Raynes Park High School
The main entrance
Address
Bushey Road Raynes Park , Greater London , SW20 0JL England
Coordinates	51°24′12″N 0°14′21″W / 51.4033°N 0.2391°W / 51.4033; -0.2391
Information
Type	Comprehensive community school
Mottoes	To each his need, from each his power (Traditional) Inspiring learning; achieving excellence (Modern)
Established	1935; 89 years ago (1935)
Local authority	Merton
Department for Education URN	102674 Tables
Ofsted	Reports
Chair of Governors	Michael Ross
Headteacher	Kirsten Taylor
Age	11 to 19
Enrolment	1130
Capacity	1440
Houses	Miltons, Gibbs, Halliwells and Newsoms
Colour(s)	White, red, yellow and purple
Website	www.rphs.org.uk

Raynes Park High School is a co-educational comprehensive school which educates students aged 11 to 19. It is in Raynes Park, England, coming under the London Borough of Merton.^[1] The school was established as a boys' grammar school in 1935.^{[citation needed]} It has a sixth form, and has additional provision for children who have an autism spectrum condition and an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).

Location

Raynes Park High School is situated at the junction of the Kingston bypass (A3) and Bushey Road (A298). To the east, it is bounded by West Barnes Lane (B282), and just east of the boundary between the boroughs of Kingston upon Thames (New Malden) and Merton, and just north of the Shannon Corner junction of the A3/B282.

TfL contracted bus routes that serve the school include 131, 152, 265, 655, K5, N87 with nearby National Rail stations include New Malden, Motspur Park and Raynes Park all operated by South Western Railway and all within the oyster fare zone.

History

The school first came into being as a boys only grammar school in 1935. It remained as such for the next 34 years until 1969 when it became a 13–18 boys' comprehensive. In September 1990, when as along with the rest of the borough's schools, it became a 12–16 mixed comprehensive. Finally in September 2010 like all other high schools in the borough, the school's sixth form was re-instated. The school is now an official mixed 11–19.^[2]

Sixth form

Following the conversion of Merton's education system to a two tier structure in the 1990s, the school's sixth form was closed. Students wishing to take A-levels enrolled at various colleges or sixth forms in the area. Subsequently, sixth form centres were re-introduced for all Merton High Schools and in September 2010 the purpose built sixth form block opened its doors to Year 12 students. The sixth form now offers a variety of A-level courses, level 3 vocational courses and also offers GCSE retakes for English and Maths.^[3]

Access Centre

The Access Centre is a provision at Raynes Park High School for students with an ASC (Autism Spectrum Condition) diagnosis and an EHCP.^[4] This centre is designed to support autistic students in a mainstream school environment like the one in Raynes Park High School. It runs numerous interventions such as emotional support therapy and Lego therapy.^[4] Access Centre students can eat lunch in the Access Centre if they wish to do so instead eating it in the mainstream school environment which can be quite loud for some autistic students. ^[5]

Some Access Centre students are supported in lesson by a Key Support Worker (KSW).^[4]

The Access Centre also provides after school clubs for their students such as Rebound Therapy (trampoline therapy) and homework club. ^[4]

In 2019 (renewed in 2022), the Access Centre was 'accredited' by the National Autism Society. ^[5]

Admission for the Access Centre is decided by the local authority, Merton Council.^[4]

The current capacity of the Access Centre is 25 students. ^[6]

School organisation

The Head Teacher is Kirsten Heard and the Chair of Governors is Michael Ross. The school last had an Ofsted inspection in January 2019, when it was graded Good.^[7]

There have been eight Headteachers:

• John Garrett,
• Charles Wrinch
• T. Henry Porter
• G. David N. Giles
• Brian Butler
• John D. Massey
• Ian Newman
• Phillip Wheatley
• Kirsten Taylor

Traditions

W.H. Auden, who had collaborated with the founding headmaster, John Garett, on an anthology, The Poet’s Tongue, in 1935,^[8] composed the words for the school song, though the original has been since shortened and modernised.^[9]

Awards

• FA Charter Standard Development School Award for outstanding contribution to Football^[10]
• Sport England Sports Mark Award for delivery of national PE^[11]
• Access Centre Autism Accreditation^[5]

Guinness world record

The Guinness world record for the largest egg and spoon race was broken by 859 pupils, from Raynes Park High School, in October 2003.^[12][13]

Notable former pupils

Raynes Park County Grammar School

• Derek Cooper OBE, BBC Radio 4 broadcaster of the Food Programme, and President from 1988 to 1995 of the Guild of Food Writers
• Sir Howard Dalton, Professor of Microbiology from 1983 to 2008 at the University of Warwick, and Chief Scientific Adviser at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) from 2002–7
• Charles Higham, archaeologist
• John Hopkins, TV writer
• Maj-Gen Anthony Jeapes CB OBE MC, Commander of Land Forces Northern Ireland from 1985–7, and Commander of 22 Regiment SAS from 1974–7 and 5 Airborne Brigade from 1982–5
• Prof Peter J. Parsons, Regius Professor of Greek at the University of Oxford from 1989 to 2003
• Robert Robinson, TV quiz presenter, and radio presenter of Brain of Britain until 2005
• Prof Tony Tanner, Professor of English and American Literature from 1989 to 1998 at the University of Cambridge
• Sir David Christopher Veness, CBE, QPM, Assistant Commissioner for Specialist Operations, Metropolitan Police 1994–2005, leaving to serve as United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Safety and Security.
• Paul Vaughan, TV and radio broadcaster

Raynes Park High School

• Carl Asaba, professional footballer.
• Leon Britton, professional footballer.
• Simon Coleman (Simon Basher), artist.
• Mike Lindup, pop musician.
• Chris Powell, professional footballer.
• Gary Sheffield, academic military historian.
• Andy Thorn, professional footballer.
• Robbie McIntosh, pop musician.