A reunion of former High School girls took place last week and over the coming months more activities are to be planned.

Aylesbury High School was opened by Princess Alexandra in 1959 and it was half the size it currently is, with less than a few hundred students and 18 staff. It now has a 1,260 pupils and 160 members of staff.

Over the years the school has steadily developed, but originally there was just the tower block, a small science block, the canteen and a changing rooms, where the girls could get changed to use the outside area for PE lessons.

Last Wednesday, the school corridors were filled with students as the school set up its first reception, aimed at reuniting past students.
Headteacher Alan Rosen said he hoped that this year's events would be attended by many former students who could return to the school.

"Aylesbury High School has been a distinctive part of the local community ever since it opened in 1959 and everyone we speak to agrees that our 50th birthday is a good time to celebrate the school's strengths and successes, and prepare ourselves for the next 50 years and beyond. Tracking down as many former students as we can is essential.

"They all have fascinating stories about when they were at school."
Cate Donaldson is the 50th birthday administrator at the school. She said the search for former students has proved challenging as there has been no official Old Girls' Association.

"I had one lady who came back and wanted to see if her graffiti on one of the old science tables is still there - some of the stories that have come from this has been just amazing.

"It has proved similar to hunting down a needle in a haystack, but the response we have had has been tremendous. The former students who have written are full of support for the school and have many happy memories to share. It has been a privilege to be privy to those recollections. We are already planning the next evening for former students."