Wycombe High School is a girls'

grammar school A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching Latin, but more recently an academically oriented secondary school ...

High Wycombe High Wycombe, often referred to as Wycombe ( ), is a market town in Buckinghamshire, England. Lying in the valley of the River Wye surrounded by the Chiltern Hills, it is west-northwest of Charing Cross in London, south-southeast of Ayl ...

, Buckinghamshire taking girls from the age of 11 to 18. The school became an

academy An academy ( Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary or tertiary higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membership). The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy ...

in 2011, and in 2020 had 1,308 pupils.

History

The school was the first state grammar school for girls in Buckinghamshire when it opened in 1901 with eighteen pupils. In 1901, the school was housed in the Clock House in Frogmoor, High Wycombe. At that time, enrolment was 18 fee-paying pupils and three staff. Miss Mary Christie M.A. was the first headmistress. The school moved to Benjamin Road in 1906 where it remained for 50 years, except for a time during the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

when it was evacuated to the old grammar school so that the Benjamin Road buildings could be used as a military hospital. By 1922 the school had 300 pupils and was rapidly expanding. The school acquired its status as a

Voluntary Controlled A voluntary controlled school (VC school) is a state-funded school in England and Wales in which a foundation or trust (usually a Christian denomination) has some formal influence in the running of the school. Such schools have less autonomy than ...

girl's grammar school in 1944. By 1956 the number of girls wishing to attend the school was so great that the school moved again to new premises that were built at the present site on Marlow Hill. It won the BBC Radio quiz show '' Top of the Form'' in 1959. In September 2005, the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) awarded the school

specialist school Specialist schools, also known as specialised schools or specialized schools, are schools which specialise in a certain area or field of curriculum. In some countries, for example New Zealand, the term is used exclusively for schools specialis ...

status in Mathematics & Computing. Over the years, buildings have been added to the school, such as Technology, Sport and Drama blocks. These were built to allow for the extra 300 pupils and staff that arrived when

Lady Verney High School Lady Verney High School was a girls' grammar school in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England that closed in 1993.

joined with Wycombe High in 1993. The most recent addition is a new music centre which opened in the summer term in 2015. The school houses a well-resourced library, conference facilities, and the school archive.

Curriculum

Subjects taught at Wycombe High School from Year 7 are: English, Maths, Science, Art, Spanish, History, Geography, French, Latin, Religious Studies, Physical Education, Drama and Technology (alternating between Graphics, Textiles and Food throughout the year).

Notable former pupils

Julia Bone Julia is usually a feminine given name. It is a Latinate feminine form of the name Julio and Julius. (For further details on etymology, see the Wiktionary entry "Julius".) The given name ''Julia'' had been in use throughout Late Antiquity (e. ...

, tennis player * Rita Clifton CBE, advertising executive *

Gladys Colton Gladys Madge Colton FRSA (1909 – 24 April 1986), was an English schoolmistress and educationist. She was head mistress of the City of London School for Girls from 1949 to 1972 and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. Life The elder daughter ...

, headmistress of

City of London School for Girls (''O Lord Direct us'') , established = 1894 , closed = , type = Independent day school , religion = , president = , head_label = Headmistress , head = Jenny Brown , r_head_label = ...

, 1949 to 1972 *

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, actress *

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, writer, town planner, feminist and social activist *

Isa Guha Isa Tara Guha (born 21 May 1985) is an English cricket commentator, television and radio cricket broadcaster, and a former England cricketer who played in the 2005 World Cup and the 2009 World Cup.E. L. James Erika Mitchell (born 7 March 1963), known by her pen name E. L. James, is a British author. She wrote the best-selling erotic romance trilogy ''Fifty Shades of Grey'', ''Fifty Shades Darker'', and ''Fifty Shades Freed'', along with the companio ...

, author of ''

Fifty Shades of Grey ''Fifty Shades of Grey'' is a 2011 erotic romance novel by British author E. L. James. It became the first instalment in the ''Fifty Shades'' novel series that follows the deepening relationship between a college graduate, Anastasia Steele, ...

'' *

Penny Jamieson Penelope Ann Bansall Jamieson (née Allen; born 21 June 1942) is a retired Anglican bishop. She was the seventh Bishop of Dunedin in the Anglican Church of New Zealand from 1989 until her retirement in 2004. Jamieson was the second woman in the ...

Bishop of Dunedin The Diocese of Dunedin is one of the thirteen dioceses and ''hui amorangi'' (Māori bishoprics) of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia. The diocese covers the same area as the provinces of Otago and Southland in the South ...

, New Zealand *

Shan Morgan Dame Shan Elizabeth Morgan (born 12 March 1955) is a former British civil servant. Formerly the Deputy Permanent Representative, UK Representation to the European Union, she was the Permanent Secretary to the Welsh Government until October 202 ...

CMG, British diplomat *

Marion McQuillan Marion McQuillan (30 October 1921 – 24 June 1998) was a British metallurgist who specialised in the engineering uses for titanium and its alloys. She researched jet engine metals and was on the first team to research titanium for the Royal Air ...

(1921 – 1998), British metallurgist who specialised in the engineering uses for titanium and its alloys *

Rachel Burden Rachel Mary Ann Cecilia Burden (born 22 January 1975 in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, Marlow, Buckinghamshire, England) is a newsreader, radio news reporter and presenter. She has presented the BBC Radio 5 Live weekday breakfast show since 2011. She is ...

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References

External links

*
Department for Education Performance Tables 2011
{{authority control Girls' schools in Buckinghamshire Grammar schools in Buckinghamshire High Wycombe Educational institutions established in 1901 Academies in Buckinghamshire 1901 establishments in England