from the Forest School in Snaresbrook.