Wallingford School
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| Motto | Sending every person into the world able and qualified to play their full part in it |
|---|---|
| Established | 1659 |
| Type | Academy |
| Headteacher | Mr Nigel Willis |
| Founder | Walter Bigg |
| Location |
St George's Road Wallingford Oxfordshire OX10 8HH England Coordinates: 51°36′20″N 1°07′38″W / 51.60551°N 1.12732°W |
| Local authority | Oxfordshire |
| DfE URN | 137357 Tables |
| Ofsted | Reports |
| Students | 1083 |
| Gender | Coeducational |
| Ages | 11–18 |
| Houses | Bigg, Blackstone, Matilda, Christie |
| Colours | Navy & Gold |
| Website |
www |
Wallingford School is a secondary school with academy status located in the town of Wallingford, Oxfordshire, England. It was founded by Walter Bigg in 1659 in association with the Worshipful Company of Merchant Taylors, formally succeeding Wallingford Grammar School when it merged with Blackstone Secondary Modern in 1973.
About
The school's objective is to "send every young person into the world able and qualified to play their full part" in it. In September 2016, the housing system was overhauled, with the students' houses playing a larger role in their day-to-day life than before. As part of the overhaul, the houses were renamed to represent figures with links to Wallingford and the school's history.
Headteacher
The Headteacher is Mr Nigel Willis, who came to Wallingford in 2005, following the interim Headship of Mr Douglas Brown. The Headteacher from September 2001 to August 2005 was Mr Jerry Owens, who left to become a consultant Headteacher with Kent County Council. According to the BBC's School league tables, the school's GCSE results have improved from an all-time low in 2005.
Buildings
A number of buildings make up the school estate. These are named after various notable people from Wallingford, or past teachers at the school.
The main blocks are:
- The Blackstone Building: with Geography, Art, The School Library and, more recently, the sixth form block. These buildings and areas are where all students within the Blackstone house are registered in the mornings.
- The Main Building: with Reception, English, The School Hall, the Canteen, The Old Gym, Design & Technology, ICT, and many admin rooms.
- The Kershaw Building: with Maths, Drama, Music and Modern Foreign Language.
- The Doug Brown Building (formally named as the 'Science Block'): with Science and Technicians Offices.
- The Castle Leisure Centre (also known as 'The Castle'): for PE lessons and large assemblies.
In recent years, Wallingford School has purchased the Castle Leisure Centre from the current owners so the school can use the centre full-time and take over management of public sports events.
Sixth form
Wallingford School features two parts - the secondary school, and a sixth form college which merge to feature the same teachers, lesson structure, subjects, timetable, etc...
Sixth Form students study AS-Levels in Year 12 (age 16/17) and A-Levels in Year 13 (age 17/18). However, from September 2008, a small number of students each term in the sixth form can follow a "Pre A-Level" course that enables them to study for A-Levels if they did not achieve the required GCSE grades to do so by regular progression. These students can spend a year studying five GCSE subjects to retake, then continue with AS/A2 Levels at the sixth form.
Unlike the Years 7 - 11, sixth form students are not required to wear school uniform. They are also given the freedom to sign in and out of the school site at lunchtimes.
Past pupils
- Charlie Brooker, journalist and TV presenter
- Rob Wilson, politician and Member of Parliament for Reading East[1]
References
- ↑ "Rob Wilson MP". gov.uk. UK Government. Retrieved 17 June 2015.