HEADMASTER’S WELCOME

We have enjoyed a very busy and creative finale to the Lent Term and it has been uplifting to reflect on the breadth and quality of all that the boys have achieved.

This has been an important time for university news at Tonbridge. More than 670 offers have been made to our Upper Sixth cohort so far, including 27 offers from Oxford and Cambridge and more than 40 offers from US universities including Princeton, Columbia and UCLA. The Lower Sixth, meanwhile, enjoyed a vibrant university fair and will have the opportunity to explore future careers in our Networking Evening in June.

As ever, we have been encouraging the boys to participate in a wide range of super-curricular activities and have been delighted by the enthusiasm they have shown. In Modern Languages, for example, boys have performed French drama, winning awards in two festivals, as well as winning a national debating competition in Spanish.

A Tonbridge team won the Trinity Maths Competition, which attracted 150 schools from across the world including those in the US, UK and China. It is the first time that this prestigious competition has been won by a school from outside the US. A Physics team has returned from Israel, where it has been representing the UK in the World Championships of the Weizmann Safe Cracking Physics Challenge.

We welcomed exciting speakers to the School in the term as well, including Professor Jenny Mann from New York University at the Shakespeare Day hosted by the English Department. Key speakers at our Science Conference, hosted in the Barton Science Centre, included Professor Lev Sarkisov, an expert in Chemical Engineering from the University of Manchester; Sophie Harker, Assistant Chief Engineer at BAE Systems; and Professor Sir Jim Smith, Director of Science at the Wellcome Trust and now President of the London Zoological Society. More than 50 student delegates impressed with presentations of their own on scientific research.

As the term concluded, we were honoured to be presented with an Employer Champion award by Helen Gordon, CEO of the Science Council, recognising Tonbridge’s commitment to the professional development and registration of our science technicians and teachers. Tonbridge becomes the first school in the UK to be recognised by the Science Council in this way, joining organisations such as the Francis Crick Institute and Imperial College London.

Boys have, as always, been making the most of the co-curricular opportunities available to them. Air Vice-Marshal Munro praised cadets and officers at the annual CCF Inspection, highlighting the excellence of the Honour Guard. We were also thrilled that the Guard was subsequently invited to perform at the presentation of colours by the Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment in the presence of Colonel in-Chief, HM The Queen of Denmark.

While the cadets then experienced the thrill of taking off in a Chinook on the Fifty, the Whole School nobly took their seats in a trireme in Chapel for the premiere of Hywel Davies’ The Argo. With Symphony Orchestra, Chapel Choir, New Beacon Choir and Old Tonbridgian soloists involved, the Whole School formed the chorus of Heroes accompanying Jason on his magical quest. As many parents commented, it was spine-tingling to hear the power of the boys’ voices and wonderful to bring this new musical work to life.

Highlights in sport in the most recent term included the 1st XI Hockey team securing a place in the final of the Frank Mason Cup. The Football Club enjoyed a vintage season with both the 1st and 2nd XIs winning their respective leagues. The 1st XI even went on to win the inaugural ISFA trophy in a compelling cup final.

The U16 rugby team, meanwhile, won the National Plate competition at Rosslyn Park Sevens in a particularly muddy final. It is also good to applaud our tennis players for their fundraising efforts in support of the charity, Bright Ideas, following a 24-hour tennis marathon at the national centre in Roehampton.

I hope this gives a flavour of just a few of our activities during a typical Tonbridge term. Our Admissions team will, of course, always be happy to answer your questions and to give you as much information as you need when making your choices.

With all good wishes,

James Priory Headmaster