I wish to belatedly extend a warm welcome to all members of the Guildford Grammar School community, whether you are returning or are joining us for the first time this year. Once again the school year has begun with a real sense of purpose, energy and enthusiasm among the staff and students alike.
I am pleased to report that the School continues to grow. The roll currently stands at 990 students which is significantly more than this time last year. The numbers of enquiries for places at the School are at levels which are unprecedented in our recent history. We are, however, very mindful of the need to ensure that the School does not continue to grow unabated. One of the great strengths of Guildford Grammar School is its relatively intimate size and our ability to focus on the individual child as a result of this. The issue of School size is one factor pertaining to the School’s future which has been addressed in the new Strategic Plan which was adopted by the School’s Governing Council at its final 2006 meeting. We will shortly be disseminating an outline of this Plan to the School community, but I wish to take this opportunity to thank the School governors, parents, staff and boys and girls who contributed to this Plan via their attendance at the various workshops which shaped the final document.
On another matter altogether, I am fully aware of the inconvenience being felt by some of us all due to the modifications to Great Eastern Highway which are a necessary part of the installation of the traffic lights. We anticipate that the road works will be finished by the end of March, thus allowing more efficient and safer traffic flow in and out of the School campus and it is expected that the lights will be fully operational by early April. I know that our patience will be rewarded once this component of the One Campus Project is completed.
Once again, a number of improvements (other than the One Campus Project) have been made to the School campus over the Christmas vacation period. The most significant and impressive development is the complete transformation of St George’s House into our new residential hall which was formally opened on Thursday 1 March by the Chairman of Council, Mr. Ken Sevenson. This ‘new’ residential facility has been named the Sir Francis Burt Senior Hall of Residence and it forms the first stage of the School’s Boarding Renaissance Project.
In so many different ways I am predicting that the 2007 school year will be a fantastic one for us all, and the staff and I are looking forward to working with all of our families to deliver the best educational experience that we can for each and every boy and girl here at Guildford Grammar School.
Robert Zordan
Headmaster