Old Aylesburians Giving Back - Thank you to Doctor David Orchard (AGS Teacher of Chemistry 1982 - 2005)

Thank you to Dr David Orchard who is now spending many of his Wednesday afternoons in the School's Development Office sorting through and indexing as much of our archive material as he can. So much of our archive has not been reviewed for many years and at this stage we are trying to simply put what we have in chronological order. We are finding some fabulous photos and documents and will share them when we can.

Many of you will remember Doctor Orchard during his time here at the School, not only as a Chemistry Teacher but as Master i/c Tennis and Squash, Head of Year 10, then Head of Paterson House. He also had overall responsibility for the Duke of Edinburgh Award and was a Teacher Governor. No stranger to the AGS Development Office, Dave was a member of the Inspired Squash Facilities Campaign Board and helped us to raise in excess of £300,000 for the refurbishment of the facilities in 2013.

Dave left RGS High Wycombe in 1963 and went to Sheffield University to study Chemistry.  In July 1967 he graduated BSc Hons. in Chemistry and in September 1967 he joined Notre Dame University, Indiana as a visiting Fulbright Scholar where he acted as tutor to the Freshman Chemistry class. In September 1968 returned to Sheffield University begin a PhD in Inorganic Chemistry.

In July 1971 Dave completed his PhD (conferred April 1972) and in September 1971 he began teaching Chemistry at Sir William Borlase’s School, Marlow. He left Sir William Borlase’s School in December 1979 and the following January he began as a self-employed tennis and squash coach. First as a supply teacher in Maths and Science at Quarrendon School, he then became a full-time maths teacher at Quarrendon School. In September 1982 Doctor Orchard joined AGS as a full time Chemistry teacher.