- Tiffin School
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Tiffin School 
Motto Faire sans dire
(To do without speaking)Established 1880 Type Grammar Academy Headteacher Hilda Clarke BA Chair Phil Phillips Founders John and Thomas Tiffin Specialism Arts, Language Location Queen Elizabeth Road
Kingston upon Thames
Greater London
KT2 6RL
EnglandLocal authority Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames DfE URN 102605 Ofsted Reports Staff 95 Students 1059 Gender Boys Ages 11–18 Colours Red, blue Publication TiffNews Former pupils Old Tiffinians Website Tiffin School Coordinates: 51°24′41″N 0°17′46″W / 51.4115°N 0.296°W
Tiffin School is a selective boys' grammar school, situated in Kingston upon Thames, south-west London, England. It has specialist Performing Arts College status and has gained a second specialism in modern foreign languages. The school moved from voluntary aided status to became an Academy School on 1 July 2011, but still raises additional funds through special events. Founded in 1880, Tiffin School educates over 1,000 students.
Contents
Admissions
Entry into the school is by academic selection, using both a verbal reasoning test and a non-verbal reasoning test. Over 1,300 candidates applied for 11+ entry in 2010.[1]
Identity
The school colours - red and blue - date from the time of its original foundation in the 19th century. The school's crest with three salmon is based on that of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames.
The school motto is Faire sans dire which, literally translated from French, means "to do without speaking". This calls to mind the phrase "Actions speak louder than words", and shows that students should perform, showing the world what they can do, rather than telling the world what they can do. The vision statement is "A leading creative community; an enduring love of learning".
The house system
There were originally four houses. Churchill and Montgomery were added after the Second World War. Every pupil at the school is a member of a house throughout their education at the school.
Each house has a House Master, with House Captains selected from the Upper VI each September, responsible for overall control and discipline of the house. Houses compete annually for the House Trophy which is awarded to the winning house at the end of the competition, which consists of academic and sporting events, and is usually presented on Sports Day, the Wednesday of the last week of the Summer Term. The current holders of the house cup are Kingsley-Montgomery, who were victorious in the 2010-2011 house competition.
House House Colour Tie Colours Raleigh Maroon and White Drake Black and Red Kingsley-Montgomery Black and Green Churchill-Gordon Black and White Livingstone Blue and Marigold (formerly Brown and Marigold) Scott Blue and White The school also operates a head boy and prefect system. Boys in the upper sixth are appointed prefects. When on duty, the head boy wears a blue gown and the senior prefects a red gown.
History
Tiffin School Main building, taken from the Head's Garden.
Two prosperous brewers from Kingston, John and Thomas Tiffin, left money in their wills in 1638 for the education of local people. At first the money was used for scholarships to attend local schools. However, the fund grew through investment returns and additional donations, so by the 1820s nearly 110 children were benefiting from the fund.
By 1869, when the charity schools had closed and the money was no longer needed by the Public Secondary School, the charity's trustees proposed to support Kingston Grammar School. There was a debate until 1872 when it was decided that Kingston Grammar School should receive no more than a quarter of the income from the charity.
Foundation
Plans were therefore drawn up in 1874 for two new schools; Tiffin Boys' School and Tiffin Girls' School, each taking 150 pupils. A single building by the Fairfield housing both schools was opened in January 1880.[2]
In 1929 the Boys' School moved to its present site, in Queen Elizabeth Road near the centre of Kingston.[2] It became a grammar school in 1943 and changed from being voluntary-controlled to being grant-maintained in 1992. On 1 July 2011 the school achieved Academy status.
New buildings
In 1937 a new building was opened for the Girls' School for 480 pupils, they had previously been in the same building as the Boys' School.[3]
The school site campus has expanded and now has a Sports Centre, an Arts block, the South Building and the Judge Lecture Theatre and Learning Resource Centre (named the Dempsey Centre after a former head).
There are plans to replace the old 1940s refectory with a modern canteen and sixth-form centre, which will be connected to the Dempsey Centre.
Present day
The Dempsey CentreThere are between 140 to 150 boys in each year, and about 340 in the Sixth Form, taught by 65 teaching staff.[4] The Dempsey Centre, named after Dr Tony Dempsey, who retired as head in 2004, was opened in September of that year. It contains ICT suites, a lecture theatre, a library and a new careers office.[5][6]
Hilda Clarke, was appointed head of Tiffin School in September 2009 replacing Sean Heslop, who had left in January 2009 to take up a headship in another school. Hilda Clarke is Tiffin's first female head.[7] She was the former head of Langley Grammar School in Slough and former deputy head of Tiffin Girls' School in Kingston upon Thames.
Ofsted report
The Ofsted report in 2002 stated that "the school is very popular; annually, it receives around 1,300 applications for the 140 available places. Very nearly all 16-year-olds continue into the Sixth Form and around 40 more join the Sixth Form each year from other schools. On entry, the pupils’ and Sixth Form students’ attainment is very high compared with the national average." In the 2007 Ofsted Report, Tiffin was rated outstanding (grade 1) in every area.[8]
Academic achievement
The school is strong academically and regularly sends approximately 20 boys to the Oxbridge Universities each year, and for posterity their names are recorded on wood paneling in the main school hall. The majority of boys do end up going to either the Russell Group or the 1994 Group of research intensive universities.
According to the Sunday Times, Parent Power Guide, the school is ranked 10th in the top 100 State Secondary Schools based on 2011 examination results. The 2011 results for the school are:-
A-level %A*-B: 90.9
GCSE %A*-A: 82.8
Music
The school has a choir and several musical ensembles, including a swing band and the Thames Youth Orchestra.[9] Every year, the school performs an oratorio, which consists of students, parents, staff and friends and is accompanied by either the Brandenburg Symphony Orchestra, the London Mozart Players or the Sinfonia Britannica.[10]
Tiffin Boys' Choir
The Tiffin Boys' Choir, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2007, performs at notable venues including the Royal Opera House, the Royal Festival Hall, and the Barbican with London orchestras, and it regularly goes on tour.[11] The choir has also recorded CDs, such as Rejoice in the Lamb and Christmas at Tiffin. It has also appeared on recordings of Mahler with Klaus Tennstedt, Puccini's Tosca with Antonio Pappano and Britten's War Requiem with Kurt Masur.[12] In addition to this, the choir has featured on the last ever episode of TFI Friday, on the soundtrack of A Christmas Carol, starring Kate Winslet, and on the subsequently released top-ten Kate Winslet Single "What If".[12] The choir has made tours to Germany, Romania, Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Poland, China and New Zealand. Currently, the Conductor for the Tiffin Boys' Choir is Simon Toyne - the Music Director of Tiffin School.
Thames Youth Orchestra
Tiffin school contributes a significant number of the musicians in the Thames Youth Orchestra.
Drama
Drama has been a long-standing Tiffin tradition and, with the status of Performing Arts College granted in 2003, this continues. The main school production is put on in the first week of December and there is usually a smaller production in the summer. Previous productions have included School for Scandal, Macbeth, The Odyssey, The Government Inspector, Playing the Victim and Hit the Gold Trail (in collaboration with NYMT).
Sports
Tiffin School is active in all the main sports.[13] It has facilities for rugby, football and cricket at a large area of ground near Hampton Court, known as Grist's (named after a former headmaster).[14] Tiffin School Boat Club is based at the boathouse, which is shared with Kingston Rowing Club along the Thames at Canbury Gardens.[15] The school is particularly strong in rugby, cricket, basket ball and rowing.
The school has a sports hall which is open to the public after normal school hours.
Tiffin shop
The Tiffin shop is a charitable business, that sells the school uniform, sports kit (rugby, cricket), various stationery items and textbooks. Because the shop is connected to the school, the school receives all surplus income. The shop relocated to the 'Elmfield' building in February 2007.[16]
Old Tiffinians
Former pupils are known as Old Tiffinians.[17] The Tiffinian Association seeks to arrange reunion events such as dinners[18] and sports fixtures.[19] All alumni, parents of alumni, former staff, governors, and friends of the school are welcome to participate in these events.
Notable former pupils
See also: Category:People educated at Tiffin School- Captain Douglas Belcher, Victoria Cross recipient[20]
- Tom Bloxham, founder of Urban Splash[21]
- James Boyden, Labour MP for Bishop Auckland[22]
- John Bratby, painter and writer[23]
- Reginald Foster Dagnall, founder of RFD and British aviation pioneer [24]
- Michael Dixon, Director of the Natural History Museum[25]
- Arun Harinath, cricketer Surrey CCC[26]
- Chris Heaton-Harris, Conservative MP for Daventry (1979–86)[27]
- Rob Henderson, rugby union player[28]
- Dennis Lindley, statistician[29]
- Neil McDermott, actor[30]
- Jonny Lee Miller, actor[31]
- Alec Stewart, former England cricket captain[32]
References
- ^ "Tiffin Year 7 Admissions". http://www.tiffin.kingston.sch.uk/index.php?&mod=page&page=Year7AdmissionPolicy.
- ^ a b "Tiffin School". http://www.kingston.gov.uk/browse/leisure/museum/events_and_activities/heritageopendays/tiffin_school.htm.
- ^ "£42,000 Schhol Opened at Kingston" (News in Brief). The Times (London). Thursday, 28 October 1937. Issue 47827, col A, p. 21.
- ^ "Staff List". http://tiffinschool.co.uk/index.php?mod=page&page=Staff%20List.
- ^ "Learning Resource Centre". http://www.tiffinschool.co.uk/index.php?mod=page&page=Learning%20Resource%20Centre.
- ^ "Serota Library Furniture". http://www.serota.co.uk/cases/tiffin.htm.
- ^ Tiffin School
- ^ Tiffin School, Office for Standards in Education
- ^ "Tiffin School Performing Arts College". http://www.tiffinschool.co.uk/index.php?&mod=page&page=Music%20-%20PAC.
- ^ "Tiffin Oratorio". http://www.tiffinschool.co.uk/index.php?&mod=page&page=Oratorio.
- ^ "Tiffin Boys Choir". http://www.tiffinboyschoir.org.uk/event.htm.
- ^ a b "Tiffin Boys Choir". http://www.tiffinboyschoir.org.uk/audio.htm.
- ^ "Tiffin School Sport". http://tiffinschool.co.uk/index.php?mod=page&page=Sports.
- ^ "Tiffin School Prospectus". http://www.tiffin.kingston.sch.uk/uploads/files/Admission/TiffinProspectus.pdf.
- ^ "Tiffin School Boat Club". http://www.tiffinsmallboatshead.co.uk/tiffinrowing/.
- ^ "School Shop". http://www.tiffinschool.co.uk/index.php?mod=page&page=School%20Shop.
- ^ "TiffinFriends.org"
- ^ "Tiffin Friends Events Page". http://tiffinfriends.org/page/event_details/.
- ^ "Tiffin Friends Clubs Page". http://tiffinfriends.org/page/clubs_and_societies.
- ^ "Newsletter of the Old Tiffinians’ Association No. 235", March 2008
- ^ "UWEawards honorary degree to Tom Bloxham MBE", University of the West of England, 22 November 2007.
- ^ "Obituary: James Boyden", Walter Bunn, The Independent, 7 October 1993.
- ^ "Obituary: John Bratby", The Independent, 23 July 1992
- ^ Obituary in Flightglobal 1942
- ^ "TIFFNEWS No. 226", 22 December 2005.
- ^ Horne, Ben (January 2007). "Players and Officials - Arun Harinath". Cricinfo. http://content.cricinfo.com/england/content/player/15377.html. Retrieved 22 September 2009.
- ^ "Chris Heaton-Harris MEP", City of Leicester Conservative Association, accessed 1 June 2008
- ^ "Lion Rob glad to ring the changes", Chris Jones, Evening Standard, February 27, 2001
- ^ "The Lindley Prize - Dennis V. Lindley", International Society for Bayesian Analysis, accessed 28 June 2008
- ^ "Newsletter of the Old Tiffinians' Association No. 227", March 2006
- ^ "Jonny Lee Miller", The New York Times, accessed 28 June 2008
- ^ "Alec was aggressive - He'd even sledge the teachers Says the England captain's Games Master!", Sunday Mirror, Steve Whiting, May 24, 1998
External links
News items
Categories:- Educational institutions established in 1880
- Grammar schools in London
- Arts Colleges in London
- Language Colleges in England
- Education in Kingston upon Thames
- Boys' schools in London
- 1880 establishments in England
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