Wanstead High School (WHS), formerly Wanstead County High School, is a co-educational, non-denominational, comprehensive secondary school in Wanstead, London, United Kingdom.

Admissions

It specialises in the performing arts and has 1532 pupils aged 11 to 19. Its local education authority is Redbridge. It is situated just west of the A12 junction with the North Circular Road ( A406).

Traditions

Its

motto A motto (derived from the Latin , 'mutter', by way of Italian , 'word' or 'sentence') is a sentence or phrase expressing a belief or purpose, or the general motivation or intention of an individual, family, social group, or organisation. Mot ...

is ''"Abeunt Studia in Mores"'' which translates literally as ''"studies become habits"'' or ''"practices zealously pursued pass into habits"''. It can be taken to mean ''"Studies build one's character"''. Its symbol is the heron, a bird traditionally associated with the area. Its

alumni Alumni (singular: alumnus (masculine) or alumna (feminine)) are former students of a school, college, or university who have either attended or graduated in some fashion from the institution. The feminine plural alumnae is sometimes used for grou ...

are known as "Old Heronians". Its uniform colour is burgundy, having previously been black, and the school uniform must be worn by all pupils except the

sixth form In the education systems of England, Northern Ireland, Wales, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and some other Commonwealth countries, sixth form represents the final two years of secondary education, ages 16 to 18. Pupils typically prepare for A-l ...

, where students are required to dress formally.

History

Wanstead Country High school was opened in 1924 as a mixed

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 ...

. It was one of the first co-educational secondary schools in England. The site had previously been a rectory. During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

the school was evacuated to

Newent Newent (; originally called "Noent") is a market town and civil parish about 10½ miles (17 km) north-west of Gloucester, England. Its population was 5,073 at the 2001 census, rising to 5,207 in 2011, The population was 6,777 at the 2021 Census. ...

. On 15 February 1957, over 150 pupils suffered food poisoning. Until 1965 it was administered by the Essex Education Committee. In the 1960s, the school had around 800 boys and girls, with 250 in the sixth form. The school buildings were extended in 1964 and again in 1974 when the science and humanities block was built.

Performing arts facilities

Performing arts facilities at the school include a theatre, drama and dance studios and music technology suites. In addition to allowing pupils to study these areas specifically, performance elements are also being introduced into other areas of the wider curriculum. Ian Sweet and Rebecca Grace are the current heads of performing arts at the school. However, previous head teacher, Bob Hamlyn, has come under fire recently for cutting the music department's budget..

Notable former pupils

Geraldine Bedell Geraldine Bedell is a British novelist and writer for ''The Observer''. She drew wide public attention when she claimed she had been disinvited from a planned appearance at the first International Festival of Literature in Dubai, because her no ...

, journalist and writer *

Nick Berry Nicholas Berry (born 16 April 1963) is a retired English actor and pop singer. He is best known for his roles as Simon Wicks in ''EastEnders'' from 1985 to 1990, and as PC Nick Rowan in '' Heartbeat'' from 1992 to 1998. He sang UK chart sin ...

Television actor and musician. *

Carly Cole Carly Calder Cole (née Zucker; born 11 May 1984) is a British reality television contestant, fitness trainer and model, and wife of former professional footballer Joe Cole. Media career Cole has modelled for fitness and fashion magazines. She ...

(''née'' Zucker), wife of footballer

Joe Cole Joseph John Cole (born 8 November 1981) is an English football coach and former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder or winger in the Premier League, Ligue 1, League One and United Soccer League. He is regarded as on ...

* Jonathan Fortune, footballer *

Sarah Holland Sarah Holland (born November 1961 in Folkestone, Kent, England) is a writer, actress and singer best known for her 22 romantic novels for Harlequin which have been published in over 130 countries, selling millions of copies worldwide. She has al ...

, writer *

Gillian Merron Gillian Joanna Merron, Baroness Merron (born 12 April 1959) is a British politician and life peer serving as Chief Executive of the Board of Deputies of British Jews since 2014. A member of the Labour Party (UK), Labour Party, she has been a s ...

, former Labour MP and junior minister *

Ronnie O'Sullivan Ronald Antonio O'Sullivan (born 5 December 1975) is an English professional snooker player who is the current world champion and world number one. Widely recognised as one of the most talented and accomplished players in the sport's history, ...

, snooker player *

Kayne Ramsay Kayne Ramsay (born 10 October 2000) is an English professional footballer who plays as a defender for League Two club Harrogate Town. Club career Southampton A right back, Ramsay joined Southampton from Chelsea in 2017 as a youth prospect. ...

, footballer *

Frances Ruffelle Frances Ruffelle (born 29 August 1965) is an English musical theatre actress and singer. She won a Tony Award in 1987, and represented the United Kingdom in the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest with the song " Lonely Symphony (We Will Be Free)", ...

, actress *

Richard Wisker Richard Wisker (born 1 February 1995) is a BAFTA Award-nominated British actor and presenter from Dagenham, England, known for his role as Liam O'Donovan in ''Tracy Beaker Returns''. From 2013 to 2015 he portrayed Rich in the CBBC series ''Dani ...

, star of

CBBC CBBC (initialised as Children's BBC and also known as the CBBC Channel) is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast children's television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is also the bran ...

's children's comedy drama

Tracy Beaker Returns ''Tracy Beaker Returns'' is a British television programme. Based upon the novels by Jacqueline Wilson, it is the sequel series to '' The Story of Tracy Beaker''. The series stars Dani Harmer reprising her role as protagonist Tracy Beaker. T ...

. * Bilal Zafar, award-winning comedian

Wanstead County High School

Robert Atwell Robert Ronald Atwell (born 3 August 1954) is a British Anglican bishop, writer, and former Benedictine monk. Since April 2014, he has been the Bishop of Exeter. From 2008 to 2014, he was Bishop of Stockport, a suffragan bishop in the Diocese o ...

, Anglican Bishop of Exeter * Michael Coren, journalist *

Rupert Davies Rupert Davies FRSA (22 May 191622 November 1976) was a British actor. He is best remembered for playing the title role in the BBC's 1960s television adaptation of '' Maigret'', based on Georges Simenon's novels. Life and career Military s ...

, film, TV, and stage actor, best known as Maigret in the 1960s TV series *

Geoff Elliott Geoffrey Michael Elliott (7 April 1931 – 12 October 2014) was a pole vaulter, shot putter and decathlete from England. He was born in Ilford. Athletics career He represented Great Britain in both the pole vault and decathlon events at t ...

, Olympic pole-vaulter and decathlete (Helsinki, 1952) *

Brian Moll Brian Percy Moll (19 May 1925 – 9 August 2013) was a British-born Australian comedian character actor of stage, television and film and director and producer who emigrated to Australia from his native England in 1950. Quitting his job as a pub ...

, actor *

Keith Ovenden Keith William Ovenden (6 August 1943 – 23 June 2023) was an English novelist and biographer. Ovenden was born on 6 August 1943 in London, where he was also raised. He was educated at Wanstead County High School. He went on to study for degr ...

, writer * Geoffrey Pardoe, aerodynamicist and rocket scientist, Director from 1993 to 1996 of the International Academy of Science, Project Manager from 1956 to 1960 of

Blue Streak Blue Streak or Bluestreak may refer to: Entertainment * ''Blue Streak'' (album), a 1995 album by American blues guitarist Luther Allison * Blue Streak (comics), a secret identity used by three separate Marvel Comics supervillains * Bluestreak (co ...

, President from 1984 to 1985 of the

Royal Aeronautical Society The Royal Aeronautical Society, also known as the RAeS, is a British multi-disciplinary professional institution dedicated to the global aerospace community. Founded in 1866, it is the oldest aeronautical society in the world. Members, Fellows, ...

, and advocate of the

British space programme The British space programme is the British government's work to develop British space capabilities. The objectives of the current civil programme are to "win sustainable economic growth, secure new scientific knowledge and provide benefits to a ...

David Rappaport David Stephen Rappaport (23 November 1951 – 2 May 1990) was an English actor with achondroplasia. He appeared in the films '' Time Bandits'' and '' The Bride'', and television series '' L.A. Law'', '' The Wizard'' and ''Captain Planet and the ...

, musician, stage, screen and TV actor (Time Bandits, The Wizard). * Liz Robertson, actress *

Tony Robinson Sir Anthony Robinson (born 15 August 1946) is an English actor, author, broadcaster, comedian, presenter, and political activist. He played Baldrick in the BBC television series ''Blackadder'' and has presented several historical documentarie ...

, actor, comedian, author, television presenter and political activist *

Maurice Tucker Maurice Edwin Tucker (born 6 November 1946) is a leading British sedimentologist, specialising in the field of carbonate sedimentology, more commonly known as limestones. From 1993 to 2011 he held the position of Professor of Geological Science ...

, professor of geological sciences since 1993 at Durham University and previous Master of

University College, Durham , motto_English = Not for ourselves alone , scarf = , established = , principal = Wendy Powers , vice_principal = Ellen Crabtree , undergraduates = 698 , postgraduates = 153 , coordinates = , location_map = Durham , map_size ...

Angela Watkinson Dame Angela Eileen Watkinson, DBE (''née'' Ellicott; born 18 November 1941) is a British politician. She was Conservative Party Member of Parliament (MP) for Hornchurch and Upminster until 2017, and was first elected in 2001 to the earlier s ...

, Conservative MP since 2001 for

Upminster Upminster is a suburban town in East London, England, within the London Borough of Havering. Located east-northeast of Charing Cross, it is one of the district centres identified for development in the London Plan. Historically a rural vill ...

* John Wilton, major (Royal Ulster Rifles), ambassador to Kuwait from 1970 to 1974, and to

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...

from 1976 to 1979 * Donna-Maria Maynard (née Bradshaw), Professor of Psychology since 2019 at the University of the West Indies

Notable former teachers

* Wilf Paish (physical education teacher in the 60s. Coach of many athletes, including Olympic gold medal winner Tessa Sanderson) *

Ron Pickering Ronald James Pickering (4 May 1930 – 13 February 1991) was an athletics coach and BBC sports commentator. Biography Pickering was born in Hackney. His father was a sign fixer. He became head boy at West Ham Secondary School (later to become ...

(left in 1961 when he became athletics coach for Wales and the West of England)

References

Sources

* ''The Times'', 12 January 1996

External links

EduBase
{{authority control Secondary schools in the London Borough of Redbridge Educational institutions established in 1924 1924 establishments in England Community schools in the London Borough of Redbridge