Welcome to Bishop Wood C of E Junior School

Our school first opened in November 1842 on land given by Christchurch College, Oxford. It was built to provide education for poor children in Tring and to teach them in the principles of the Church of England. The original building cost £800 and could hold over 300 children. Families paid one penny a week for lessons.

By 1866 a new classroom had been added, and school life continued to grow. Early records from the 1800s describe large classes, sometimes nearly 60 pupils, and the challenges of the time. Many children walked miles across fields to get to school, and attendance was often affected by bad weather, illness, or the need to help families at home.

In 1903 Lady Rothschild provided a covered van to transport children from nearby villages – an early version of a school bus!

During the First World War, the school building was used as a hospital for wounded soldiers. In the Second World War it became a reception centre for children evacuated from London.

In 1931 the school was reorganised into separate junior and senior schools. The senior school moved to a new site in 1957 and later became Tring School.

A new junior school building was planned in the early 1960s. The first stage opened in 1963, and the school was named after Rev’d Claud Thomas Wood, a former parish priest who became Bishop of Bedford. The buildings were officially completed in 1972 and formally opened in 1973.

Over the years the school continued to improve. A learner swimming pool was added in 1970 thanks to the hard work of parents, and a Parent Teacher Association was formed. Although the pool was removed in 1996, many other improvements followed, including new classrooms, play areas, a library and office extension.

The school celebrated its 25th anniversary in 1998 with special events, and marked the Millennium with a visit to the Dome and a memorable aerial photograph of the whole school.

In 2002 a tree was planted to celebrate the Queen’s Golden Jubilee – just one more chapter in the long and proud history of our school.