The John of Gaunt School is a mixed secondary school with a sixth form and a Resource Base for Communication and Interaction Needs, in Trowbridge, Wiltshire, England. The school is named after John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster, as it is built upon land that he once owned.
The school's immediate predecessors were the Trowbridge High School for Boys and the Trowbridge High School for Girls, single-sex grammar schools which were established in 1912 on two sites: on Wingfield Road (boys) and nearby on Gloucester Road (girls). These formed a co-educational grammar school, the Combined High Schools, on 14 April 1969.
In August 1974, the school became a coeducational comprehensive school and was renamed The John of Gaunt School. Previously a community school administered by Wiltshire Council, the school converted to academy status on 1 April 2012. However, the school continues to coordinate with Wiltshire Council for admissions.
The John of Gaunt School offers GCSEs and BTECs as programmes of study for pupils, as well as vocational courses offered in conjunction with Wiltshire College. Students in the sixth form have the option to study for a range of A-levels and further BTECs.
The school joined the Equa multi-academy trust in April 2023. The trust also operates Lavington School, as well as a number of Wiltshire primary schools.
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Notable former pupils
Trowbridge High School for Boys
John Atyeo (1932–1993), prolific goal-scorer for Bristol City who also scored for England
Sir William Richard Joseph Cook (1905–1987), mathematician who helped to lead the British hydrogen bomb programme in the 1950s
John Garrett (1902–1966), headmaster and author
Kenneth Harris (1919–2005), former chief interviewer for The Observer newspaper
Tony Lane (1928–2011), nuclear physicist
John Henry Pyle Pafford (1900–1996), librarian and editor
James Rodway (1848–1926), botanist and historian of Guyana
Trowbridge High School for Girls
Janet Anderson (1949–2023), briefly at the school, Labour MP for Rossendale and Darwen
Maureen Duffy (born 1933), author
Joan M. Hussey (1907–2006), Professor of History at the University of London
Bel Mooney (born 1946), journalist and broadcaster
Marjorie Reeves (1905–2003), historian
Trowbridge High School
Alan Smith (born 1957), former Bishop of St Albans and Member of the House of Lords
Deborah Meaden (born 1959), businesswoman and Dragons' Den member
The John of Gaunt School
Nick Blackwell (born 1990), boxer
Rob Chapman (born 1975), musician and guitar company owner
Keri Davies, radio producer and playwright
Jordan Daykin (born 1995), entrepreneur
Tom Gale (born 1998), Olympic high jumper
Gemma Hunt (born 1982), CBBC and CBeebies presenter
Chris Stokes (born 1991), footballer
Becky Baldwin, bass player for Mercyful Fate
Headteachers
Trowbridge and District County Secondary School
Mr J.W. Henson (1897–1912)
Trowbridge Secondary School for Boys
Mr J.W. Henson (1912–1914)
Trowbridge Secondary School for Girls
Miss E.M. Moore (1912–1914)
Trowbridge High School for Boys
Mr J.W. Henson (1914–1937)
Mr L.G. Smith (1937–1947)
Mr G.V.S. Bucknall (1947–1968)
Trowbridge High School for Girls
Miss E.M. Moore (1912–1932)
Miss J.I. Field (1932–1938)
Miss K.M.S. Dawes (1939–1954)
Miss B. Morris (1954–1969)
Trowbridge High School
Mr G. Suggitt (1969–1974)
The John of Gaunt School
Frank St. George (1974–1979)
Keith Berry (1979–1991)
Stephen Gee (1992–2001)
Lyn Sharpe (2001–2003)
Andy Packer (2004–2014)