Tonbridge Grammar School

Not to be confused with Tonbridge School.

Grammar school in Tonbridge, Kent, England

Tonbridge Grammar School

Address

Deakin Leas

Tonbridge

Kent

TN9 2JR

England

Coordinates| 51°11′05″N 0°16′28″E﻿ / ﻿51.1846°N 0.2745°E﻿ / 51.1846; 0.2745
Information
Type| Grammar school
Academy
Motto| Courage and Honour
Established| 1905 (1905)
Department for Education URN| 136417 Tables
Ofsted| Reports
Headteacher| Rebecca Crean
Gender| Girls
(Coeducational sixth form)
Age| 11 to 18
Houses| Arnold
Fayerman
Carey
Mitchener
Debney
Taylor
Colour(s)|  Pantone 349 C,
Pantone 1807 C,
Publication| Scripted Magazine
Website| http://www.tgs.kent.sch.uk/

Tonbridge Grammar School is a state grammar school in Tonbridge, Kent, United Kingdom. The school was established in 1905 at the Technical Institute in Avebury Avenue Tonbridge, having only 19 enrolled students.[1] The school is situated in the south of Tonbridge and has approximately 1,050 students, ranging from 11 to 18 years.

Previously known as Tonbridge Grammar School for Girls, with the introduction of boys in the sixth form in 2002, the school changed its name. Tonbridge Grammar School has served 20 years as an International Baccalaureate World School,[2] and in 2014 was announced as the best International Baccalaureate state school in the United Kingdom for the sixth consecutive year.[3]

## History

[edit]

### Early years: 1905-1913

[edit]

Tonbridge Grammar School for Girls opened on 24 January 1905 in the Technical Institute in Avebury Avenue Tonbridge with just 19 girls as pupils on the top floor of Tonbridge Library. The headmistress and only teacher was Miss Taylor who introduced the school motto, Courage and Honour. The school moved to its current site in Deakin Leas in 1913, after Tonbridge Library became too small to accommodate the growing numbers.[4]

### Middle years: 1919-1974

[edit]

The Education Act 1944 made the County School into the County Grammar School for Girls for pupils who passed the new Eleven Plus exam. Later, in 1957, the school hall, science block, gymnasium, Head teacher's office and school office were added. In 1963, the school swimming pool was opened and later in 1967, the library wing and music blocks were built.

In 1974, the Hillview annexe was built, and was later named after former head mistress Miss Mitchener; The Mitchener Hall.

### 2000-2010

[edit]

In the year 2000, the Matthews Centre, more commonly known as the "Tech block" was dedicated to the memory of Gary Matthews, Vice Chair of Governors 1993 to 1999. In 2007 and 2008 an ambitious fundraising campaign financed a brand new school building that replaced many temporary buildings on the campus and that financed the redevelopment of the original School on the Hilltop. The Hands Building opened in late 2009.

### 2010-present

[edit]

2015 saw the addition of a new Sixth Form block in the place of the swimming pool and changing facilities, with the increased intake of pupils in the Sixth Form. It brought additional facilities and a modern design which earned it its name, the IBarn.

## Academic performance

[edit]

The school has achieved high results in both International Baccalaureate and GCSE exams, ranking usually within the top state schools in the county. The local boys equivalent school, The Judd School similarly achieves good A-Level and GCSE results, making the pair the most high-achieving schools in south-west Kent. TGS has the Maths & Computing Specialist Status and Languages Specialist Status, as well as being a Leading Edge School. TGS also has local rivalry with fellow girl's grammar, Tunbridge Wells Girls Grammar School (TWGGS). The two schools compete officially and unofficially in sports and academic achievements alike.[citation needed]

As of 2012, the school has been running exclusively International Baccalaureate Diploma curriculum for Sixth Form students.[5] Tonbridge Grammar School has been the top International Baccalaureate state school in the UK 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012. In 2014 the Sunday Times named Tonbridge Grammar School, State Secondary School of the Year and International Baccalaureate (IB) School of the Year.[citation needed]

## Notable former pupils

[edit]

See also: Category:People educated at Tonbridge Grammar School

* Victoria Hislop, author
* Angie Sage, author, Septimus Heap series[citation needed]
* Margaret Sharp, Baroness Sharp of Guildford (née Hailstone), former SDP politician
* Rebecca Stephens, MBE, first British woman to climb Everest and the Seven Summits.[6]
* Lynn Wallis OBE Artistic Director of the Royal Academy of Dance since 1994.[7]
* Andrea Leadsom, Member of Parliament for South Northamptonshire 2010-2024, Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy 2019-2020,[8] Leader of the House of Commons 2017–2019, Economic Secretary to the Treasury 2014-2015.[9]
* Cathy Gilliat-Smith, England hockey player
* Felicity Aston, explorer and climate scientist[10]
* Jess Search, documentary producer[11]

## See also

[edit]

* Weald of Kent Grammar School
* The Judd School
* Tunbridge Wells Girls' Grammar School

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "School History". Tonbridge Grammar School. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
2. ^ "IB World Schools". IBO. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
3. ^ "Tonbridge Grammar School comes out top in two of the Sunday Times school awards". The Courier. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
4. ^ "History of Tonbridge Grammar School". Tonbridge Grammar School. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
5. ^ "Home". tgs.kent.sch.uk.
6. ^ "Climber to retell stories". Kent and Sussex Courier. Local World. This is Kent. 24 October 2008. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
7. ^ "Lynn Wallis receives an OBE". Royal Academy of Dance. 15 June 2015. Retrieved 25 August 2015. "Lynn Wallis, Artistic Director of the RAD, was appointed an OBE for services to dance"
8. ^ "Her Majesty's Government: The Cabinet". Retrieved 28 July 2019.
9. ^ Smith, Lydia. "Andrea Leadsom". Andrea Leadsom Conservatives. Politics Web. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
10. ^ "Felicity Aston's new home and project in Vigur". TGS Connections. 8 April 2020. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
11. ^ Mitchell, Wendy (7 August 2023). "Jess Search obituary". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 21 February 2025. Retrieved 21 February 2025.

## External links

[edit]

* Tonbridge Grammar School Official Website
* Tonbridge Grammar School on IBO
* EduBase

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Tonbridge

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* Angel Ground
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Twin towns|

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† Italics denotes building in Tudeley-cum-Capel civil parish

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| Grammar schools|

* Barton Court Grammar School
* Borden Grammar School
* Chatham and Clarendon Grammar School
* Chatham Grammar School for Girls
* Cranbrook School, Kent
* Dane Court Grammar School
* Dartford Grammar School
* Dartford Grammar School for Girls
* Dover Grammar School for Boys
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* Folkestone School for Girls
* Fort Pitt Grammar School
* Gravesend Grammar School
* The Harvey Grammar School
* Highsted Grammar School
* Highworth Grammar School for Girls
* Holcombe Grammar School
* Invicta Grammar School
* The Judd School
* Maidstone Grammar School
* Maidstone Grammar School for Girls
* Mayfield Grammar School
* The Norton Knatchbull School
* Oakwood Park Grammar School
* Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School
* Rainham Mark Grammar School
* Rochester Grammar School
* Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School
* Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys
* Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School
* Sir Roger Manwood's School
* The Skinners' School
* Tonbridge Grammar School
* Tunbridge Wells Girls' Grammar School
* Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys
* Weald of Kent Grammar School
* Wilmington Grammar School for Boys
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|

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Defunct schools|

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