Welcome from the Head

Welcome Message from Mr Rhodes – Headteacher

I am proud to be the Headteacher of The John of Gaunt School serving Trowbridge and the greater community.  As a fully comprehensive school, we are a diverse and vibrant establishment where each student is at the heart of all that we do. We are determined to deliver quality-first teaching, and we have the highest expectations of our students who learn within our safe, nurturing but challenging school environment.  We have a strong reputation for academic excellence and pastoral support and, by engaging in our whole-school provision, our students have every opportunity to develop into happy, confident and well-rounded young adults.

Our school’s foundations are built on strong relationships with students and their parents or carers.  We recognise that pastoral partnerships that are both supportive and collaborative provide the best platform for our students to be aspirational and realise their potential.

We celebrate personal achievement and those who overcome personal hurdles.  We encourage students to engage in opportunities for teamwork, leadership, adventurous, competitive and individual challenge and nurture them to be caring, thoughtful and respectful of others and their environment. We want our students to appreciate other cultures as well as their own community and to be reflective of their interactions with others.

We actively encourage our young people to embrace a whole school life.  We provide a rich and broad curriculum, enhanced through a varied extracurricular programme where no young person is hindered from experiences that will enhance their cultural-capital due to personal social circumstance. 

Our staff are our greatest asset.  They have high levels of expertise and a tangible sense of vocation.  We invest in our staff through our extensive continued professional development programme so that they can be the best practitioners possible for our students.

We are proud of our membership within the Equa Mead. Our affiliation with this group of strong schools is based around a shared vision whilst retaining our own autonomy and identity. Equa lives by one word, equity – the absolute right of every child to a great education that will give them every chance in life.

We also draw upon our strong links and partnerships with local businesses and community organisations as catalysts for initiatives throughout the academic year.  We take pride in our careers programme and the Information Advice and Guidance (IAG) available to our students and work closely with our private sector partners to enhance our provision.  We impress on our students to regularly contribute to the local community and further afield in a way that utilises their own personal qualities and skills set. 

I would like to encourage you to come in and visit us at any time as we have a fantastic reputation and are proud of our last excellent Ofsted inspection. We would be delighted to show our school on a normal school day in order for you to sample our open, caring and nurturing ethos. Choosing a school is a very important decision, but I believe our student-centred approach, high standards, outstanding teaching and personalised care, will ensure your child has a very successful and enjoyable future.