Wyggeston Grammar School for Boys

History

Former pupils

• Sir Frank Adcock OBE, Professor of Ancient History from 1925–51 at the University of Cambridge, and President from 1947–48 of the Classical Association
• Sir Richard Armstrong CBE, conductor Scottish Opera 1993–2005
• Henry Atkins, chess master and school-teacher
• Sir David Attenborough CBE, broadcaster and naturalist
• Lord Attenborough, actor, director, producer, and entrepreneur
• Sub-Lieutenant John Herbert Babington GC OBE, bomb disposal expert
• Andrew Bailey, Deputy Governor of the Bank of England
• Graham Bell, biologist
• David Campton, dramatist
• Air Vice-Marshal David Carnegie CB CBE AFC, Station Commander from 1938–40 of RAF Wittering, and Director of Flying Training from 1942–45 at the Air Ministry
• Professor Brian Carpenter, Internet engineer
• David Carter CBE, Professor of Industrial Design Engineering from 1991–95 at the Royal College of Art
• Sir Cyril Clarke CBE, made the important discovery for Rhesus-negative mothers
• Stanley Arthur Cook, Regius Professor of Hebrew from 1932–38 at the University of Cambridge
• Deryck Cooke, musician, writer and broadcaster
• Wing Commander Geoffrey Cooper, Labour MP from 1945–51 for Middlesbrough West
• Lieutenant-Colonel :fr:Johnny Cooper|Johnny Cooper, one of the founders of the SAS
• Sir Walter Cooper MBE, Australian politician
• Mark Cox, professional tennis player
• Archibald Crawford, 1st Baron Hungarton, Chairman of the NFU
• Sir Thomas Creed MC KBE, Principal, 1952–1967 of Queen Mary College, and Vice-Chancellor, University of London 1964–1967
• John Leonard Dawson CVO, Surgeon to the Queen from 1983–90, Serjeant Surgeon from 1990–91, pioneering surgeon, and younger brother of Anthony
• Harold Dexter, organist, Master of the Music from 1956–68 at Southwark Cathedral, and Professor from 1962–85 at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama
• James Essinger, author
• Neil Fletcher, Labour politician, and Leader from 1987–90 of ILEA
• Sir John Goldring, a Lord Justice of Appeal
• Michael Green, known for books such as The Art of Coarse Acting
• Jonathan Gregory, Director of Music of the UK-Japan Music Society and UK-Japan Choir; Examiner, the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music. Previously Organ Scholar, Clare College, Cambridge; Director of Music - Belfast Cathedral 1976–1984; St George’s Parish Church, Belfast; Great St Mary’s Church, Cambridge; Leicester Cathedral, 1994-2010
• William Hare
• Sir Mark Henig, Chairman from 1969–79 of the English Tourist Board
• Stanley Henig, Labour member of parliament from 1966–70 for Lancaster, Professor of European Politics from 1982–97 at the University of Central Lancashire, son of Sir Mark Henig and former husband of Ruth Henig, Baroness Henig
• Alan Hill CBE, managing director from 1973–79 of Heinemann
• Simon Hoggart, journalist and broadcaster
• Ken Horn, television director and producer
• Professor Terence Irwin: Emeritus Professor of Ancient Philosophy Keble College Oxford.
• Oliver Kamm, journalist
• Albert Ernest Knight, professional cricket player
• Barry Letts, Producer of Doctor Who from 1969–74, responsible for the casting of Tom Baker
• Roland Littlewood, Professor of Anthropology and Psychiatry at University College London
• Jon Lord, composer, Hammond organ and piano player
• Sir Patrick Lowry CBE, Chairman from 1981–87 of Acas
• Ed McLachlan, cartoonist
• Roger Manvell, film historian
• Prof Roger Mason, discoverer of Charnia masoni, one of the earliest known fossil animals, in nearby Charnwood Forest, whilst still at the school
• Prof Stephen Mason, Professor of Chemistry from 1970–87 at King's College London and from 1964–70 at the University of East Anglia, who married Joan Banus.
• Prof John Matthews, Professor of Roman History since 1996 and Professor of Classics and History since 2001 at Yale University
• Maj-Gen Frederick Mayes CB, Director General from 1993–96 of Army Medical Services
• Kevin Myers Irish journalist
• John O'Connor, painter
• E. Phillips Oppenheim, novelist and thriller writer
• Bryan Organ, portrait painter
• Geoffrey Owen, Head from 1976-86 of Radio 2, and in charge of the formation of Radio 1 and Radio 2 in 1967, and brought in Terry Wogan
• Prof Ewan Page, Vice-Chancellor from 1979–93 of the University of Reading, and President from 1984–85 of the BCS
• Harry Peach, furniture manufacturer and social campaigner
• Sir Charles Peake GCMG MC, Ambassador to Yugoslavia from 1946–51, and to Greece from 1951–57
• John Pickering, biologist
• Tim Pigott-Smith, film and television actor
• Rt Rev John Richards, Bishop of Ebbsfleet from 1994–98
• Daryl Runswick, composer
• Bruce Rushin, designer who designed the first two-pound coin in 1997
• Cedric Smith, statistician
• Henry Neville Southern, ornithologist
• Sir Martin J. Taylor, Professor of Pure Mathematics since 1986 at the University of Manchester
• Lars Tharp, arts and antiques consultant, presenter and speaker, and the ceramics expert on the BBC television programme Antiques Roadshow
• Prof Bernard Wasserstein, Harriet & Ulrich E. Meyer Prof. of Modern European Jewish History, University of Chicago
• Sir Philip Watts, Chairman from 2001–04 of Shell,
• Prof Paul Weatherley FRS FRSE botanist
• A. R. Whatmore, actor
• John Scott Whiteley, Organist Emeritus, York Minster. BBC TV Organist for the 21st-Century Bach series
• Quentin Willson, TV presenter and motoring expert
• Prof Charles Gorrie Wynne, worked for Taylor, Taylor & Hobson and invented important optical lens techniques, and was Editor from 1954–65 of Optica Acta

  Headmasters

• The Rev. James Went 1878-1920
• Thomas Kingdom 1920-1947
• J C Larkin 1947-1969
• Dr G A Thompson 1969-1976

  Notable masters

• Colin Dexter – Crime writer, Assistant Classics master from 1954-7
• Ted Wragg – Educationalist and academic, Head of German from 1964–6