At Aylesbury Grammar School, we are committed to helping our students discover for themselves who they want to be by providing them with opportunities to learn, grow and explore their potential.

A key part of this mission is our strong network of Old Aylesburians, who generously offer their time and expertise to support our current students. Whether through mentorship, advice, or even work placements, this community continues to play a vital role in shaping the next generation.

One recent example is William, a sixth form student, who had the opportunity to undertake a work placement over the summer with Old Aylesburian Matt Kemp, who kindly came forward to offer his support after a call for assistance was shared on LinkedIn.

Please read William's reflections on his experience below:

In July, I had the opportunity to do a work experience placement with Burns & McDonnell, an engineering firm whose UK office is mainly concerned with designing datacentres.  I am particularly grateful to Matt Kemp, an OA and a Senior Project Manager at Burns, for his support – this opportunity was made possible through his response to a LinkedIn post kindly shard by school’s Development Office.

Having considered a career in engineering for a number of years but being uncertain about which specific role I might fit into within the industry, this experience was truly transformative for me.

Over the time I had with Matt and the rest of his team, I was fully immersed into the role each discipline plays in the successful delivery of a project.  Through insightful conversations I had with professionals across various fields, from architects to mechanical engineers to the marketing team, I gained a valuable perspective on the scale of collaboration needed for such projects.

I also gained an understanding of the role of a project manager in the lifecycle of a project - from addressing each client’s individual needs to coordinating different engineering disciplines, the project manager ensures timely and cost-effective project delivery.  I was introduced to the diverse responsibilities a project manager holds throughout a project’s evolution and growth through a discussion of the RIBA stages of a project and considering how that links to the work that Burns does in the mission critical sector.

A particular highlight of the experience for me was the mapping session which I was invited to attend.  During the meeting, I got a true insight into how each project is managed and how a wide variety of different disciplines collaborate to design a datacentre.

Finally, to Matt and the rest of the team at Burns & McDonnell – thank you.  You have given me an amazing opportunity and an immeasurable amount of advice that will help me to make informed decisions about my path after AGS for many years to come.

We are immensely proud of the support provided by our Old Aylesburian network, which continues to ensure that AGS students remain at the heart of everything we do. 

If you aren't already connected with Aylesbury Grammar School on LinkedIn, we encourage you to do so, it's a great way of staying informed about our initiatives and discover opportunities to give back.

We look forward to facilitating even more of these valuable connections in the future, email us at development@ags.bucks.sch.uk if you want to get involved.