Celebrating Graham and his 40 years of service

This week we are celebrating our Head Caretaker Graham, for an incredible 40 years of service to our school. Joining as a handyman in 1986, over the past four decades, Graham has seen our school grow and develop significantly. Here he shares some of his standout moments...

What have been the biggest changes you’ve seen to the school over the past 40 years? The biggest thing to be part of was when the school transitioned from being a boarding school to a day school as it is now. It was in 2004 and it was a huge undertaking for us to change the boarding facilities into offices and classrooms.

In more recent years it has been amazing to see just how quickly we are moving forward. As a school we are always striving for more and to do better, and the pace that we are doing it is phenomenal.

What has been a career highlight for you? Believe it or not, I was once part of the school musical production! I live on site with my family, and my son, who was 6 years old at the time, and I both dressed in suits and went up on the stage with the students to sing and dance. I can’t remember the name of the production, but it was a lot of fun!

What has been your most influential moment at the school? I helped with the design of Redland Hall. With our previous building Denmark Hall all the classrooms were on the right side of the building, and the students got so hot and uncomfortable in the summer months being directly in the sunlight. When it was being rebuilt it was my suggestion to move all the classrooms to the left side of the building and I’m pleased that with such a big project, I was able to have a say and played a part in helping the students.

Can you share one of your standout moments? One of the funniest things years ago was annually at Christmas, my colleague Ben used to dress up as Father Christmas and sit on a chair strapped to the top of one of our minibuses. I would then drive him around the grounds to the Junior School for our Christmas Bizarre. It was a lot of fun and the students loved it. I don’t think Health and Safety would let us do that now!

There have been dramatic moments too. In the 1990's, during the Troubles and when all schools with Northern Irish students were on official alert, a mystery package arrived at school. With swift and proactive support from the police and the bomb squad and a full evacuation of Burfield House, we quickly established that a colleague had, in fact, just ordered a batch of new locker keys!

What is your proudest moment? It is my time and commitment to the school. 40 years of service is a long time. I’m proud of how far the School has come in that time and the part that I have played to help shape what our facilities are today, not only for the students but for the staff and our parents who enjoy the site too.

What is the best part about working at Redmaids’ High? The team of people that I work with. Our school is going from strength to strength, and it is a real privilege to work with such brilliant people. And I must not forget to mention the students. Seeing them enjoying school life here every day is what makes it all worthwhile. It's also a real treat to bump into former students who come back to visit.

Finally, what advice would you give a new student joining Redmaids’ High School? Embrace everything that the school offers you - there is so much to be part of!

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