NEWS SPRING 2021
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STEM Double honours as Tonbridge teams top Physics contest Upper and Lower Sixth students from Tonbridge have been ranked as ‘Best in the UK’ after taking part in the International Physics Brawl. Hundreds of teams from schools across the world competed in this annual online event, which tests Physics knowledge and problem-solving skills. Of the seven Tonbridge teams taking part, two were placed first in the UK for Year 12 and Year 13 students respectively. Teams also achieved highly impressive ‘world rankings’ of, for example, 8th, 28th and 49th. Physics Teacher Chris Powell said: “The calibre of the questions would not be out of place in final year university papers, and I offer my congratulations to all those students who took on the challenge and performed so well.”
Tonbridge’s mathematicians excel in national contest Tonbridge boys put in truly excellent performances in the latest stage of the British Maths Olympiad. Four students – Sherman Yip (HS5), Isaac King (CH2), Hayden Lam (FH3) and Thomas Masding (OH5) – earned the right to take part in the Second Round of the Olympiad, a national examination which featured only the top 100 Maths students across the country. Sherman and Isaac, pictured, then managed the extraordinary achievement of finishing in joint second place in the UK, with the overall winner managing just one more mark in the final scoring. Ian Jackson, Tonbridge’s Head of Mathematics, said: “The School has performed extremely well in the British Maths Olympiad down the years, but this performance is in a league of its own. To have four qualifiers making the national 100 was most impressive, but I estimate that it is about 40 years since any school across the country had two contestants placed in the top three in this competition. Very well done to all.” In the First Round, eight Tonbridge boys were placed within the top 200 students across the country.
The International Physics Brawl is organised by Charles University, a renowned institution in the Czech Republic.
Boys also achieved a highly impressive set of results in the first round of the British Physics Olympiad, a national competition hosted by the University of Oxford which recognises excellence in secondary school students. A total of 13 Tonbridge pupils claimed one of the Gold, Silver or Bronze awards on offer, which places them among the top students in the country.
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Science Conference attracts a global gathering There was a truly global nature to the Tonbridge Science Conference 2021 as students from Australia, Mexico and the USA joined those from various schools in the UK during the ‘virtual’ event in March. Now in its sixth year, the conference (as pictured above) once more brought together students to present their own work, discuss scientific topics and share their passion for discovery. Replicating many aspects of an academic conference, the event, which also tied in with British Science Week, took place entirely online, rather than in the School’s state-of-the-art Barton Science Centre. The programme included poster sessions displaying students’ research findings on nuclear power and climate change, space, pandemics, healthy eating, plants, diabetes, stroke rehabilitation and cancer treatments, to name just a few subjects. Other intriguing topics included ‘Can we change time?’ and ‘What place in our solar system can we next call home?’ Keynote speakers Dr Ella Gilbert and Dr Hannah Dalgleish discussed, respectively, the topics of Antarctic ice shelves and how astrophysics helps sustainable development across the world.
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Phil Deakin, Head of Science at Tonbridge, said: “We were delighted to enable so many bright and talented students from across the globe to share their work at the conference. It was tremendous to see those from different schools, countries and cultures coming together to discuss, debate and learn from one another, and I found it very inspiring to witness such passion for discovery throughout the day.” Schools taking part, in addition to Tonbridge, included The Judd School, Benenden School and Queen Elizabeth Grammar, all from Kent; Westminster School, from London, and Claremont High School, from Middlesex; Oundle School, Northants; Hutchins School, Australia; Colegio Carol Baur School, Mexico; and Los Altos High School, California, USA.
Lower Sixth’s James awarded Arkwright Scholarship
Boys find smart solutions to Huawei’s design challenge Tonbridge’s Lower Sixth students had the opportunity to work with a world-leading company as part of their Design and Technology A-level course. Huawei, the consumer technology giant, set boys a product challenge in which they had to design and prototype a new piece of smart technology that reflected Huawei’s core values, including sustainability and innovation. Following some in-depth research into both the brand and the marketplace, the boys came up with a range of potential solutions. Louisa Leung, Huawei’s UK Senior Channel Marketing Manager, said: “It was exciting to see students pushing the boundaries of design.”
James Watts (OH4) is Tonbridge’s latest recipient of a renowned Arkwright Engineering Scholarship. Awarded to talented 16-year-olds following a rigorous selection process, these scholarships are aimed at inspiring school-age students to be the country’s future leaders in engineering and industry. During his IGCSE studies, and with the support of the school’s Design, Technology and Engineering (DTE) Department, James gained valuable experience in engineering processes and problem-solving. His coursework provided further strong evidence for the selection panel of his commitment and potential. Richard Day, the School’s Head of DT, said: “We have a proud tradition of Tonbridge boys receiving Arkwright Scholarships, and I am thrilled with this latest success. It is an outstanding achievement by James, and I am confident that he has an extremely bright future in store.”
1st prize James Watts (OH4) was awarded ‘the most complete package prize’ for his family home speaker with multiple device charging. James won a 5G Phone. 2nd prize Ryan Cheung (PH4) was awarded ‘the most innovative solution’ prize for his wireless ear buds. Ryan won a modular smart camera and a watch for extreme sports. 3rd prize Dhani Lynch (FH4) was ‘highly commended’ for showing attention to detail and for solving a genuine problem, in creating headphones that allow the user to attach a face mask. Dhani won a fitness smart watch.
SPORT
Sport returns to Tonbridge!
After the latest lockdown we saw the welcome return of School sports. In the absence of external fixtures, these are being played at ‘internal’ and House level for the time being. We have launched football, hockey and basketball competitions, while boys have also been playing Rackets and Fives and doing cross-country runs. We’re expecting to see more sports, including cricket, returning in the Summer Term.
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COMMUNITY
School supporting the community Once more the School has played a key role in the local community. Activities in the past year included the setting up and running of a Primary Care Treatment Centre, which enabled the NHS to help save lives at the height of the Covid-19 crisis. The DT Department was among the first in the UK to manufacture protective visors (as pictured below), using innovative laser-cutting technology: more than 3,700 visors were distributed to key outlets such as care homes, hospitals, GP surgeries and pharmacies. Student-led activities at Tonbridge saw £113,000 raised for national and international charities, including £69,000 for Child Action Lanka, the School’s partner charity which supports street children in Sri Lanka. Third Years completed a ‘virtual’ 2,000-mile run and cycle from Tonbridge to Greece, raising funds for the RefugEase charity, while also learning about the global refugee crisis. In a normal year, 24,000 hours of volunteering time is given by pupils and staff through long-established links with primary, secondary and special schools and community groups. Over 150 boys choose weekly volunteering activities.
In 2020 Tonbridge was one of just six schools across the country to be named as a Finalist in the Independent Schools of the Year Awards for its ‘Community Outreach’ programme of activities.
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‘Wonderful’ response to School’s Laptop Appeal
Social enterprise in action: Boys earn Cambridge backing
More than 130 laptops have been donated to families in need thanks to the generosity of the Tonbridge School community. Parents, staff, former pupils and other friends of the School responded rapidly to the Laptop Appeal, which assisted those in ‘technology poverty’ who did not have a computer for home schooling during the lockdown period.
A social enterprise project by Tonbridge boys, inspired by the Covid pandemic, has been awarded a place on the University of Cambridge ‘Camstart’ programme. A team of Second Years, led by Abraham Chan (MH2), came up with a plan of producing high-quality, reusable face masks when taking part in the Boars’ Den, the School’s annual contest to find the best entrepreneurial start-up ideas.
People donated both new and secondhand devices, including tablets, iPads, smartphones and even sets of headphones, as well as laptops. Tonbridge also set up a special fund for donations to the cause. More than £40,000 was pledged, which enabled the School to purchase many high-quality laptops: these were delivered to local schools in the area, ready for onward distribution to families. James Fisher, Deputy Head Co-Curricular, said: “We wanted to play our part in addressing this desperate need that many families have, and the response from across the School community was wonderful.”
Having won the School competition, Abraham’s team then successfully pitched their ideas to Cambridge’s Camstart Accelerator Programme, a national scheme which provides expert support, mentoring and training for school-age students who can demonstrate the real-world potential of their social impact projects. The boys’ masks include a range of features such as water-resistant fabric, and ergonomically designed anti-fog and anti-rust nose bridge wire. The team is now taking part in regular online meetings with their project consultants at Camstart, and has pledged all proceeds to Child Action Lanka.
OT STORIES
Richard Warlow Writer of TV ‘sensation’ The Serpent Since attending Tonbridge between 1985 and 1990, Richard has carved out an extremely successful career in both film and television. He achieved a massive TV hit and widespread critical acclaim as lead writer, creator and joint executive producer for The Serpent, an eight-part thriller about the ‘Hippie Trail’ serial killer Charles Sobhraj. The true-crime drama is the most popular new iPlayer series since Normal People, with episodes having been streamed more than 31 million times to date. Richard was also the lead writer, creator and executive producer on all five series of the BAFTA-nominated Ripper Street,
which aired on the BBC and on Amazon Prime. Before he started writing, Richard worked as the Head of Development at DNA Films and as a Development Executive at Pathé, later embarking on a career as a screenwriter with his first screenplay Three Mile Horizon, which was optioned to Paramount Pictures. Richard was first a boarder at Judde House (1985-88), then a day boy and Sixth Former at Whitworth House (1988-90). He said: “I never dreamed when I was at school that I’d go on to work in the TV and film industry but I’d encourage anyone to look for a career there.”
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Ben Earl
Freddie de Tommaso
Ben (JH 2011-16) is an emerging England rugby star. Having been capped at U16, U18 and U20 level, he made his senior international debut in February 2020 against Scotland in the Six Nations Championships (as pictured), just three and a half years after leaving school. He also studies Comparative Literature at Queen Mary University.
Freddie (WH 2006-11) continues his meteoric ascent in the opera world, having signed a recording contract with Decca at the age of 28. His latest album, Passione, was released in April. Opera Now magazine wrote: “He is a young artist who holds onto opera’s traditional values, inspired by great singers of the past and learning his craft as he treads the boards with the stars of today.”
Zak Crawley
Photo: Max Flego
Zak (WH 2011-16) is a batsman for Kent County Cricket Club and a regular in the England Test side, having played in series against New Zealand, South Africa, West Indies, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and India. His innings of 267 last year was the second-highest maiden century scored by an England batsman in Test cricket.
Will Hislop
Photo: Michael Wharley
Will (WH 2006-11) is earning critical praise for his various roles as an actor, writer and stand-up comedian. He is one half of the critically acclaimed, Edinburgh Fringe Festival sell-out sketch group, Giants, is currently developing his own character comedy show and will soon be starring in a new BBC comedy.
THE ARTS Innovation is the key to House Music Competition success More than 100 boys demonstrated their musical innovation and creativity during the School’s latest House Music Competition. Boys from all 12 Houses played their own arrangements of classic songs spanning the decades, which ranged from Journey’s Don’t Stop Believing, Radiohead’s High And Dry and When The Sun Goes Down by the Arctic Monkeys to ingenious acoustic arrangements of Michael Jackson’s Smooth Criminal and Bridge Over Troubled Water by Simon and Garfunkel. Members from each House arranged and performed one amplified and one acoustic song at the School’s EM Forster Theatre. The competition was judged on criteria including standard and variety of performance, musical innovation and age range of performers. Due to Covid restrictions, the contest had a few differences. Instead of one large evening event, each House performed its music in the theatre at different times over the course of a week, with a maximum of eight boys on stage at any time. Performances were filmed, with a special show for boys and parents streamed on YouTube and also viewed by the competition adjudicator.
Winners of the House Music Cup: Smythe House Runners Up: Ferox Hall; Welldon House Cullen Shield for Best Acoustic Item: Ferox Hall for High and Dry The Paul Gamblin Award for Best Amplified Item: Hill Side for the Piña Colada Song Best Arrangement: Marcus Siu (Sc4) for Shape of My Heart
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Lights, camera, action… Short Films Awards return for 2021 Tonbridge has launched its second Short Films Competition, this time with even more categories and glittering prizes. The competition is open to the whole School, with boys encouraged to submit an original three-minute film. In addition to the categories of best Drama, Documentary and Comedy films, this year prizes will also be given for Music and Poetry entries. The competition was devised by Oscar-winning documentary-maker and former Tonbridge pupil Vikram Jayanti (Sc 1968-72), who has been teaching filmic storytelling at the School. In 2020, several stars from the worlds of film and television, including Rosamund Pike, took part in Tonbridge’s first annual Short Films Awards ceremony, which was an Oscars-style, online event, shown ‘live’ on Microsoft Teams in July. Vikram said: “We’re expecting even more stars of stage and screen to join us for the awards ceremony in 2021, to celebrate the growing filmic talent of our students.” Each category winner will take home a state-of-the-art, mini video camera-equipped drone, the DJI Mini 2.
HUMANITIES Staveley Poetry publication celebrates young writers’ work A new publication features more than 50 of the best poems written by Tonbridge boys for the School’s Staveley Poetry Prize. The competition, which has run for more than half a century, is named after a remarkable teacher at Tonbridge, Tom Staveley, who taught and inspired Sidney Keyes, one of the greatest poets of the Second World War. The English Department’s Peter Carpenter said: “The latest competition prompted more than 120 entries. We thought that the quality and range of the poems was remarkable and merited a publication, and so we produced an 80-page booklet to showcase the best of the boys’ work.
We hope everybody enjoys the poems on offer – there is a lot of fine writing within the pages.” The Staveley Prize was judged by renowned poet Jonathan Edwards, pictured below (centre) on a visit to Tonbridge. Jonathan was also a judge for the 2020 National Poetry Competition run by the Poetry Society, the biggest and most prestigious UK poetry prize.
After commending the high quality of the entries, Jonathan chose overall winners for the three age groups. Archie Capon (WH5) won the Senior Prize, Jack Walder (PS2) was selected for the Intermediate Prize, and James Tam (MH1) won the Novi Prize.
The new publication features the poems awarded first, second and third prize in each category, as well as all the entries that were either Highly Commended or Shortlisted.
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The History Boys: top placings for Churchill essays
Sixth Former Rory commended in national contest
Three boys earned prizes following a national essay-writing competition on the subject of Sir Winston Churchill. After entering the Sir Martin Gilbert History Prize, Eddie Adams (OH4) came runner-up in the Year 11 category, while Hector Money (HS5) and Tom Pitts-Tucker (CH5) both gained a top ten finish in the Year 12 section. All three are planning on reading History at university.
An essay by Upper Sixth student Rory Smith (JH5) has been ranked as ‘Very Highly Commended’ in the Robson History Prize, a prestigious competition run by Trinity College, University of Cambridge. The prize is named in memory of historian Robert Robson, who was for many years a Fellow and Tutor at the college
The competition, run in honour of Sir Martin, the renowned late historian and biographer, invited students from across the country to give their assessment of an aspect of Churchill’s life, while demonstrating the qualities of a historian: original research, thoughtful analysis, factual accuracy and attention to detail.
Rory’s essay, which he wrote after completing two months of reading and research, compared similarities and differences between the ancient Roman and Athenian empires. He said: “I have a fascination with the past, and with comparing then to now. Tonbridge has helped to stimulate my interests further, and I am so grateful for the teaching and support I have always received here.”
Debating team’s ‘fantastic performance’ in national contest
D
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A School team has advanced to the next round of the English-Speaking Union’s Schools’ Mace, the oldest and largest debating competition for schools in England. The team, made up of Tom Roxburgh (WH5), Jonas Freeman (MH4) and Isaac Willats (WW4), took part in the first round in January 2021. The boys are members of the School’s Debating Society and they take Debating as their Wednesday activity.
Students enhance their speech-writing, public speaking and critical thinking skills by taking part in the Mace. Tonbridge will also compete in the Oxford Schools competition (run by the Oxford Union) later this year.
ACADEMIC
Tonbridge boys are heading to leading universities The School’s Upper Sixth students will be taking up places at many of the world’s leading universities, including Oxford and Cambridge, later this year. A total of 22 Tonbridge boys (some of whom are pictured, above, on Teams) have been offered places to study at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge this year: ten have received places at Oxford, and 12 at Cambridge. These places were shared very evenly across subjects in the Arts and Humanities (11) and Sciences (11). Subjects that boys will be reading include Classics, Engineering, English, History, Maths, Music, French and German and Natural Sciences, which means that many of the School’s departments have played a key part in this latest university success.
With competition from national and international candidates stronger than ever, it is a notable achievement that Tonbridge students have received more than 180 Oxbridge offers since 2015. Tonbridge boys have also secured places on world-leading degree courses, in a wide range of subjects, at other top UK universities. These sought-after courses for 2021 include Mechatronics and Engineering, International Relations, Experimental Psychology, Real Estate, Aerospace Engineering, Earth and Planetary Science, Sports Management, Marine Biology, and Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE). The school’s Headmaster, James Priory, said: “These university offers represent a truly excellent achievement by boys and staff, and is a tribute to the hard work and dedication that we see in all areas across the School.”
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Tonbridge Online Throughout both of the national lockdowns in 2020 and 2021, the School was fully committed to delivering high-quality, interactive online learning for all its boys. It also ensured that pupils could participate in as many co-curricular activities as possible, and that they continued to receive excellent pastoral support. A key part of this strategy was ‘Tonbridge Online’, an educational programme designed to support pupils and parents throughout the period of distance learning. Tonbridge Online combined remote learning with revised timetables and programmes of study, ensuring regular face-to-face interaction between teachers and pupils, as well as giving access to some outstanding resources.
Mr Priory added: “I am impressed with the Upper Sixth’s contribution to the intellectual, pastoral and co-curricular life of the School, and it will be exciting to see them embark on the next steps of their educational careers this autumn.” Two students heading to Oxbridge this year will also be taking up the hugely prestigious role of Organ Scholar, while two others have won places to read Maths at Trinity College, Cambridge, where the course is world renowned.
A proportion of Tonbridge leavers also choose to study abroad and progress to leading institutions around the world, most commonly in the USA. Recent destinations have included the Universities of Chicago, Pennsylvania, New York, Colorado Boulder, Duke, Rice, Toronto and Hong Kong.
James Priory, Headmaster, said: “One of the great strengths of Tonbridge is the depth of relationships between the boys and the staff, and the period of online teaching and learning confirmed this. We continued to make the most of those relationships to inspire the boys’ learning, wherever they were in the world and whatever stage they were at in their educational careers.”
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Tonbridge School is a registered charity No. 1097977 The information contained in the brochure is accurate at the time of going to press
