# The John of Gaunt School

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

## History
### Predecessors

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.

### Creation

In August 1974, the school became a coeducational comprehensive school and was renamed The John of Gaunt School. Previously a community school administered by Wiltshire Council, The John of Gaunt 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 some vocational courses offered in conjunction with Wiltshire College. Students in the sixth form have the option to study from a range of A-levels and further BTECs.
The school joined the Equa Multi-Academy Trust in April 2023. The trust already operates Lavington School, as well as a number of Wiltshire primary schools.

## Notable former pupils

Trowbridge High School for Boys
* John Atyeo (1932–1993), prolific goal-scorer for Bristol City who also scored for England.
* Sir William Richard Joseph Cook, mathematician, who largely led the British hydrogen bomb programme in the 1950s.
* Kenneth Harris, former chief interviewer for The Observer newspaper.
* Tony Lane, nuclear physicist.
* John Henry Pyle Pafford, librarian and editor.
* James Rodway (1848–1926), botanist and historian of Guyana.
* Alan Smith, Bishop of St Albans since 2009, and Member of the House of Lords.
Trowbridge High School for Girls
* Janet Anderson (briefly), Labour MP from 1992 to 2010 for Rossendale and Darwen.
* Maureen Duffy, author.
* Prof Joan M. Hussey, Professor of History from 1950 to 1974 at the University of London
* Deborah Meaden, businesswoman and television personality on Dragons' Den.
* Bel Mooney, journalist and broadcaster.
* Marjorie Reeves, historian.
The John of Gaunt School
* Nick Blackwell, boxer.
* Rob Chapman, musician and guitar company owner.
* Keri Davies, radio producer and playwright.
* Jordan Daykin, entrepreneur.
* Tom Gale, Olympic high jumper.
* Gemma Hunt, CBBC and CBeebies presenter.
* Chris Stokes, footballer.
* Becky Baldwin, Bass Player for Mercyful Fate.

## Headteachers

Trowbridge and District County Secondary School
* Mr J.W. Henson (1897–1912)
Trowbridge Secondary School for Boys
* Mr J.W. Henson (1912–1914)
Trowbridge Secondary School for Girls
* Miss E.M. Moore (1912–1914)
Trowbridge High School for Boys
* Mr J.W. Henson (1914–1937)
* Mr L.G. Smith (1937–1947)
* Mr G.V.S. Bucknall (1947–1968)
Trowbridge High School for Girls
* Miss E.M. Moore (1912–1932)
* Miss J.I. Field (1932–1938)
* Miss K.M.S. Dawes (1939–1954)
* Miss B. Morris (1954–1969)
Trowbridge High School
* Mr G. Suggitt (1969–1974)
The John of Gaunt School
* Frank St. George (1974–1979)
* Keith Berry (1979–1991)
* Stephen Gee (1992–2001)
* Lyn Sharpe (2001–2003)
* Andy Packer (2004–2014)
* Mike Gunston (2014–2018)
* Paul Skipp (2018–2022)
* Matthew Woodville (2022–2023)
* Ben Rhodes (2023–)