Diversity and Inclusion
“At Wimbledon High, we have always promoted a culture of acceptance, tolerance and respect. We embrace differences – visible and hidden – and want each student to feel valued, heard and able to express their sense of self. We believe that we must be candid and able to express and listen to difficult or uncomfortable opinions in order to make progress. An undivided community is a community which allows its members to speak up, and which learns to hear the experiences and feelings of others with empathy and understanding. We do not want to be the same as each other – we are unique individuals – but we do want to be united in our sense of mutual respect.”
Fionnuala Kennedy, Head
An Inclusive Community
We recognise that diversity in all its forms is enriching for our community and that inclusion and diversity must go hand in hand. We encourage families of all heritages and backgrounds to apply to Wimbledon High School for their daughters and once they are in school, we want to ensure all students can be their whole selves, sharing their culture and respecting that of others. Our diversity calendar, worked on with students themselves, allows us to celebrate a wealth of religious festivals and cultural events across the year. Special menus and pop-up food stalls enhance the experience and, as you can imagine, are extremely popular!
We are also delighted that our school has been selected as a Finalist in the Independent School of the Year Awards 2025 for Diversity, Equality, Inclusion and Justice (DEIJ). Being shortlisted for this award is testament to the ongoing efforts of our whole staff body to ensuring diversity, equality, inclusion and justice are priorities, and to the wonderful school community we have here at Wimbledon.
Broadening and Decolonising the Curriculum
Academically, we have scrutinised our curriculum and broadened it, to include more diverse voices, writings and experiences. We launched our Civil Discourse programme into the curriculum for Years 7 – 13 a few years ago, as we actively sought lesson time dedicated to honing the skills of listening, discussion and debate.
In June 2025, Holly Rodgers, Head of Sixth Form, was named International Coalition of Girls’ School (ICGS) Researcher of the Year for her research on ‘Empowering Every Girl: Student Agency in Diverse Classrooms’. Undertaken as part of the ICGS Global Action Research Collaborative (GARC) programme, the project investigated how agency can be enhanced in girls by involving them in curriculum design. Hear Holly, and some of the student participants, discuss the project in the video below.
Working in partnership
Our most important partners when it comes to inclusion are families, but we work specifically with Dr Ama Collison, Educational and Child Psychologist and former student of Wimbledon High School, to ensure that black students and those of different heritage are given the best possible support throughout their time at school and especially when they first join us.