Wallington County Grammar School
 | |
| Motto |
Per Ardua ad Summa ('Through Difficulties to the Heights')[1] |
|---|---|
| Established | 1927 |
| Type | Grammar, Academy |
| Head of School | Jamie Bean [2] |
| Location |
Croydon Road Wallington London SM6 7PH England Coordinates: 51°22′08″N 0°08′56″W / 51.369°N 0.149°W |
| Local authority | Sutton |
| DfE number | 319/5407 |
| DfE URN | 136798 Tables |
| Ofsted | Reports |
| Students | 899 |
| Gender |
Boys Coeducational (Sixth Form) |
| Ages | 11–18 |
| Former pupils | Old Walcountians |
| Website |
wcgs-sutton |
Wallington County Grammar School (WCGS) is a state-funded boys' grammar school located in the London Borough of Sutton. From 1968 till the mid-1990s the school was known as Wallington High School for Boys. The current name was adopted when the sixth form became coeducational.
History
WCGS opened on 19 September 1927 with 71 pupils, half a mile from the current site. The building had a single story, with a wooden extension. The school moved to its present site on Croydon Road in 1935.
During the Second World War, WCGS was damaged by a V-2 bomb. All the windows were blown out and the roof collapsed. WCGS continued to function, with teachers and students working to rebuild the structure, and it was "business as usual". 52 old boys were killed in action.
The 1950s to 1970s marked a period of expansion and development for the school beyond its original structure as new buildings were constructed to meet the growing number of pupils. The "New Block" ("English Block"), which contains laboratories and classrooms, was opened in 1952. It now houses all English and Drama classes, as well as the dining hall. The Sixth Form block, located near the school playing fields, was completed in 1973, now containing classrooms instead.
In 1997, an old boy of WCGS, Christopher Woodhead who was then HM Chief Inspector of Schools, opened a new Science block. This block contains science classrooms, laboratories and various science department administration offices. The second part of the building's development was completed in 2000.
Girls were admitted to the Sixth Form from September 1999.[3] WCGS gained academy status on 1 June 2011.
Headteachers
Mr W.T. Hutchins, 1927–1959
Mr J. Hitchin, 1959–1975
Mr R.S. Harrison, 1975–1990
Dr J. Martin Haworth, 1990–2009 (early retirement in 2009)
Mr Peter Smart, Acting 2009–2010; permanent 2010–2013 (retirement in 2013) [3]
Mr Jonathan Wilden, 2013–2016
Mr Jonathan Wilden, Executive Headteacher of Folio Education Trust, 2016-Present
Mr Jamie Bean, Head Of School, 2016-Present
Houses
On admission to the School, all pupils are assigned to one of six Houses, a vertical system which brings everyone together and is rooted firmly in the traditions of the School. Pupils represent their houses in competitions all throughout the school year. The leading house wins the Cock House Cup.
House colours are worn for rugby and athletics. House ties are presented to those who have demonstrated exceptional leadership skills within their house.
The House system is run by House Masters - teachers who direct the Houses, and House captains - senior students responsible for day-to-day House activities.
| House | Colours | Namesake |
|---|---|---|
| Ruskin | Yellow & Black | Named after John Ruskin the poet |
| Woodcote | Green & Black | A part of Wallington noted in Roman area records |
| Radcliffe | Navy & Sky Blue | Named after John Radcliffe, the 17th century physician and former area resident |
| Mandeville | Maroon & White | Named after Sir Geoffrey de Mandeville, resident and landholder after the Norman Conquest and mentioned in the Doomsday Book |
| Bridges | Blue & White | Named after sometime area resident, Canon Alexander Henry Bridges, Rector of Beddington |
| Carew | Blue & Red | A reference to a family of nobility in the area in Tudor times |
Academic
Academic Performance at Wallington County Grammar School is a good school which seeks to be an outstanding one. Students enter WCGS with very high levels of attainment. As the most recent Ofsted report noted, "students gain GCSE results which are consistently well above national averages.".[5] Progress and attainment in the Sixth Form are both outstanding. The 2012 Ofsted reports that Achievement of pupils, Behaviour and safety of pupils and Leadership and management are outstanding, while Quality of teaching is Good.[6]
WCGS was awarded "science college" status in 2005 for its excellence in Science and Mathematics. This meant extra funding for the school, which helped to further improve the standard of the school's science department. More recently, WCGS was awarded a second specialism - "WCGS Applied Learning".
As the most recent Ofsted report noted, "students at Wallington County Grammar School, WCGS, gain incredible GCSE results which are consistently well above national averages."
Extracurricular
A fundraising concert, known as the Battle of the Bands, was held on 20 October 2006 in order to help fund WCGS' new sports hall. On this occasion, the event was competitive, and the winner was to be decided by a panel of judges. The winners, Dazed, also gave an acoustic performance after the concert in memory of Jimmy Li, a pupil of Wallington County Grammar school who had died in a car crash in January 2006. In total, more than £1000 was raised. The event, which is open to entries from the entire student body, has become a recurring annual event and a popular item in the school's calendar. WCGS plans to host future RAG (Raising And Giving) events to raise money for the Make a Wish Foundation.
The most recent, and largest, addition to extracurricular activities is the sports hall, which was opened in April 2010. The development of the hall cost £1.34 million, of which £785,000 was funded by the LEA and the remainder was funded by the school's and PTFA's own fundraising efforts. The construction incorporates various cutting edge aesthetic features including a V-shaped roof and subtly undulating walls.[7]
Many extracurricular activities are offered by WCGS include Debating, Public Speaking, Chess, Christian Union, Football, Islamic Society, Art, Drama, Music, trips abroad, Cricket, Athletics, Cross-country running and Rugby union. As part of the school's drive to create more societies, newer clubs such as the Puzzle Club and a Film Club have also been founded.
The main sporting achievement of WCGS was in 1999, the 1st XV Rugby team won the final of the Daily Mail U18 Vase in a match played at Twickenham Stadium. The match against Lymm High School ended 16-9 in WCGS's favour.
On 17 March 2006, a Charity Bands Concert was held at the school (WCGS) to raise money for Madidima Primary School in South Africa. Seven bands formed by the school pupils performed to an audience in the WCGS school hall and a total of £545 was raised through ticket and refreshment sales.
WCGS has regular trips abroad, which have included cultural tours to China and Russia; geography expeditions to Iceland and a cruise around the Red Sea. It is customary that at least two or three members of school staff lead the trips, as well as prefects or other senior members of staff.
Notable alumni
People educated at Wallington Grammar School
- Chris Bates, BBC Television Show 'The Apprentice', came 2nd in 2012.[8]
- Paul Deighton, Investment Banker, executive of London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games.
- John Marco Allegro, BBC broadcaster.
- Philip Yea, Vodafone Director, British Heart Foundation Chair, Prince Andrew, Duke of York Advisor.
- Prof Harold Barlow, University College London professor.
- Ryan Cummins, retired county cricketer, (Leicestershire and Northamptonshire).
- Nick Ross, presenter of Crimewatch.
- Malcolm Savidge, former Member of Parliament for Aberdeen North.
- M. J. Seaton, Physics Professor University College London, Royal Astronomical Society president.
- Chris Woodhead, former HM Chief Inspector of Schools.
- Adrian Simpson, presenter.
- Steve Brown, Professional Darts Player
- David Bond, BBC Sports Editor.
- Douglas Allen, Baron Croham, Senior Civil Servant.
- Philip Wilcocks, Royal Navy officer (Rear Admiral).
- Mark Pallen, Professor of Microbial Genomics at the University of Warwick
- Paul Trevor Bale, Feature Film and Television Editor
References
- ↑ "Year 7 2014 Induction Pack" (PDF). wcgs.org.uk.
- ↑ "Welcome to Wallington County Grammar School". Retrieved 21 September 2016.
- ↑ Archived 9 October 2010 at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ "House System". wcgs-sutton.co.uk.
- ↑ Ofsted Report, 27 March 1998
- ↑ Ofsted Report, 14 November 2012
- ↑ Sutton Council's Online Planning D2008/60133
- ↑ Chaudri, Kazim (20 October 2011). "Former Wallington Grammar school student Chris Bates reaches Apprentice final". yourlocalguardian.