Tormead School
Encyclopedia
Tormead School is an academically selective, independent day school for girls aged 4 – 18 years old. Founded in 1905, it is situated in Guildford
, Surrey
, England. It comprises a Junior School, Senior School and Sixth Form
. In GCSE, AS-level and A-level examinations, Tormead pupils have achieved an 100% average over the past 5 years with around half of Year 11 pupils achieving Grade A* and A in all subjects and a large portion of Sixth Form students achieving 3 or more A grades at A-level.
programme "Any Questions?
" in 2005. It has also previously welcomed Poet Laureate
Andrew Motion
.
Recent additions to the building include Alleyne House in the Junior School (named after former headmistress, Honor Alleyne), the Science Wing, and specialist Design Technology, Home Economics
and Textiles rooms. In 2008, construction was completed on a new Performing Arts
Centre.
(a number of students compete at both national and international level), gymnastics
(the school has previously won the European Championships for Schools, GISGA) and fencing
(the school competes nationally and some members of the squad represent Great Britain internationally).
The school also boasts an active Music Department. Four orchestras and four choirs operate within the school, as well as the highly acclaimed Jazz Band, which tours Europe during the summer every two years and has played at numerous prestigious events and locations. The school has held musical events to celebrate its 90 year anniversary, the turn of the millennium and its centenary. The Music Department holds informal concerts at least once a term in which individual pupils or small ensembles can play, and in which some of the larger ensembles perform as well. Formal music events are arranged throughout the school year, with male singers for vocal performances often "borrowed" from the Royal Grammar School, Guildford.
Other extra-curricular activities of note are Young Enterprise
, Young Consumer, The Duke of Edinburgh's Award
, public speaking
and debating. In 2004, the school team ranked third in the national final of the English-Speaking Union
's Public Speaking Competition for Schools. The debating squad frequently enter the Cambridge
, Oxford
and Mace debating competitions. In 2009, they also were picked as one of the first schools in Britain to take part in the YPI project (Youth Philanthropy Initiative).
Guildford
Guildford is the county town of Surrey. England, as well as the seat for the borough of Guildford and the administrative headquarters of the South East England region...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, England. It comprises a Junior School, Senior School and Sixth Form
Sixth form
In the education systems of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and of Commonwealth West Indian countries such as Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Belize, Jamaica and Malta, the sixth form is the final two years of secondary education, where students, usually sixteen to eighteen years of age,...
. In GCSE, AS-level and A-level examinations, Tormead pupils have achieved an 100% average over the past 5 years with around half of Year 11 pupils achieving Grade A* and A in all subjects and a large portion of Sixth Form students achieving 3 or more A grades at A-level.
History
As part of its centenary celebrations, it hosted the BBC Radio 4BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
programme "Any Questions?
Any Questions?
Any Questions? is a topical debate radio programme in the United Kingdom.-Format:It is broadcast by BBC Radio 4 on Friday evenings and repeated on Saturday afternoons, when it is followed by a phone-in response programme, Any Answers?, previously a postal response slot...
" in 2005. It has also previously welcomed Poet Laureate
Poet Laureate
A poet laureate is a poet officially appointed by a government and is often expected to compose poems for state occasions and other government events...
Andrew Motion
Andrew Motion
Sir Andrew Motion, FRSL is an English poet, novelist and biographer, who presided as Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom from 1999 to 2009.- Life and career :...
.
Recent additions to the building include Alleyne House in the Junior School (named after former headmistress, Honor Alleyne), the Science Wing, and specialist Design Technology, Home Economics
Family and consumer science
Family and consumer sciences is an academic discipline that combines aspects of social and natural science. Family and consumer sciences deals with the relationship between individuals, families, and communities, and the environment in which they live...
and Textiles rooms. In 2008, construction was completed on a new Performing Arts
Performing arts
The performing arts are those forms art which differ from the plastic arts insofar as the former uses the artist's own body, face, and presence as a medium, and the latter uses materials such as clay, metal or paint which can be molded or transformed to create some physical art object...
Centre.
Extra-curricular activities
Particular sporting activities at the school include swimmingSwimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
(a number of students compete at both national and international level), gymnastics
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
(the school has previously won the European Championships for Schools, GISGA) and fencing
Fencing
Fencing, which is also known as modern fencing to distinguish it from historical fencing, is a family of combat sports using bladed weapons.Fencing is one of four sports which have been featured at every one of the modern Olympic Games...
(the school competes nationally and some members of the squad represent Great Britain internationally).
The school also boasts an active Music Department. Four orchestras and four choirs operate within the school, as well as the highly acclaimed Jazz Band, which tours Europe during the summer every two years and has played at numerous prestigious events and locations. The school has held musical events to celebrate its 90 year anniversary, the turn of the millennium and its centenary. The Music Department holds informal concerts at least once a term in which individual pupils or small ensembles can play, and in which some of the larger ensembles perform as well. Formal music events are arranged throughout the school year, with male singers for vocal performances often "borrowed" from the Royal Grammar School, Guildford.
Other extra-curricular activities of note are Young Enterprise
Young Enterprise
Young Enterprise is a not-for-profit business and enterprise education charity in the United Kingdom. It is made up of 12 regional organisations, each operating individually under a license agreement...
, Young Consumer, The Duke of Edinburgh's Award
The Duke of Edinburgh's Award
The Duke of Edinburgh's Award , is a programme of activities that can be undertaken by anyone aged 14 to 24, regardless of personal ability....
, public speaking
Public speaking
Public speaking is the process of speaking to a group of people in a structured, deliberate manner intended to inform, influence, or entertain the listeners...
and debating. In 2004, the school team ranked third in the national final of the English-Speaking Union
English-Speaking Union
The English-Speaking Union is an international educational charity which was founded by the journalist Evelyn Wrench in 1918. The ESU aims to "bring together and empower people of different languages and cultures," by building skills and confidence in communication, such that individuals realize...
's Public Speaking Competition for Schools. The debating squad frequently enter the Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
, Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
and Mace debating competitions. In 2009, they also were picked as one of the first schools in Britain to take part in the YPI project (Youth Philanthropy Initiative).
Notable former pupils
The School has an active alumni association, TOGA (Tormead Old Girls' Association) and Parents' Association.- Sandi ToksvigSandi ToksvigSandra Brigitte “Sandi” Toksvig is a Danish comedian, author and presenter on British radio and television.-Career:...
, comedian - Claudia Parsons, the first woman to circumnavigate the world by car.