by Alex Bateman
Chris
Connop took over as the new Headmaster of Gayton High School in 1985, coming
from Barnhill School, Hayes where he had been deputy head.
He was at that point, the youngest head to be appointed of either Harrow
County or Gayton High, and the third permanent head of Gayton in only 10 short
years. Chris
had been born in Nottingham, and was an ardent fan of Nottinghamshire CCC.
After coming to the School he took a keen interest in the School and Old
Gayts cricket.
At that time, Gayton High was still one of the top high schools in Harrow, which it remained to be over the following few years. However, the preference for single sex education was beginning to diminish, and as the 1980s went on the numbers began to decrease. Many changes were planned for the School, while the first mutterings of it becoming co-educational were beginning to surface.
By the early 1990s, Gayton High was on something of a downward journey, with falling numbers and standards. Chris began to suffer ill health, and so in 1993 decided to retire from the School. He had been head of Gayton for nine years, the longest of all during that incarnation.
Chris retained his Gaytonian connection by becoming Secretary of the Gaytonian Masonic Lodge in 1996.