Wycombe High School
Encyclopedia
Wycombe High School is a girls' grammar school
in High Wycombe
, Buckinghamshire
. It is an Academy, taking girls from the age of 11 through to the age of 18. The school has approximately 1,340 pupils. In May 2011 the school became an Academy.
In September 2005, the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) awarded the school specialist school
status in Mathematics & Computing
.
in 1959.
The Clock House in Frogmoor, High Wycombe was where the school was originally housed in 1901. The school was first opened in September 1901 when there were only 18 fee paying students and 3 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 when it was evacuated to the old grammar school so that 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 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.
Over the years new buildings were added to the school as it grew larger, with Technology, Sport and Drama blocks being some of the latest additions. These were built to allow for the extra 300 pupils and staff that arrived when Lady Verney High School joined with Wycombe High in 1993.
The PE is a black and blue nylon shirt, with a matching skirt
/skort
. The regulation hoodie is also required. Students are required to have black dance leggings, black tracksuit bottoms, black athletic shorts, hockey socks, shin pads, football boots, two pairs of trainers.
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
in High Wycombe
High Wycombe
High Wycombe , commonly known as Wycombe and formally called Chepping Wycombe or Chipping Wycombe until 1946,is a large town in Buckinghamshire, England. It is west-north-west of Charing Cross in London; this figure is engraved on the Corn Market building in the centre of the town...
, Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
. It is an Academy, taking girls from the age of 11 through to the age of 18. The school has approximately 1,340 pupils. In May 2011 the school became an Academy.
In September 2005, the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) awarded the school specialist school
Specialist school
The specialist schools programme was a UK government initiative which encouraged secondary schools in England to specialise in certain areas of the curriculum to boost achievement. The Specialist Schools and Academies Trust was responsible for the delivery of the programme...
status in Mathematics & Computing
Mathematics and Computing College
Mathematics and Computing Colleges were introduced in England in 2002 as part of the Government's Specialist Schools Programme which was designed to raise standards in secondary education. Specialist schools focus specifically on their chosen specialism but must also meet the requirements of the...
.
History
The school was the first state grammar school for girls in Buckinghamshire when it opened in 1901 with eighteen students. It won Top of the FormTop of the Form
Top of the Form was a BBC radio and television quiz show for teams from secondary schools in the United Kingdom which ran for 38 years, from 1948 to 1986.-History:...
in 1959.
The Clock House in Frogmoor, High Wycombe was where the school was originally housed in 1901. The school was first opened in September 1901 when there were only 18 fee paying students and 3 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 when it was evacuated to the old grammar school so that 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 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.
Over the years new buildings were added to the school as it grew larger, with Technology, Sport and Drama blocks being some of the latest additions. These were built to allow for the extra 300 pupils and staff that arrived when Lady Verney High School joined with Wycombe High in 1993.
Uniform and PE kit
Wycombe High School have a fairly strict uniform code, consisting of a blue, revere collared blouse, a coloured jumper (cobalt blue for years 7-9, burgundy for years 10 & 11) and either hipster trousers or a box-pleated skirt.The PE is a black and blue nylon shirt, with a matching skirt
Skirt
A skirt is a tube- or cone-shaped garment that hangs from the waist and covers all or part of the legs.In the western world, skirts are usually considered women's clothing. However, there are exceptions...
/skort
Skort
A skort, sometimes called a scooter or skant, resembles a skirt all the way around, and has shorts underneath. Some skorts are essentially skirts with a pair of shorts hidden underneath, though most resemble a pair of shorts with a panel of fabric over the front.-History:The term "skort" is used...
. The regulation hoodie is also required. Students are required to have black dance leggings, black tracksuit bottoms, black athletic shorts, hockey socks, shin pads, football boots, two pairs of trainers.
Curriculum
Subjects taught at Wycombe High school for years 7 and 8 are English, Maths, Science, Art, ICT, History, Geography, French, Latin (for Year Seven only), Spanish German or Latin (Year 8+), Religious Studies, Physical Education, Drama and Technology (alternating between Graphics, Textiles and Food throughout the year)From September 2010, Wycombe High School introduced a new scheme where Year Nine students start their GCSE's a year early, taking 3 years to complete instead of two. The students choose 4 GCSE subjects (2 to start in Year 9, Two to start in Year 10) which each last two years, as well as studying the compulsory core subjects - English Language, English Literature, Maths, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, ICT, and a short course in Citizenship. In Year Nine only, they take part in 6 'Enrichment Courses' compiled of Art, Dance, Drama and three other subjects of their choice.Notable former pupils
- Julia Bone, tennis player
- Lucinda DryzekLucinda DryzekLucinda "Lucy" Dryzek is an English actress. Probably best known for playing Katy Riley in the BBC sitcom Life of Riley.-Personal life:...
, actress - Isa GuhaIsa GuhaIsa Tara Guha is an England cricketer who played in the 2005 Women's Cricket World Cup in South Africa . A right arm fast medium bowler, she made her Test debut at the age of 17 against India in 2002 when she was named BBC Asian Network Sports Personality of the Year...
, England cricketer - Penny JamiesonPenny JamiesonPenelope Ann Bansall "Penny" Jamieson DCNZM was the seventh Bishop of Dunedin in the Anglican Church of New Zealand from 1989 until her retirement in 2004...
, Bishop of Dunedin, New ZealandNew ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...