Post-War Years
Mr Anthony Gilkes, Headmaster, 1946-1953
In 1946 the Headmaster resigned having been offered the Headmastership of Merchant Taylors' School. It was felt that he had done wonders in actually keeping the School going through the War years. But numbers had inevitably fallen, standards of work and games had been difficult to maintain, and permanent young staff were almost an impossibility.
Mr Anthony Gilkes was appointed from the 84 applicants that applied. He was eminently successful in tackling the problems of dropping standards, helped immensely by the Housemasters he inherited, by appointing younger staff (mainly ex-service men) and by his own drive and enthusiasm.
In 1949, Mr Gilkes appointed Mr Eadward Langhorne as the first dedicated Headmaster of Dean Close Junior School, which is when the Junior School first came into being as a separate, properly constituted preparatory school within the membership of the Independent Association of Preparatory Schools.
His seven years at the School were said to be relatively quiet and peaceful compared with those of his predecessors. However, School accounts were in a poor state and it was up to Mr Gilkes to generate a quick recovery of numbers to help relieve the overdraft.
Matters were greatly aided by an anonymous gift of £1,000, made in his first year as Headmaster, and to be used at his discretion. Mr Gilkes worked hard to heighten the School's reputation, establishing contacts of interest and value and preaching in many churches. He also joined forces with the Principal of Cheltenham Ladies' College to form a joint musical society in the town.
In 1953, Mr Gilkes resigned to go St Paul's School as High Master. In all too short a tenure, he had enhanced the School's reputation, both academically and in general. He was able to hand his successor a School with a total number of 449 boys and a credit balance of over £6,000.