Interactive Map

Welcome to Waldegrave School. This is where your child will be greeted in the morning by smiling teachers and support staff before heading to their tutor rooms to meet friends and to prepare for the day. Tutor periods, assemblies and house activities provide a great way to discuss recent events, inspirational ideas and to come together as a community to celebrate each other’s achievements. Our Key Stage Hubs provide additional support whether this is for advice, help with equipment or seeking First Aid. Keeping each other safe is paramount at Waldegrave, so visitors should expect to be met and signed in by our Reception Team. 

We have a number of large and small spaces for training, meeting with parents and working with other professionals and organisations. We rent out spaces to local community clubs for sports, music and drama clubs, language lessons and many more exciting activities and events. Our large assembly hall hosts information evenings, concerts and fundraising events and our Friends of Waldegrave association organises a full calendar of other social events for parents and the wider school community that often take place here.

We are fortunate to have 12 science rooms at Waldegrave, each set up with high quality equipment and resources. Physics, Biology and Chemistry are taught by specialist teachers who promote the practical aspects of science and who also run clubs and revision sessions to stretch and challenge our students. Our science students also have the opportunity to go on trips to leading universities such as Imperial and South Bank. Our science technicians are always on hand to support students with experiments that extend their learning. If you visit these rooms, you sure to see something exciting happening either under a microscope or above a Bunsen burner!

Our well-resourced classrooms are calm spaces with high ceilings and lots of natural light.  We have invested heavily in the latest technology with the latest smart screens in every classroom and an upgraded WiFi infrastructure.  Each child, when they start in Year 7, will also given the opportunity to purchase a chromebook to support their learning through complementing traditional learning techniques and skills.  We have a highly skilled Inclusion department that supports students to fulfil their potential irrespective of starting point.  We also have small peaceful spaces for learning support groups as well as a small sized classroom dedicated for the Inclusions department’s use only. Our SRP has its own learning space and fully equipped kitchen.

Reading is key at Waldegrave! Our newly refurbished library houses a wealth of books and our students are encouraged to read daily. Dedicated library sessions ensure that students have a regular opportunity to look for a new book and to discuss and debate what they have read. Our Librarian is always on hand to help and make recommendations, and we also run after school sessions where students can complete homework in this quiet, supportive space. Our Sixth Formers have their very own Learning Centre for silent study and it also offers the perfect environment for meeting with dedicated Sixth Form academic mentors.

Our students are encouraged to lead healthy lifestyles. Hidden at the back of the school are our large fields, netball courts and indoor sports centre. We are fortunate to have these enormous green spaces and each year group has the opportunity to try new sports whilst also developing key skills in others. Every day, there are sports clubs and fixtures and we are so proud of the many students who go on to represent the school, their county and even the nation at outside events.

Our dedicated Sixth Form building comprises specialist science labs, IT rooms and calm, purposeful classroom spaces. It is in this building that the majority of Sixth Form lessons take place and it is also where students have the easiest access to our Sixth Form team for any help and advice they need. In addition, we offer a range of support for our sixth formers including academic mentors, a specialist careers team, as well as devoted UCAS guidance. On the Ground Floor is our study base where students work during their free periods, collaborate and, during break and lunch, chat and catch up with friends. Where as the Sixth Form Learning Centre is a silent study space, this is a collaborative, exciting space. And of course, the most important part: our Sixth Form have their own cafe serving a hot lunch, snacks, sandwiches and salads as well as hot and cold drinks!

Our art rooms are full of light. Inspirational work from previous students adorn the walls and this well-resourced department focuses on allowing students to experiment across a wide range of mediums. We also have our own kiln for drying pottery as well as a newly refurbished dark room (an addition our Sixth Form Photography students are already making great use of!)

We are committed to giving our students the opportunity to learn creative and practical skills.  We have two textiles rooms, a food tech room, technology room, CAD suite and a large technicians space where our laser cutter is housed. Our students love cooking in our well resourced food tech room. It has 13 modern cookers and a wealth of pots, pans, blenders, mixers; everything students need to produce their latest recipe. We annually host a fun Bake Off Challenge for each house (and staff) and take part in local cooking competitions. Our textiles rooms are tidy, light, calm spaces full of inspirational student work. Our DT rooms are a buzz of excitement with students learning traditional techniques as well innovating with CAD and electronics.

When you enter our busy and dynamic performing arts block you will hear music, dance and drama before, during and after school. There are many opportunities to join small ensembles, larger orchestras, drama clubs and take part in school performances – and even the opportunity to perform abroad through our UK and European tours. We have a large studio theatre and this is supported by a smaller, more intimate drama studio space for workshopping pieces. We are also fortunate to have our own dance studio, two music rooms, a music technology room and 7 music practice rooms where students can learn instruments with our specialist peripatetic teachers.