History

The school opened in September 1968 and contains four pairs of classrooms, each with their own entrance, cloakrooms and toilet areas, as well as a hall/gymnasium, changing rooms, large reception and entrance lobbies, library, administrative areas, kitchen and dining area. The school also has two additional classrooms or mobiles sited on the quiet area. The school is set in attractive and extensive grounds with a central courtyard. There are two hard surface playgrounds, a large playing field and an attractively paved seating area. An orchard and a willow dome occupy part of the field area. The school has a well-equipped computer suite for whole class use, and a group room, with five computers, for small group work.

The school was called simply Yaxley Church of England Junior School until September 1993 when it took the title The William de Yaxley Church of England Junior School.

William de Yaxley was the Abbot of Thorney from 1265 to 1293 and was very likely a native of Yaxley. It is said that it was his embalmed human heart and bowels that were entombed in the walls of the North Transept of St Peter’s Church, Yaxley. The transept was made into a memorial chapel for William around 1293 and was visited by the then King as well as many local dignitaries. William added de Yaxley, from the name of the village of his origin, to his name as an early form of surname in order to give additional identification among others with identical Christian names. In the same way the school gave itself a more distinctive identification by adding his name to its title to mark the seven hundredth anniversary of his death.

The heart of William de Yaxley had been part of the school badge, together with the staff and keys of St. Peter, since the schools opening in 1968. The motto, Toto Corde Meo means ‘With all my heart’.

The school serves the area south of The Broadway and currently has 214 children on roll, aged between seven and eleven. Most of our children transfer from Yaxley Infants School, with which we work closely to ensure progress and continuity. At the age of eleven children usually transfer to either Stanground College or Sawtry College.