November/December 2019

26 South Woodford Village Gazette
As Woodford County High
School For Girls marks its
centenary, Deputy Headteacher
Colin Jenkins reflects on 100 years
of history and traditions,
which have been encapsulated
in a new book by the Chairman
of the Old Girls’ Association
Woodford County High
School has changed
a great deal over the
years. On 29 September 1919,
it opened its doors for the
first time. On that day, the
seven teachers in the school
welcomed their new intake of
110 girls. Now, 100 years on,
the school is 10 times bigger,
but many of the values and
traditions that inspired the
founders live on today.
Old
Girls
The school’s first staff and first
headmistress Miss Gordon
The founders of the school had
a clear vision: to educate girls to
the highest standards possible
and to equip them to be selfconfident,
socially responsible
adults, ready to make their
mark on the world. This vision
has remained consistent, as
has the strong sense of mutual
support and community spirit
that permeates everything the
school does.
The school was opened in the
old Highams manor house, built
in 1786. Although this still lies at
its centre, it was obvious from
the start that the old building
needed extending. In the interwar
years two wings were added,
which included the building of
new science laboratories and a
school hall and swimming pool
(sadly, now closed). After that,
there was little structural change
until the sixth form block was
built in 1974, followed 30 years
later by the new sports hall and,
most recently, a multi-million
pound science and mathematics
block.
The population of the school
has changed a great deal
too, reflecting the social and
demographic changes that have
occurred in the area in the past
century. The school now has 180
girls in each year group from
a culturally diverse mix that is
reflective of modern London.
The diversity is something we
celebrate and is a source of
strength. What binds us together,
though, is the fact that all our
pupils very much feel themselves
to be Woodford Girls.
The school has witnessed a
great deal in the last 100 years
and has not been immune to
the passing of history. It was
founded in 1919 to accommodate
the growing population of the
area, and its early success was in
no small part due to the work of
local MP Henry Cutforth and its
first headmistress, Miss Gordon.
Creating a new school from a
building that had been used as
an army hospital until the end
of 1918 was no easy task, and
when it opened it had virtually
no furniture or stationery! These
early teething problems were
soon overcome, and the school
went on to thrive, building an
enviable academic reputation.
With the Second World War
came evacuation and relocation
As you would expect from a school this old, it has built
up some quirky traditions over time
to Bedford, but by the middle
of 1941 the girls were back and
remained on the school site for
the duration, occasional air raids
notwithstanding. School life
continued much as normal, but
with comprehensive education
introduced across the country
from the 1960s onwards, the
London Borough of Redbridge
had to make a decision. They
chose Woodford County as
one of two schools that would
continue to be selective – it
therefore remains a grammar
school to this day, along with its
‘brother’ school, Ilford County
High School.
The school has also seen its
fair share of illustrious visitors,
particularly in the political
sphere. Winston Churchill was
the local MP and he visited
the school several times, most
notably in the year of his 80th
birthday, when he and his wife
were presented with a portrait of
Clementine Churchill. And more
recently, another former prime
minister, David Cameron, paid
us a visit and had to field some
tough questions about the Brexit
referendum!
As you would expect from a
school this old, it has built up
some quirky traditions over time.
Some are older than others, but
the 5p Race and House Drama
are great Woodford institutions,
as are the singing of the school
songs. The 29th of September
remains a special day, though,
and every year since it was
founded, there has been a
parade of the banners followed
by the birthday service in the
main hall – which is followed by
the cutting of the school cake.
Woodford loves its cake!
Woodford County High School
has commenced its 101st year in
good shape and faces the future
with optimism and confidence
that its pupils will continue to
achieve great things and keep
the Woodford spirit alive.
Woodford County High School For Girls is located on High Road,
Woodford Green, IG8 9LA. For more information, call 020 8504 0611
Rosemary Davis, Chairman of WCHS Old Girls’ Association, has
published a book to coincide with the school’s centenary. Visions
of Girlhood is published by Silverwood Books, priced £25. For more
information, visit swvg.co.uk/wchsbook