

An illustrious history
and a bright future
The Headmistress
Jo Duncan is a graduate of the University of St Andrews where she read for a joint degree in English Literature and Theology. She grew up in Northern Ireland and attended a girls’ grammar school. She undertook her PGCE at Homerton College, University of Cambridge. Her first teaching post was as a teacher of Religious Studies at The Laytmer School in North London – from there, she moved to Benenden School in Kent as Head of Department and Deputy Housemistress. Her first Headship was of Princess Helena College in Hertfordshire, followed by a second Headship at the Royal High School Bath, a GDST school. She was appointed Headmistress of Wycombe Abbey in September 2019.


Headmistress's Welcome
Much of my career has been spent in schools founded by remarkable, forward-thinking women. I am passionate about girls’ education and the important role which girls’ schools play in enabling young women to reach their full potential.
Wycombe Abbey is an exceptional place; it operates as a modern full boarding school for 640 girls and we are committed to the development of each one. Built on the firm foundation of more than 120 years of educating young women, our vision is to provide a world-class education. We are excited about encouraging curiosity, bold ideas, innovation, leadership and delight in learning – inside and outside the classroom.
Superb academic outcomes are the hallmark of a Wycombe Abbey education and girls regularly secure places at the most prestigious universities globally. However, we understand the importance of looking beyond the narrow confines of excellent examination results to define success. Our rich co-curricular programme includes an array of activities and opportunities, ensuring that every girl develops her passions and explores new possibilities. These experiences, in turn, help to build the skills, discipline and character that will support her future life.
Ultimately, schools are about people and at the heart of Wycombe Abbey’s success is our total commitment to pastoral care through boarding. The values of mutual respect, encouragement and trust underpin everything we do; in this happy and close-knit community everyone is known as an individual, friendships flourish and girls enjoy each other’s company, all within the wonderful surroundings of 170 acres of magnificent parkland.
I hope that girls who are educated at Wycombe Abbey, including my own daughter, will leave school as confident, articulate, independent young women who are able to navigate a competitive, global, technology-driven world successfully but who also have the qualities to make a positive difference through the lives they live. What are these qualities? I believe they are the ability to form meaningful relationships; to display good judgment; to demonstrate courage and integrity; to be emotionally resilient and to have a deep sense of respect for themselves and others.
It is my privilege to be Headmistress of this School and I warmly invite you and your daughter to come to see what makes Wycombe Abbey such a distinctive place for girls to learn and grow.
Mrs Jo Duncan


A brief history
Heritage
Wycombe Abbey was founded on the day of Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee, 23 September 1896, by Miss Frances Dove, later Dame Frances, a trailblazer who promoted equal opportunities for girls in the Victorian age. The School was established in Loakes Manor which had been redesigned by the celebrated architect James Wyatt for the first Lord Carrington in 1798.
The first cohort of girls in 1896 numbered only 40 but in just three years, the School was full with 210 pupils. The underlying principle of Dame Frances’ educational thinking was education for citizenship. She argued that women should be taught corporate virtues, and that to be good citizens it was essential to have wide interests and a sense of discipline, as well as an esprit de corps.
After Dame Frances’ retirement, Miss Whitelaw led the School through the difficult years of the First World War. She later pursued her plans for the construction of the Chapel; the foundation stone was laid in 1926.
The School continued to grow in strength through its early years. It hosted lectures on topical intellectual subjects and recitals by celebrated musicians. Girls increasingly won places at Oxford and Cambridge. In 1929, in the time of Miss Crosthwaite, the School purchased the old Carrington family home, Daws Hill, and its 200 acres of land.
All activity was suspended with the arrival of the Second World War. For the next four years Wycombe Abbey became ‘Pinetree’, home to the US Army Eighth Air Force and the largest telephone switchboard in England. ‘Pinetree’ welcomed a number of high profile guests at this time. King George VI, Queen Elizabeth, Winston Churchill and Glen Miller and his band all visited the Abbey.
In May 1946 Wycombe Abbey re-opened with 170 arrivals. Of these girls only six were former pupils. After the School received a thorough cleaning it enjoyed a truly ‘fresh start’.
Further expansion took place in the 1950s with the addition of the Walpole Wing and the furnishing of the Dove Library. In the 1960s and 1970s the School launched a number of building projects including the gymnasium, the art block and the front wall and gates, as well as a separate house for the UVI, Clarence House. Thanks to numerous generous donations in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s, the Lancaster Arts Centre and Archer Recital Hall were built and The Davies Sports Centre opened in 2004. More recently, in 2017 the School opened an atrium café, named The Courtyard, and two new Boarding Houses for Pitt and Rubens.


Experience and insight
Executive Leadership
The Executive Leadership Team works with the Headmistress in the implementation of the School’s vision. Its members have a detailed knowledge of the School and a wide range of experiences.

Jo Duncan
Headmistress
Staff List
Governing Council
The Governing Council works in partnership with the Headmistress to achieve the purpose and mission of the School. It is the Council’s responsibility to ensure continuity and plan for the future.
The Chair of Council can be contacted via post to Mr Peter Warren, Wycombe Abbey, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, HP11 1PE or by emailing clerktocouncil@wycombeabbey.com.


Strength and success
Our Vision
Wycombe Abbey has been at the forefront of girls’ education for the last 125 years. Our aim is to maintain that position in today’s hyper-competitive world.
Academic Excellence
The hallmark of a Wycombe Abbey education
Our reputation for academic excellence is established beyond the curriculum and by a love of learning for its own sake. To ensure that future generations of Wycombe Abbey girls are prepared for the challenges ahead, we strive to foster in our girls a culture of independent learning and a curiosity of the world in its many facets.
A Rich Culture
A wonderful world where all girls flourish
Happy people are successful people and at Wycombe Abbey every girl is empowered to make the most of her abilities.
Our diverse co-curricular programme aims to imbue in every girl the skills required to succeed, including creativity, emotional intelligence, teamwork and leadership.
Academic aspirations are not the only important thing in life. We realise that girls need balance and opportunities to relax. We offer a wide range of recreational activities on our site, including dance, fencing and even bee-keeping, so that girls’ leisure time is fun and they have the freedom to relax and spend time with friends.
Advancing the School’s Legacy
Investing for the future
Over the next decade, we are investing in new, world-class facilities that will transform our 170 acres of magnificent grounds for the benefit of every pupil at Wycombe Abbey.
The next ten years will see the renewal of all our boarding accommodation, the refurbishment of the main Abbey Building and a new Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) centre. This process began with the building of two superb new boarding houses which opened in September 2017.
Our Aims
Wycombe 2020 states its vision and aims are for Wycombe Abbey to continue to be at the forefront of girls’ boarding education in the world through –
• the pursuit of academic excellence,
• the development of each individual’s talents in creative, physical and social skills, and
• the encouragement of faith in God and service to other people,
all in a happy, fulfilling and caring community.


Challenging the status quo
Wycombe Women
Wycombe Abbey provides a world-class education. The School’s alumnae push the boundaries within their chosen professions and are often at the top of their field.
Scroll through the timeline below to find out more about our alumnae.
1890
Ethel GabainPainter and Lithographer
War artist and founding member of the Senefelder Club (1909) with her husband John Copley and others.
1890
Joan Hodgson RivierePsychoanalyst
Founding member of the British Psychoanalytical Society (1913). An early translator of Freud and an influential writer in her own account.
1890
Lady Winifred Frances PeckAuthor
Wrote more than 25 books in a career that spanned four decades.
1900
Mary Pickford CBEPolitician, Historian and Industrialist
Elected as a Member of Parliament (1931).
1900
Lady Jessie StreetReformer and Activist
Australian social reformer, recognised internationally for her activism in social justice and women’s rights.
1910
Florence NagleTrainer and Breeder of racehorses and pedigree dogs
Bred 21 UK champions, including Crufts ‘Best in Show’ (1960). Described as the ‘Mrs Pankhurst of British horse racing.’
1930
Elsie BowermanBarrister
Survived the sinking of the Titanic. Became the first Female Barrister at the Old Bailey (1924). Led the status-of-women section of the United Nations in New York (1947).
1930
Mary Edith HideSportswoman
Played cricket for England in the first women’s test match (1934). Captained the team for 17 years, later becoming President of the Women’s Cricket Association (1973).
1930
Penelope FitzgeraldNovelist
Awarded the Booker Prize (1979) and The Golden PEN Award (1999) for a 'Lifetime’s Distinguished Service to Literature’.
1930
Freydis SharlandPilot
Joined the elite female pilots of the Air Transport Auxillary during World War II. Delivered 110 new Spitfires from factory to airfield.
1940
Florence TemkoAuthor and origami pioneer
An origami pioneer and one of the most prolific writers on the subject. She founded Origami USA in 1994.
1950
Elizabeth Butler-Sloss GBEJudge
The first female Lord Justice of Appeal (1998). Appointed President of the Family Division of the High Court of Justice (1999), the first woman to hold the position. Independent Peer in the House of Lords.
1960
Katy Haber MBEInternational Community Activist
Founding member of BAFTA Los Angeles (1987) after a successful career in the British Film Industry. International Community Activist. Founded the Compton Cricket Club (1995) with homeless activist Ted Hayes in one of LA’s most notorious neighbourhoods. Awarded an MBE for services to her community (2012).
1960
Delphine Gray-FiskPilot
One of Britain’s first female airline pilots, flew commercial jets for Dan-Air.
1960
Dr Kathy WilkesPhilosopher and Academic
Involved in rebuilding the education systems of former Communist countries after 1990. Awarded the commemorative medal of the President of the Czech Republic (1998).
1960
Dame Rosalind Savill DBECurator and Ceramicist
Director of the Wallace Collection then Curator at the V&A. Awarded a CBE for services to the study of ceramics (2000). Named as Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (2009).
1967
Dame Elizabeth Slade DBEJudge
Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford 1968-71. Called to the bar at Inner Temple in 1972, Bencher 1990. Took Silk in 1992, recorder and deputy judge of the High Court from 1998 to 2008 and judge of the High Court of Justice (Queen's Bench Division) since 2008. Author of Tolley’s Employment Handbook. Member of the Administrative Tribunal Bank for International Settlements 2000-2008 and European Bank of Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) 2008.
1970
Stella KenrickPrivate Detective
Managed the Oxford Detective Bureau (2002-2012). Voted ‘Investigator of the Year’ (2011).
1970
Caroline BanszkyBusinesswoman
CEO of The Law Debenture Corporation (2002).
1970
Professor Sarah Springman CBEEngineer and Sportswoman
Competed in the 1990 Commonwealth Games Triathlon. Awarded the OBE (1997) and the CBE for service to Triathlon (2012). Awarded Lifetime Achievement Award at the Sunday Times and Sky Sportswoman of the Year Awards (2013).
1980
Rosie AlisonFilm Producer and Author
Credits include Testament of Youth, Paddington and The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas. Winner of the 'Orange Prize for Fiction' (2010) for novel The Very Thought of You.
1980
Professor Gemma CalvertNeuroscientist
Founder of Neurosense Limited (1999), the world’s first neuromarketing agency. She is a Visiting Professor at the Nanyang Business School and Fellow of the Institute for Asian Consumer Insight at the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.
1980
Jo HilditchEntrepreneur
Founder of White Heron Drinks – producer of an award-winning range of British Cassis – and manager of large agribusiness.
1980
Her Honour Judge Juliet Mary May QCJudge
Justice of the High Court since 2015. She was called to the Bar in 1988 and took Silk in 2008, being appointed as a Circuit Judge later that year.
1980
Charlotte MooreTelevision Producer
Director of Content for the BBC.
1980
Wendy Outhwaite QCWine Producer and former Barrister
Founder of Ambriel Sparkling Wine (2013).
1980
Clare Pillman CBCivil Servant
Director at Department for Culture, Media and Sport (2011).
1980
Sally PhilipsActor
Best known for her role as Tilly in the BBC comedy Miranda. Starred in the Bridget Jones’s Diary films. Plays the title role in the BBC Radio 4 comedy show Clare in the Community.
1980
Merryn Somerset WebbEditor
Editor in Chief of the popular personal finance magazine, MoneyWeek, writes for the Financial Times, The Sunday Post and Saga Magazine.
1990
Francesca DonnerJournalist
Editor of The Wall Street Journal (2011). Director at The New York Times (2015).
1990
Georgie FienbergFounder and Director
Established AfriKids, which won the Charity Times International Charity of the Year (2015).
1990
Angharad FitzwilliamsHedge Fund Director
Head of Hedge Fund Capital Group, Asia, at Deutsche Bank.
1990
Naomi FrederickActor
Selected theatre work includes Mrs Affleck at the National Theatre, As You Like It and The Heresy of Love at Shakespeare’s Globe and The Winslow Boy at the Old Vic Theatre.
1990
Professor Angelica RonaldResearcher
Director of the Genes Environment Lifespan Laboratory (GEL) and a Professor at the Department of Psychological Sciences at Birkbeck University. Awarded the Thompson Award (2005) and the prestigious Spearman Medal (2012).
1990
Tabitha Somerset-WebbFashion Designer
Launched the clothing line, ‘Project D’ (2010) with Dannii Minogue and launched her own brand, ‘Tabitha Webb’, in 2003.
1990
Clarissa WardJournalist
CNN Senior International Correspondent. Covered the early days of the Syrian Civil War, receiving the Peabody and DuPont Awards (1998). Also received two Emmy awards and honours from the Radio and Television Correspondents’ Association.
1990
Francesca ZinoAthlete
Represented Team GB in the rowing squad at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.
2000
Roxane HeatonEngineer
Head of Technology-Innovation, Morrisons. Won FDM Everywoman in Technology Awards (2015). Nominated for driving business change throughout training and operational systems in the Royal Navy.
2000
Nikki EmersonAthlete
Qualified as a wheelchair racer in the 2012 Paralympics and works in the Commercial Team for a Premier League Football Team.
2000
Natalie SimpsonActor
Appeared in King Lear, Cymbeline and Hamlet with the Royal Shakespeare Company. Won a BroadwayWorld UK Award for Best Supporting Actress as Ophelia (2016).


International
Wycombe Abbey has worked in partnership with British Education Limited (BE) in Greater China since 2016. BE has launched two international schools in Greater China, Wycombe Abbey School Changzhou and Wycombe Abbey School Hong Kong. Both schools operate independently of Wycombe Abbey but share the same vision for providing an outstanding, holistic education. Wycombe Abbey provides training and inspection of the schools under the terms of its Collaboration Agreement with BE and assists with school operations and oversight, curriculum development, and the drafting and implementation of policies and procedures relating to the management and operation of the schools. In addition, pupils at both schools will enjoy opportunities to collaborate.
Wycombe Abbey School Changzhou is a coeducational boarding school for pupils aged 3-18, in Changzhou, China. It offers the best of British and Chinese education in an English-speaking environment, preparing pupils to enter leading universities around the world, particularly in the UK and US universities. The School teaches pupils in an western style. Pupils experience dynamic, academic, and creative learning in small classes, including extra-curricular enrichment classes such as drama, music, art, and a wide range of sports as well as opportunities for international expeditions and travel. Parents interested in enrolling their children at Wycombe Abbey International School, Changzhou should contact the Admissions Director, Li Li at li.li@waiscz.com.
Wycombe Abbey School Hong Kong is a co-educational primary school, which opened in September 2019, and is located on Hong Kong Island. The School is currently opened for Year 1 to Year 6 students, and educates pupils on a bespoke curriculum, combining the core components of the British National Curriculum with an exceptional Chinese language program. The School provides pupils with an immersive academic environment, encouraging critical thinking through project-based applications, it believes that well-balanced and confident pupils prove to be the most successful and prepares pupils to excel in the finest secondary schools around the world. Parents interested in enrolling their children at Wycombe Abbey School Hong Kong should contact Lisa Tang in the Admissions Office at admissions@was.edu.hk
BE is currently in the process of building additional Wycombe Abbey international schools in Hangzhou and Nanjing in China, which are scheduled to open in September 2021.
For more information on our international schools please contact Yael Marwah, Wycombe Abbey International Executive Coordinator, at marwahy@wycombeabbey.com.


Outreach
We are committed to numerous and varied outreach initiatives which give girls and staff the opportunity to engage and collaborate across communities.
Wycombe Abbey has a long and established relationship with Cressex Community School, a secondary school in High Wycombe. Girls visit weekly to help students with literacy and other skills. A number of staff provide support by volunteering as governors and trustees. We also host a Summer School for those identified as ‘gifted and talented’, organising workshops in Drama, English, Music, Science and Sport.
There are links to a number of other local schools with whom we organise joint ventures, such as our annual Management Conference, our Women’s Leadership Conference, Careers Fair and annual debating competition.
We greatly value the links we have developed with local schools through Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects. Wycombe Abbey is a hub school for the Bucks and Chiltern Ogden Schools Partnership. We regularly take science workshop activities into a number of local primary schools with our Sixth Form girls.
Girls and staff volunteer their time to support a wide range of charitable organisations, assisting local playgroups, retirement homes, secondary and primary schools for disabled children, riding for disabled people and the local hospice and elderly persons’ home.
The School also makes its facilities available to local schools and community groups. We are particularly proud of our partnership with Horizons, a local sports club for young people with a range of disabilities. Horizons meets at our swimming pool on a weekly basis. Both staff and girls volunteer.
Further afield, the School is proud to be linked with the first girls’ boarding school in Afghanistan. The School of Leadership Afghanistan (SOLA) educates more than 30 secondary aged pupils from across Afghanistan’s many provinces. We participate in a weekly ‘virtual exchange’ via Skype on a range of collaborative projects.
Learn more about our outreach activity on the Schools Together website.