New headteacher leads school into new era

Buy photos » Dr Tony Evans has begun his new role as headteacher of Prince Henry’s High School and aims to modernise the school. (s)

THE NEW headteacher of Prince Henry's High School has said he wants to mix modernisation with traditional values to take it into the next generation.

The start of a new era is underway at the Victoria Avenue school after Tony Evans officially took over the reigns at the start of September replacing Bernard Roberts who was headteacher for 19 years.

Dr Evans, who specialises in science, steps into the role after being deputy headteacher at North Bromsgove High School and working at The Chase High School in Malvern as well as St Thomas Aquinas Catholic School in Birmingham.

"Its been an extremely busy few weeks," Dr Evans told the Observer.

"Since starting I've been overwhelmed by the welcome I've received. Everyone's been so supportive and there's a great buzz here at the moment. It's been brilliant, I'm very privileged.

"Having lived in Worcestershire for 20 years I have visited Evesham many times with my family and we have frequently walked beside the river and seen the town, I feel very much at home here."

And already the school has seen big changes under Dr Evans' reign with pupils benefiting from a new Apple Mac suite and a new and improved website is set to go live as soon as next week.

"This is a great school and I want to take it onto its next exciting part of its journey," the new head added. "I want to preserve everything which is good about the school and its ethos and values - a legacy which Bernard has left and I intend to continue.

"But obviously its a new era and we are now in 2012 and we must keep up with the developing technilogical world. We've got a brand new prospectus and are launching a new website which I hope will freshen up the school's image and make it more modern.

"I'm also looking at the buildings and the infrastructure around here to see what can be developed. We've got some fantastic facilities here but like a home there are various aspects of the school that we need to upgrade and re-do.

"We've just seen the Olympic Games and I spoke to the students about the Olympic values in my first assembly here. Fifty years ago Roger Bannister run that mile in just under four minutes and over time we have seen that record come down and that is what you're trying to do as a teacher - trying to get better and get more and more out of what we can do the pupils."

And Dr Evans has pinpointed exam results success as his main target for success.

"I would love to see the GCSE results hit a new record next summer, that would be the ultimate goal because more of our pupils would achieve success. Our record is 71 per cent and we got close last year but to break the record would be smashing."

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