About Wallingford
Wallingford itself is a medieval market town on one of the most attractive stretches of the River Thames, the surrounding villages are equally beautiful. It is a thriving part of England and a popular destination for those seeking peace and quiet. The beautiful and historic city of Oxford is a short bus ride away, as is Reading with it’s busy town centre. We are also an hour’s drive from London for those who enjoy visiting the capital.
Our school is a five minute walk from the town centre, but the site is a very private and pleasant one, where people can feel safe and enjoy their free time. We became a single school site in 1997, so our buildings are in relatively good condition.
This school was established in Wallingford 350 years ago by the merchant tailor Walter Bigg who wanted to endow a school associated with the parish church of St Mary’s. He was born and raised locally and went on to be elected Lord Mayor of London. Although he made good he never forgot his roots and was keen to help others. He left us a trust fund that still exists for the benefit of our young people. We hope to encourage a similar desire to serve the community in our current students. We are proud to have maintained our links with the Merchant Taylor’s Company in the City of London continuously since 1659.
Our community has a strong sense of tradition and high expectations of the school. They, as with all parents, want their children to be safe, happy and successful. We believe we serve the community well, and our students are our best advertisements. They are generally confident, articulate, pleasant and positive about their learning. We do cater for the full range of ability, and some of our students need a hand to make sense of the world, but they are catered for without compromising the learning of others and a very small part of the whole in comparison with most schools. The social mix of the school enables us to teach without worrying about conduct, and lets students enjoy learning within the context of purposeful and pleasant relationships.
