Wallingford School

Story

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.AboutThe school's objective is to "send every young person into the world able and qualified to play their full part". 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. They are also named after successful women as well as men.HeadteacherThe Headteacher is Wyll Willis, who came to Wallingford in 2006, 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. The school hit its nadir in 2005 both in terms of results and reputation. The school has enjoyed considerable success academically since 2012 finishing at or near the top of the performance tables for Oxfordshire for A Level and GCSEs. It is heavily over-subscribed but is working towards the building of an extension in 2018/9.BuildingsA number of buildings make up the school estate. These are named after various notable people from Wallingford, or past teachers at the school.