Lord Williams's Upper School

General information

Lord Williams's School is a co-educational secondary school with academy status in Thame, Oxfordshire, England. The school takes children from the age of 11 through to the age of 18. The school has approximately 2,100 pupils.In September 2001 the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) designated the school as a specialist Sports College.David Wybron has been head of the school since September 2004 after taking over from Michael Spencer.In 2006, together with Thame leisure centre, the school opened a new astro-turf pitch. The official opening featured a team decathlon by the students, after which the ribbon was cut by the women's England hockey captain. The mayor of Thame was also present on the day.HistorySource:The school opened in 1570, having been founded at the bequest of John Williams, 1st Baron Williams of Thame, after his death in 1559. A building with a single classroom, two rooms for the Master and Usher, and a dormitory for boarders was erected in 1569 close to St Mary's Church and adjacent to the almshouses (all can still be seen today). In 1575, the Statutes were published which not only laid out how the school should be run but established the connection with New College, Oxford that lasts to this day.