The John of Gaunt School

Not to be confused with John O'Gaunt School, Hungerford, Berkshire.

The John of Gaunt School
The John of Gaunt School's falcon logo
Location
Wingfield Road Trowbridge , Wiltshire , BA14 9EH England
Coordinates	51°18′56″N02°13′10″W / 51.31556°N 2.21944°W / 51.31556; -2.21944
Information
Type	Academy
Department for Education URN	138020 Tables
Ofsted	Reports
Headteacher	Ben Rhodes
Gender	Mixed
Age	11to 18
Enrolment	1,262
Houses	Kirin, Centaur, Wyvern, Phoenix
Colours	Red, Blue, Green, Yellow
Website	johnofgauntschool.org

The John of Gaunt School is a mixed secondary school with a sixth form and a Resource Base for Communication and Interaction Needs, in Trowbridge, Wiltshire, England. The school is named after John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster, as it is built upon land that he once owned.

The school's immediate predecessors were the Trowbridge High School for Boys and the Trowbridge High School for Girls, single-sex grammar schools which were established in 1912 on two sites: on Wingfield Road (boys) and nearby on Gloucester Road (girls). These formed a co-educational grammar school, the Combined High Schools, on 14 April 1969. ^{[1] [2]}

The school entrance on Wingfield Road

In August 1974, the school became a coeducational comprehensive school and was renamed The John of Gaunt School. ^[3] Previously a community school administered by Wiltshire Council, the school converted to academy status on 1 April 2012. However, the school continues to coordinate with Wiltshire Council for admissions.

The John of Gaunt School offers GCSEs and BTECs as programmes of study for pupils, as well as vocational courses offered in conjunction with Wiltshire College. ^[4] Students in the sixth form have the option to study for a range of A-levels and further BTECs. ^[5]

The school joined the Equa multi-academy trust in April 2023. The trust also operates Lavington School, as well as a number of Wiltshire primary schools. ^[6]

Notable former pupils

Trowbridge High School for Boys

• John Atyeo (1932–1993), prolific goal-scorer for Bristol City who also scored for England ^[7]
• Sir William Richard Joseph Cook (1905–1987), mathematician who helped to lead the British hydrogen bomb programme in the 1950s
• John Garrett (1902–1966), headmaster and author ^[8]
• Kenneth Harris (1919–2005), former chief interviewer for The Observer newspaper
• Tony Lane (1928–2011), nuclear physicist ^[9]
• John Henry Pyle Pafford (1900–1996), librarian and editor
• James Rodway (1848–1926), botanist and historian of Guyana

Trowbridge High School for Girls

• Janet Anderson (1949–2023), briefly at the school, Labour MP for Rossendale and Darwen
• Maureen Duffy (born 1933), author
• Joan M. Hussey (1907–2006), Professor of History at the University of London
• Bel Mooney (born 1946), journalist and broadcaster
• Marjorie Reeves (1905–2003), historian

Trowbridge High School

• Alan Smith (born 1957), former Bishop of St Albans and Member of the House of Lords
• Deborah Meaden (born 1959), businesswoman and Dragons' Den member

The John of Gaunt School

• Nick Blackwell (born 1990), boxer
• Rob Chapman (born 1975), musician and guitar company owner
• Keri Davies, radio producer and playwright
• Jordan Daykin (born 1995), entrepreneur
• Tom Gale (born 1998), Olympic high jumper
• Gemma Hunt (born 1982), CBBC and CBeebies presenter
• Chris Stokes (born 1991), footballer
• Becky Baldwin, bass player for Mercyful Fate

Headteachers

Trowbridge and District County Secondary School

• Mr J.W. Henson (1897–1912) ^[10]

Trowbridge Secondary School for Boys

• Mr J.W. Henson (1912–1914) ^[10]

Trowbridge Secondary School for Girls

• Miss E.M. Moore (1912–1914) ^[10]

Trowbridge High School for Boys

• Mr J.W. Henson (1914–1937) ^[10]
• Mr L.G. Smith (1937–1947) ^[10]
• Mr G.V.S. Bucknall (1947–1968) ^[10]

Trowbridge High School for Girls

• Miss E.M. Moore (1912–1932) ^[10]
• Miss J.I. Field (1932–1938) ^[10]
• Miss K.M.S. Dawes (1939–1954) ^[10]
• Miss B. Morris (1954–1969) ^[10]

Trowbridge High School

• Mr G. Suggitt (1969–1974) ^[10]

The John of Gaunt School

• Frank St. George (1974–1979) ^[10]
• Keith Berry (1979–1991) ^[10]
• Stephen Gee (1992–2001) ^{[10] [11]}
• Lyn Sharpe (2001–2003) ^{[12] [13]}
• Andy Packer (2004–2014) ^[14]
• Mike Gunston (2014–2018) ^{[15] [16]}
• Paul Skipp (2018–2022) ^[17]
• Matthew Woodville (2022–2023) ^{[18] [19]}
• Ben Rhodes (2023–) ^{[20] [19]}

See also

• Lavington School – secondary school in Market Lavington, part of the Equa Multi-Academy Trust
• St Augustine's Catholic College – Catholic secondary school and sixth form in Trowbridge
• The Clarendon Academy – secondary school and sixth form in Trowbridge

References

1. "The Boys' High School, Trowbridge". Wiltshire Community History. Wiltshire Council. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
2. "The Girls' High School, Trowbridge". Wiltshire Community History. Wiltshire Council. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
3. "The John of Gaunt School, Trowbridge". Wiltshire Community History. Wiltshire Council. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
4. "About Our Curriculum". The John of Gaunt School. Retrieved 12 June 2014.
5. "Sixth Form". The John of Gaunt School. johnofgauntschool.org. Retrieved 12 June 2014.
6. Reynolds, Sandra (27 May 2022). "The John of Gaunt School to join Equa". Equa Multi Academy Trust. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
7. "Atyeo was the hero next door". The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald. 2 December 2005. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
8. "Garrett, John Walter Percy", Who Was Who , Oxford University Press, online edition published 1 December 2007, accessed 20 September 2025 (subscription required)
9. "Obituary: Tony Lane". www.telegraph.co.uk. 29 March 2011. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
10. Berry, Keith (1994). John of Gaunt School and the Trowbridge High Schools : The First One Hundred Years. Bradford on Avon: K. Berry. p. 187. ISBN   0952410303.
11. "Head announces retirement". The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald. 16 November 2001. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
12. "Pastures new for teachers". The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald. 28 December 2001. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
13. "New headteacher for John of Gaunt School". The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald. 23 January 2004. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
14. Jones, Craig (12 April 2014). "Popular Trowbridge headmaster calls it a day". Wiltshire Times. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
15. Baber, Andy (15 May 2014). "New John of Gaunt head says it will be an honour to lead thriving school". Wiltshire Times. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
16. Mills, Richard. "John of Gaunt headteacher to step down after summer term". Wiltshire Times. No. 26 February 2018. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
17. "Search for new John of Gaunt headteacher is over". Wiltshire Times. 5 April 2018. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
18. Holden, Jude (8 November 2022). "Trowbridge school gifted Buckingham Palace Tree". Swindon Advertiser. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
19. Baker, John (26 April 2023). "Secondary school unveils new headteacher and announces major change". Wiltshire Times. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
20. "NEWSLETTER 13 – 31ST MARCH 2023". The John of Gaunt School. 31 March 2023. Retrieved 4 April 2023.

Further reading

• Berry, Keith Desmond (1994). John of Gaunt School and the Trowbridge High Schools : The First One Hundred Years. Bradford on Avon: K. Berry. ISBN   0952410303.

External links

• Official website
• "Ordnance Survey map of Trowbridge, showing the two predecessor schools". National Library of Scotland. 1958. Retrieved 15 March 2023.