Welcome to St Wilfrid's School

St Wilfrid’s School we are proud of our ethos of support, collaboration and respect for one another. We provide a quiet, nurturing, supportive environment, delivered through personalised learning opportunities in small class sizes.

We enable students to “reach” for their goals, believe in themselves, each other and therefore achieve. Through enriching, engaging and differentiated lessons we aim to develop excited and eager learners who are inspired to achieve beyond their expectations.

Children feel safest when they sense that their needs are being met or, at a minimum, that their needs are respected and understood. Children who are anxious perform best in a calm, supportive but organised classroom.

Being a smaller school means that it is a familiar, safe space which is easy to navigate, conducive to forming relationships and addressing any anxieties – the importance of having a caring teacher, one who gets to know the child, cannot be underestimated.

Parent testimonial

'Due to the effects of Covid in state schools, and our son being autistic, we moved him to St Wilfrid's for the last 2 years of his schooling. It was a risk as he had already done 1 of the 3 years of GCSE teaching and he had to change some of his subjects. But our son thrived.

Right away, we saw a change and improvement in everything about him. He settled in very quickly and the process of achieving began. The small classes at St Wilfrid's are brilliant and this allows all of the teachers, who are excellent, to properly know all of the kids which is exactly what was needed, it made all the difference.

The Headmaster, Mr Bovingdon, is an absolute breathe of fresh air and our son responded really well to him. He achieved excellent GCSE results, better than we would have dared hope for 2 years ago. We are so proud of him and so pleased he went to St Wilfrid's School, the best decision we ever made!'

Parent testimonial

‘Lovely school, small classes, caring teachers - does what it says on the tin, and more!

We moved our son to St Wilfrid's for GCSE education after being disappointed with the state system.

The school, and its pupils, flourish under Mr Bovingdon’s strong and visionary leadership. The team are all so supportive of the children, and so compassionate.

As parents, we are delighted with how joining St Wilfrid’s has put our son’s future back on track. Not only did he achieve a great set of GCSE’s, he’s turned into a confident, positive and sociable young man. He has gone on to study A-levels with a sense of purpose and pride.

The cherry on top has been for our previously shy and timid son to have developed lasting friendships with his classmates. Their sense of belonging and the fun they have together just ‘hanging out’ is heart-warming, and we are thrilled for him to have found the St Wilfrid's crowd.

I needn’t have worried about the disruption of moving schools - it was absolutely worth it.

Thank you so much Mr Bovingdon and all the brilliant staff and teachers at St Wilfrids' School.’

School Statement

It is with a heavy heart and deep regret that I am writing to inform you that St Wilfrid's
School will not be reopening in September.

This decision, by the directors, has been the most difficult one we have ever had to
make. For 156 years, our school has been a place of growth, community, and learning
and has been highly respected for the quality of education and pastoral care provided.

However, one primary factor has led to this devastating outcome:
High Rental Costs: A significant and unsustainable increase in our premises' rent by our
landlords, St Wilfrid’s Trust, has made it impossible to maintain our current position.
Despite our prolonged legal and professional efforts and, at considerable financial
expense, we have been unable to reach a viable economic agreement due to the
intransigence of the Trust and their alternative agenda for the buildings, which have
housed the school since the 1950’s. Despite being awarded the right to a new lease we
were then hit with another proposed rent increase bringing the total to 841% since
2023. This along with other financial constraints and limitations proposed by the Trust on
the renewal of our lease, has delivered the final blow to our school community.

We have always enjoyed a harmonious and mutually respectful relationship with former
members of the Trust who were fully supportive and who provided a reduced rent in
exchange for full maintenance and repair of the buildings: just under £600,000 was
spent over the course of our lease. However, the new Trust was not willing to honour this
long-standing agreement and, as a result, the relationship has, at times, been difficult
and contentious.

We understand that this news is distressing, however, our priority now is to ensure that
the transition for our pupils is as smooth and supportive as possible. I want to reassure
you that Mr and Mrs Bovingdon will be personally available to discuss the future for
every pupil and will be in school on Friday and available after half term. We are
committed to:

● Assisting families in identifying and applying to alternative schools.
● Providing comprehensive academic records and transition portfolios for all
pupils.
● Hosting one-on-one meetings to discuss specific needs or concerns.
We are incredibly proud of the community we have built together, and our focus for the
remainder of the term will be on celebrating our pupils' achievements and ensuring they
feel supported during this change.

Thank you for the trust, faith and support you have placed in us over the years.

With kind regards and best wishes for the future.

Mrs Alexandra Macdonald-Dent.