Built as Wallingford Council School for Boys, the school was designed by Edmund Fisher in 1909, and opened in 1910 to take junior boys.

During construction of the school, a Saxon graveyard was uncovered.

T. H. Astbury, headmaster from 1910-1920, was an amateur astronomer.

St John’s became a mixed primary in 1968.

Head-Masters 1910 - Present

1910-1920 Thomas H Astbury	1920-1950  Ald Clifford Atwell	1950-1971 Arthur Dean
1971-1978 Edmund Peacock	1978-1997 Gerry Quinn	1988-1989 Mrs Voss (Acting Head)
1995-1997 Mr Osborn (Acting Head)	1997-2000 Mel Williams	2000-2010 Jenny Forder

Memorable Dates & School Log Book Extracts

1947

In 1947 the school gave its first Christmas Concert in the Masonic Hall. To celebrate the event, the boys and staff made up a school song, rewriting the words of “The British Grenadier;

Some talk of Eaton College and some swear by Harrow,
There’s Winchester and Repton and other schools we know.
But of all the world’s great schools, there’s one we all applaud,
With a book, ink, chalk and pencil, it’s the boy’s school, Wallingford!
Whene’er we’re commanded to do our rithmetic,
We all sit down and work hard, or else we get the stick.
But when it comes to writing, we mustn’t get a blot,
For, if we do, our teacher, he calls us “Silly clot!”.

1968

9 Jan – 3” of slushy snow. The new infant section opens today with a mixed class of 5 year olds (Mrs Foster) The previous and at present Chairman of the schools Manager’s was awarded the MBE in the New Year’s honours (Clifford Atwell)

30 Apr – school Reopens. The two outside classrooms are being demolished. Class V have moved into the school. Class IV occupy a room in the Infant block. A class of 6 year old children have been accepted from Wallingford Infant school.

22 Jul – Parents meeting this evening when it was decided to form an Association of Parents & friends of the school.

10 Sept – The school is now Mixed Juniors and Infants

246 on Roll. 83 Girl, 164 Boys. 69 Boys of Primary age were transferred to Firtree Primary, 47 to Blackstone school, 12 to the Grammar School & 1 to Roysses, Abingdon. 6 left district. 30 Girls were admitted from Girls School, 19 from St Nicholas Infants. 29 5year olds were also admitted

1969

13 Jan – The morning assembly was held in the new school hall

16 Jan – the new kitchen came into use today and 188 children ate in the new hall

1975

29 Mar – School Close for Easter Holidays. End of Association with Berkshire LEA

23 Apr – Start of Summer Term in the New Oxfordshire Authority.