the approach we follow

Mayflower High School sits on a site with a deep and fascinating history that stretches back long before the school was built.

Dating back to the Iron Age, the area was home to early settlements, and traces of its ancient past still remain, such as the burial mounds in nearby Norsey Woods. The town that would eventually become Billericay gained importance when the Romans arrived, following their defeat of the local Trinovante tribe.

During Saxon times, a more formal local government structure emerged. King Harold’s father, who once owned the area, named the fortified settlement “Burghstede.” After the Norman Conquest, the lands were passed to William the Conqueror’s half-brother, and when he fell from favour, they were given to the Cistercian monks.

In 1381, local men from Billericay joined the Peasants Revolt against the unpopular poll tax. The revolt led to a decisive battle in Norsey Woods, right next to what is now the modern Mayflower High School site.

The Mayflower Connection

Billericay flourished during the reign of Henry VIII, but religious persecution under James I drove some residents to seek a new life across the Atlantic. Leading this brave venture was Christopher Martin, a native of Great Burstead. Martin, along with other local pioneers, embarked on the famous Mayflower voyage to America in 1620. He is believed to have lived in what is now The Old Chantry on Billericay High Street, where the Pilgrim Fathers are said to have met before their historic journey.

It is this incredible journey that gives our school its name and its symbol—the Mayflower ship.

Our School

Founded in 1965, Mayflower High School has grown and evolved since its original opening. The original A Block and B Block still stand, but today, we are proud to be a thriving school, home to 1,600 students aged 11 to 18, continuing to inspire the spirit of exploration, learning, and ambition that is at the heart of Billericay’s legacy.