What first strikes visitors to our school is a palpable sense of community. The atmosphere is vibrant, purposeful, and very friendly. Relationships are strong and supportive. There’s always a lot going on and, to an extent which is perhaps unusual, girls of different ages work unselfconsciously together, collaborating on the colorful range of events and activities that make up the fabric of the Woodford school year and contribute to the distinct ethos of the place. It’s a happy and cohesive community and an environment that liberates young women to take the risks and embrace the challenges that will prepare them for their future roles and responsibilities as leaders in tomorrow’s society.
Woodford’s success is the result of striking a fine balance between tradition and innovation. Our values are traditional ones and we offer an unashamedly academic curriculum. We are keenly aware, however, that we are preparing our students for a working life none of us can yet anticipate. Our focus, therefore, is on developing the skills, attributes, and habits of mind that will equip them as life-long learners. Woodford leavers are articulate, self-confident, and skilled in the use of modern technologies. We aim to launch them into the world as self-starters, focused but flexible, armed with the courage to grasp opportunities and the resilience and humor to negotiate setbacks along the way. Above all we want them to be equipped to lead happy, fulfilling, and useful lives, wherever and however they choose to lead them.
There is something for everyone. Our students will embark upon adult life conscious of their worth, ambitious for their futures, and aware that they are lucky indeed to have been educated here. There is something for everyone. We want our students to enjoy and appreciate their education and to leave Woodford equipped to embark upon happy, fulfilling, and useful lives, wherever and however they choose to lead them.
Our Vision:
- Offering a full and balanced curriculum – and extra-curriculum – which encourages intellectual and personal development.
- Delivering expert teaching which builds on the previous attainment and makes learning an active, rather than a passive, experience.
- Developing the practices and resources to support independent learning.
- Creating opportunities for students to develop leadership and representation skills.
- Promoting opportunities for serving and supporting others.
- Providing platforms to showcase student skills and achievements.
- Scheduling co-curricular activities which encourage creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving.
- Bringing the curriculum to life by emphasizing, wherever possible, a real-world connection.
- Making available individual advice and guidance to support students in planning for their futures.
- Encouraging a sense of global responsibility.
Learning is the core function of a school, but it’s not, of course, an activity confined to schools, nor an individual’s years in formal education. It is, quite literally, a cradle-to-grave activity. A readiness to learn and to go on learning, and the skills to do so with increasing independence and enjoyment, are attributes that will set a school leaver up not only for Higher Education and employment but for life. We set a premium therefore on developing the skills, attributes, and habits of mind in our students that will equip them with the confidence and versatility to adapt to whatever challenges the future brings. The curriculum at Woodford is academic and, as you would expect of a Grammar School, designed to stimulate and challenge our very able students.
