‘Rewarding’ memories of former head of prep school
A former headteacher from Berkhamsted Preparatory School has passed away aged 83.
Philip Anthony Bailey was born in Trinidad in 1927, where his father was a Methodist missionary. He spent the first nine years of his life living in Barbados.
Philip became a teacher at Berkhamsted Prep School, then in Chesham Road, in 1953, where he stayed for three years.
After a five-year spell of teaching at a Brighton-based school, he returned.
He met wife June on a blind date in 1953 and proposed to her that same night.
She refused, but they got engaged six months later on April Fools Day - so they could remember the date, and married in August that year.
They had three children – Jill, now 54, Ian, 53, and Richard, 49.
In 1973, Phil was made headmaster of the prep school and moved with his family from their Cedar Road home to Preparatory House in Chesham Road.
Dave Sansome, who worked with Phil, said: “It was rewarding to work with someone who had complete confidence in your ability. It brought out the best in his staff.”
Dave Pearce, former head of English at Berkhamsted School, said: “It always seemed obvious to me that Phil was enjoying being head of the prep school.”
Phil retired in 1988, moved to Christchurch, Dorset, and died a grandfather-of-six.
His family said in a statement: “Behind his headmaster’s exterior, Phil was a warm and loving husband to June and a caring father to Jill, Ian and Richard.”
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