NEWS FIRST EDITION: 2023-24
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Star students: Tonbridge’s Upper Sixth achieve excellent A-level results Tonbridge’s students have put in outstanding performances in this year’s A-levels, with 43 per cent of all grades awarded to the Upper Sixth cohort at the very highest grade of A*. In total, 80 per cent of all grades awarded are A* or A, while nearly all grades (97 per cent) achieved by Tonbridge students are either A*, A or B. In addition, 96 boys achieved nothing lower than A*/A grades at A-level, with 29 boys making the ‘clean sweep’ of an A* in all their subjects. James Priory, the School’s Headmaster, said: “We are proud of the character and motivation the boys have shown throughout their Sixth Form studies. “At the same time as continuing to enjoy co-curricular pursuits and contributing to the wider leadership of the School, our Upper Sixth have shown tremendous intellectual creativity, worked hard and achieved impressive academic results.” This year’s leavers become the second Tonbridge cohort to have completed the School’s Sixth Form Curriculum. Launched in 2020, this was inspired by the skills which The World Economic Forum identified as having the greatest value in today’s workplace including complex problem-solving, critical thinking and creativity.
A-LEVEL RESULTS
97% of A-level results at A*–B
80% of A-level results at A*–A
43% of A-level results at A*
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Upper Sixth heading to leading universities around the world The large majority of Tonbridge’s leavers have once more secured their first-choice university destination and have headed off to leading universities across the world. A total of 24 students took up places at either Oxford or Cambridge in 2023. Other leading UK universities welcoming Tonbridge boys this autumn include LSE, Imperial College, Bristol, Bath, Edinburgh, Leeds, Nottingham, Exeter, Manchester, King’s College London, UCL, Warwick and York. In the US, the School’s leavers gained places at Princeton, Columbia, Chicago, Duke, New York University Abu Dhabi and the University of Southern California. They also have places at Waterloo (Canada), Delft (Netherlands) and the University of Hong Kong. This year, the Upper Sixth received a record number of offers – more than 670 – from a wide range of top universities. More than 65 per cent of boys received four or more offers, which is well above the national average. While traditional degree courses such as Politics, Philosophy, History, Business, Geography, Engineering, Languages and Economics continue to prove popular, some Tonbridge leavers already have a particular career focus.
One student has gone straight into the city, working for Barclays as part of a highly sought-after degree apprenticeship. From here, he will gain a degree in Economics and Finance from a London university, a full-time position with a salary and a guaranteed job following graduation. Another is studying at Central St Martins on an Art Foundation year. Places for this are highly competitive, with students needing to demonstrate great ability and passion for the subject.
Ruth Davis, Head of Universities & Careers
90% 93% of our 2023 Leavers secured a place at Russell Group and higher tariff universities
of the Tonbridge Upper Sixth secured their chosen destination
* Tonbridge was ranked as the 8th best school in the country in Parent Power, The Sunday Times Schools Guide 2023, which is based on A-level and GCSE performance. Tonbridge was also the country’s top performing boys’ boarding school.
FROM HARD WORK TO EXCELLENT RESULTS Outstanding GCSEs as boys show ‘hard work and determination’ Tonbridge boys achieved a record set of GCSE and IGCSE results in 2023: 48 per cent of grades are at 9, the highest possible grade, and more than three quarters (77 per cent) are at 9 and 8 (with both grades the equivalent of A*). Third Year students also achieved the following: 4 per cent of grades are at 9, 8 or 7, which is 9 the equivalent of gaining either an A* or A; early all grades (more than 99 per cent) are N at 9-6 (equivalent to A*-B); total of 54 boys (more than a third of the A entire Third Year cohort) achieved exclusively 9-8 grades (i.e. all GCSEs equivalent to straight A*s); total of 104 boys (two thirds of the Third A Year cohort) achieved exclusively 9-7 grades (i.e. all GCSEs equivalent to A*/As); 31 boys achieved nine or more grade 9s.
James Priory congratulated the Third Year cohort. “To end up with a record year in GCSEs is simply outstanding. This was achieved by a great deal of hard work and determination by students and teachers alike. “We look forward to our Sixth Formers taking on leadership responsibilities and playing a key role in the academic, co-curricular and community life of the School.” In addition to providing a range of A-level subjects, the Sixth Form Curriculum offers students the opportunity to gain Additional Languages Qualifications in French, German, Spanish and Mandarin, and to enhance their independent research skills via the Extended Project Qualification. They also learn Life Skills, designed to prepare students for ‘Life after Tonbridge’: topics include cookery, personal finance, public speaking and interview techniques.
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Adrian wins University of Sheffield essay prize
Isaac and Alex strike gold in the IMO! The Lower Sixth’s Isaac King (CH5) and Second Year student Alex Chui (CH3) put in outstanding performances when they took part in the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) in Tokyo this summer. Both were awarded Gold medals, an achievement which placed them among the top 54 students in the world. The boys were part of the UK team (pictured above) and helped the national side to a highly respectable 13th position in the world rankings. A total of 112 counties, and more than 600 contestants, took part in this year’s IMO, the premier ‘World Championship’ Maths competition for senior school students. The UK team featured the top six schoolage mathematicians in the country, meaning that simply being selected for the IMO is a remarkable feat. It is also extremely rare for any school to provide two of the six contestants for a national team.
Adrian Shum (PH5) won a prestigious national essay competition run by the University of Sheffield’s History Department. The annual contest is open to Lower Sixth students from schools and colleges across the UK and always attracts a high number of entries. Adrian’s essay answered the question ‘Were the most important consequences of the French Revolution in Haiti?’ while drawing on a range of contemporary and secondary sources.
STEM Solutions 23 Winners A Lower Sixth team emerged as winners in STEM Solutions 23, an inter-school competition which tested scientific knowledge and engineering skills. The students also pitched their ideas to a panel of experts on the topic of AI and how it will affect us in the future.
Alex represents Team England in Vietnam Alex Chan (PH5) competed as a member of Team England at the Vietnam World Schools Debating Championships in July. A total of 64 teams took part in the event, with Alex being one of just five students representing Team England. After a fantastic run during the inrounds, the team finished with six wins from eight, and won 18 of 24 ballots, progressing to the next stage before narrowly losing to Malaysia in the octofinals. Alex, a member of the School’s Debating Society, said: “It was a really good opportunity for me to learn about niche topics and broaden my understanding of the world.”
FROM CARDBOARD TO CONCERTS Novi ‘Sleepout’ for Porchlight is a record-breaking success All of Tonbridge’s 153 First Years took part in the School’s annual Sleepout, in support of the homelessness charity Porchlight, in the Summer Term. The Quad was transformed into a ‘cardboard city’, with House groups constructing shelters for the night. The boys then heard from Porchlight’s fundraising team about how they support homeless and vulnerable people across Kent. Boys from the Lower Sixth set up a soup kitchen, to offer the Novi something warming, before the boys tried to settle down for the night. As the discomfort of rough sleeping started to sink in, they gained an insight into life for many on the streets of Kent every night. Tonbridge has run annual Sleepouts for more than 15 years, with this year’s event raising more
than £28,000. Juliet Burnett, Community Action Manager, said: “I am incredibly impressed with the boys’ engagement and with the empathy they showed throughout the Sleepout experience. The benefits to them, of glimpsing just a fraction of a homeless person’s daily experience, will be lasting.”
Fun in the sun on Novi Team Building day First Years enjoyed an afternoon of team building activities early in the Michaelmas Term, as they settled into their new surroundings. Despite sweltering conditions, the boys enjoyed inflatable table football, hungry hippos and archery tag, and even built their own “cadillac”. Josie McNeil, Lower Master, said: “It was lovely to see the boys working together, problem-solving and supporting each other in their Houses.”
Leading by example: Head of School sets out his goals James Allan (WH5) is Tonbridge’s Head of School for the 2023-24 academic year, and is being assisted in his duties by George Glen (SH5) and James Tam (MH5), Deputy Heads. Setting a positive example, and further encouraging a culture of diversity and openmindedness, are just two of James’ ambitions as he looks ahead to the coming year.
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FIRST EDITION: 2023-24
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African Caribbean Society holds annual garden party
Lower School Concert highlights musicians’ versatility
The African Caribbean Society (ACS) held its annual garden party in the last week of the Summer Term. Parents, boys and staff enjoyed Jollof rice, fried yam, patties and Nigerian puff-puff, provided courtesy of Tonbridge parent Penny Nwogwugwu. The event marked the third year of the ACS, which has become an important forum for boys of African and Caribbean heritage to connect with each other, and to celebrate black cultures in all its forms for the benefit of students from all backgrounds.
The School Orchestra, Junior Strings and Concert Band, as well as Guitar and Percussion Ensembles, featured in a hugely entertaining Lower School Concert. Performances ranged from Pirates of the Caribbean and Grease Highlights to pieces by Beethoven, Stravinsky and Mussorgsky, all of which highlighted the talent and versatility of younger musicians. Music plays an important part in Tonbridge life. More than 40 per cent of pupils learn an instrument, and about a third of these learn more than one. The School has a strong tradition of instrumental excellence, with regular performances and concerts across all genres, as well as an outstanding choral tradition.
From Art to Ultimate Frisbee … Held in the Michaelmas Term, the Societies Fair gives all boys an opportunity to find out about the wide range of interests catered for. There are more than 35 clubs and societies, with much of the responsibility of running these down to the boys themselves.
Voting ideas to the fore as Manor wins Junior Debating Teams from Park House and Manor House contested the Grand Final of the Junior Debating Competition. The motion was a challenging one: “This house believes that young people (18-24) should be given a double-weighted vote in all elections”. Boys explored issues of fairness and equality, as well as considering the importance of engaging people of all ages in politics and examining the role young people play in setting political agendas. Manor finally prevailed in a close-run competition.
Best-selling author opens ‘Eliza Acton Cookery Classroom’ International best-selling author Annabel Abbs officially opened Tonbridge’s cookery facility, named the Eliza Acton Cookery Classroom.
In her historic novel The Language of Food, Annabel tells the extraordinary story of how Eliza’s “revolutionary” recipe book, published in the Victorian age, changed the way British families cooked and ate. The author unveiled a plaque and spent time with Lower Sixth boys, who did some cooking for the School’s guests. Annabel also gave a talk at the School’s EM Forster Theatre about Eliza (1799-1859), who has many Tonbridge and Kentish connections. The Cookery Classroom is available to all boys at the School and plays an especially key role in the Sixth Form, where students take a course in ‘Life Skills’ designed to equip them for life after Tonbridge, which includes lessons in cookery and nutrition.
Sailing Club boys put in strong showing at World Championships Sixteen members of the School’s Sailing Club competed in Italy this summer in the prestigious RS Feva World Championships. More than 200 teams from around the world descended on Follonica, in Tuscany, to claim their place in the world standings. After five tough days of racing, George Curtis (PH3) and Ben Bryden (PH3) finished as the School’s top team in the RS Feva, earning a bronze medal within their fleet. Sailing is an increasingly popular sport at the School, with training and events taking place in all terms and all weathers!
First XI makes a run to T20 Final The School’s First XI cricket team progressed to the final of this year’s National Schools Twenty20 competition: the furthest that Tonbridge has been in the tournament. On Finals Day at Arundel, Tonbridge beat Manchester Grammar in the semis, thanks in part to a fine half-century from skipper Ollie Sykes (HS 18-23), before narrowly losing the final to King’s Taunton.
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Welldon wins House Athletics with top performances on track and field
From reefs to wrecks …
Welldon was the winner of this year’s House Athletics, competed for at the end of the Summer Term. As well as claiming the overall trophy, Welldon boys won a further seven of the 15 titles on offer, covering both track and field events. Freddie Nicholson (WH 18-23) was the occasion’s Victor Ludorum, winning the Triple and High Jumps and coming second in the 110m Hurdles. Zuriel Nwogwugwu (HS4) claimed the title of Best Inter Athlete, winning the very unusual combination of Long Jump and Shot Put, and coming fourth in a very high quality Inter 200m. George Vassilev (WH2) was crowned Best Junior Athlete, winning in each of the Hurdles, 200m and Javelin. The Tug-of-War cups went to new owners this year: Welldon in the Seniors, Smythe in the Juniors.
The School’s Sub-Aqua Club headed to Malta earlier this year for a week of diving around the Malta, Gozo and Comino archipelago, exploring reefs and wrecks. Of the eight students on the trip, four obtained their PADI Open Water Certification, as did two members of staff. The other four boys already held their certifications. The trip offered boys the chance to try an adventure sport within a safe environment, while also learning about the underwater world and natural history.
Golfers land treble honours Tonbridge’s golfers had tremendous success in the West Sussex Invitational and Smarden Bell golf tournaments, winning both of these highly competitive events. The Smarden Bell tournament had the strongest field of golfers yet assembled across the eight competing schools. It was a hugely impressive achievement by Edward Greenslade (captain, OH5), William Lacey (PH5), Charlie Tuffield (SH5), Jack Kirkland (JH4) and Justin Zhao (MH2) to win the team event.
FROM FINE MINDS TO GOOD HEARTS “Preparing boys for thriving in the real world”: Tonbridge has top review in Tatler Schools Guide
Tonbridge and Benenden students team up and work together Novi boarders welcomed Year 9 students from Benenden on Field Day in October for a day of shared pursuits including lacrosse, mixed tag rugby and an ‘immersive theatre’ workshop run by the charity Empathy Action. Josie McNeil, Tonbridge’s Lower Master, said: “The day enabled students from both schools to share experiences, work in teams and get to know a little more about each other, and there was lots of great feedback.” Tonbridge’s boarding houses are twinned with those from all-girls Benenden, with students regularly getting together for activities including quiz nights and meals at Pizza Express. Tonbridge’s Praes met with their opposite numbers at Benenden, the Grey Jumpers, in the Michaelmas Term for a training day which included team building, problemsolving and public speaking exercises, as well as hearing talks on well-being and time management.
Tonbridge earns a glowing review in the Tatler Schools Guide 2024. Tatler magazine carries out a year-round programme of research, including in-person visits and in-depth questionnaires, in order to select what it considers to be the best 250 independent and prep schools in the UK.
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Its latest Schools Guide (the 20th annual edition) highlights Tonbridge’s outstanding academic achievements and its record of boys progressing to top universities worldwide, as well as the Life Skills that are taught as part of the innovative Sixth Form Curriculum. There are also mentions for the rapport between staff and pupils, the breadth of co-curricular activities, the quality of food and the popular House Music competition.
‘lack of pretentiousness’, despite being ‘intellectually great’.) And evidently, under the Tonbridge regime, its charges prosper. Last year’s GCSE results were among its best-ever (a whopping 97 per cent of entries were graded 9-7), and the first cohort of youngsters to complete its new, tailored, Sixth Form Curriculum achieved stellar A-level results, with 107 making a clean sweep of A*s and As. But they’ll go off to top universities – Oxbridge, Harvard and MIT to name but a few – with a lot more under their belts than simple good grades, as the Curriculum now includes a Life Skills component – covering everything from cookery and personal finance to public speaking and yoga – to prepare the boys for continued thriving in the real world. Not that they’re in any rush to leave. Pupils are quick to tell us how much they love it here, not least for the ‘amazing’ chicken katsu curry, the House Music event, the close staff-to-pupils relationship, the abundance of exciting activities on offer – and the time to ‘have a go at them all’.
Tonbridge’s Tatler Schools Guide review is as follows: ‘It just “gets” boys,’ one parent says. ‘How to educate them, how to help them grow into respectable young men, how to challenge them academically ... It may not have the stereotypical reputation of the bigger names, but it’s just as good – if not better – because of this.’ High praise is almost universal from anyone with experience of this Kentish institution, whether they may be a current student, an Old Tonbridgian, a local family or even a visitor. (Recently, one such was particularly taken with its ‘pastoral strength’ and notable
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FROM CAMPUS TO COMMUNITY School community shows “extraordinary generosity” as Giving Day raises £525,000
Tonbridge’s Giving Day has, for the second year in succession, raised more than half a million pounds, with the current total exceeding £525,000.
£1.5m+
The total amount raised since the School’s inaugural Giving Day event in 2021, with donations going to the General Foundation Awards Fund.
This year’s event was supported by a total of 675 donors as well as match funders, challenge gift sponsors, boys, parents, staff and the wider School community of OTs and friends. During the last week of the Summer Term, many hundreds of people across the School community worked together to help support Tonbridge’s mission of increasing its number of Foundation Award recipients to between 80 and 100 by 2028, which is the occasion of its 475th anniversary. James Priory expressed thanks for the “extraordinary generosity” of everyone who supported Giving Day – now a major annual event in the School calendar. “In the context of today’s cost of living crisis, it is even more important for us as a School to do everything we can to support young
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people and to offer them the very best chances in life,” he said.
boys, as they ‘gave back’ to the local community. Boys and School staff visited a number of local primary schools to help with projects such as creating nature areas, planting, installing water features, organising fun runs and helping pupils prepare for sports days and drama productions.
“Our aim is to ensure that we continue to attract the most academically able and talented boys, and Giving Day plays a crucial role in helping us to achieve that.” The theme of community plays a large part in Giving Day. Nearly 700 children, from 14 local schools, spent a day at Tonbridge taking part a range of activities, from archery, art and athletics to dance, poetry, drama and science, with everyone encouraged to have a go at something new. There were also 12 off-site projects taking place, involving more than 350 Second and Third Year
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Others headed to Barden Lake in Haysden Country Park, working alongside staff and volunteers from Kent County Council to help tackle bank erosion and to improve the overall environment for visitors. Pictured are some of the activities taking place both at Tonbridge and in the community during Giving Day 2023.
FROM THE CHALKFACE... WILL BIDDLE HEAD OF SUSTAINABILITY
Will is an old boy of the School, having been in Park House between 1976 and 1981. A short career in advertising followed a degree in Biochemistry, after which Will retrained as a teacher. After nine years in his first post at Wymondham College in Norfolk, Will returned to Tonbridge and has been with us for the last 20 years.
Will is pictured with his ‘Wheel of Books’, an upcycling project which is on display in the Smythe Library
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Will recently stood down as Housemaster of Whitworth after completing his 15-year tenure, but has been appointed to a new role of Head of Sustainability, a subject close to his heart, as he outlines below. He also teaches Design Technology, Pastoral Education and Art; is Master in Charge of Ultimate Frisbee; coaches hockey; and is Pastoral Outreach Co-ordinator. Upcycling and sustainable design is something I have been teaching at Tonbridge for many years as part of the Design Technology curriculum at GCSE and A-level, and through a weekly ‘Sustainable Design’ co-curricular activity. It is becoming increasingly apparent that as designers, manufacturers and consumers we need to combat the depletion of finite resources by developing robust circular economies where ‘waste’ is seen as food for another system. The wider issues surrounding environmental sustainability, such as the protection of ecosystems and decarbonisation, are thankfully now becoming top-of-mind for governments, organisations, households and individuals. There is lots of change happening and we need to encourage this momentum, while helping new generations to see sustainable development as a necessity and as a great opportunity in future careers. Tonbridge has been mindful of these issues for some time but is taking even more responsibility in this area now, and I was honoured to take on the role of Head of Sustainability this year. This position has been created to help the School move towards a carbon net zero future, as well as educating and engaging boys and staff about the complex and often conflicting issues surrounding environmental sustainability. We are currently working with outside agencies to develop a carbon net zero strategy, and to score some ‘quick wins’ such as installing more solar arrays and electrifying the onsite fleet of
vehicles. Plans are now in place for solar panels on the Tonbridge School Centre (TSC) roof and there is potential for a solar carport. We have also identified EV charging points to cater for a fleet of EV vehicles as we move away from fossil-fuelled transport.
“ This position has been created to help the School move towards a carbon net zero future, as well as educating and engaging boys and staff” We also have an enthusiastic, boy-led Green Committee, which is being proactive in encouraging more efficient waste management and energy saving in the respective Houses. Following our Sustainability Symposia, where boys learned about what happens to our waste streams, measured their carbon footprints and discussed issues surrounding the impacts of fashion and meat consumption on the environment, we are planning our own ‘Tonbridge COP’, taking a lead from COP27, the UN Climate Change Conference. There are many more initiatives and actions in the pipeline, and it is a privilege to lead on such positive change at this critical stage in our existence.
TO THE PUPIL PERSPECTIVE TOBE UPPER SIXTH LEAVER, 2023
Tobe, a boarder in Ferox Hall, was among our leavers in the summer. Having completed A-levels in French, Spanish, English and Economics, he took up a place at the University of Oxford to pursue a joint honours degree in languages. Tobe reflects on his five years at the School – a time he describes as “eventful and enriching” – as he describes what Tonbridge means to him, and also offers some advice for new pupils.
Clearly you enjoy learning languages: why is that? Apart from the obvious fact that being able to speak another language is very cool, the cultures that accompany these languages are ever evolving. As such, the study of languages is never stagnant and there’s always something new and interesting to delve into. What are you studying now, and why was Oxford your choice? I am reading French and Spanish. The appeal of a year abroad, split between at least two countries, is very hard to deny. Oxford is one
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“There’s so much to do and to learn here, and you will grow a lot in the process”
of the most prestigious universities in the world, with a very rich history, and the course allows me to remain very flexible regarding potential career endeavours while also pursuing my passions. What are your career aspirations after university? I change my mind about this every day! One thing I do know is that it would be quite surreal to be able to read about my life on a Wikipedia page. What might you be doing five years from now? As of right now, I see myself pursuing a Master’s degree in the US. However, working in London is undoubtedly of interest too. What has your time at Tonbridge been like? Life at Tonbridge is always eventful, and enriching opportunities continually present themselves at every turn. I have kept challenging myself, which in turn has allowed me to learn a lot about myself, and what it is possible to achieve, over the course of my five years at the School. Is there one particular highlight or one favourite moment? Tonbridge has provided me with many enjoyable moments but winning Senior House Football with Ferox Hall, during the Lower Sixth, has to be one of my favourites. Is there one teacher you would like to give a special mention to? Although I already tell her this all the time, Mrs McLintock (formerly Head of Learning Strategies, and now Director of Admissions)
has been a very important part of my support network all through my Sixth Form and has celebrated many of my successes with me. Overall, what has Tonbridge taught you, do you think? The main thing Tonbridge has taught me is how to manage my time. It’s helped me to avoid a lot of stress, especially deadline-induced stress. Good time management is something that I know will be useful to me at university and in my future endeavours. What advice would you give to a boy starting out in the Novi? I would tell him: Throw yourself into as many new opportunities as you can during your time here, and never be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone. There’s so much to do and to learn here, and you will grow a lot in the process.
FROM TONBRIDGE TO HOLLYWOOD VIKRAM JAYANTI
Vikram was a boarder at Tonbridge between 1968 and 1972. He went on to become a multi-award-winning documentary-filmmaker, with two of his works receiving Academy Awards for Best Feature Documentary, including the 1997 blockbuster When We Were Kings. Vikram’s impressive catalogue includes The Man Who Bought Mustique, James Ellroy’s Feast of Death, The Darkness of Abraham Lincoln, Game Over: Kasparov and the Machine and The Agony and the Ecstasy of Phil Spector.
Vikram keeps in close touch with Tonbridge, teaching film-making within the English Department. He founded the School’s annual Short Films Competition, which is open to all boys and challenges them to produce original work in categories including Drama, Documentary and Comedy.
At Tonbridge I experienced the intellectual and moral excitement of waking up to the world of learning, surrounded by gifted fellow students and guided by some great teachers. There was the Headmaster, Michael McCrum, also my Housemaster in School House, who sparked my critical thinking and taught me that Truth is a Cube: not all sides of it can be seen at once. There was Anthony Broomhead, a visionary mathematician who created pencil games for us that prefigured Tetris, and simulated complex computer coding before anyone even knew the term. Above all there was Jonathan Smith, who taught me and generations of grateful Tonbridge boys how to read literature and encouraged us to write it too. As a novelist and playwright himself, Jonathan gave us the encouragement to develop our own imaginations, and the rigour to create good work. We flourished accordingly. Among my student peers were Vikram Seth, the novelist; Peter Fincham, who became Head of BBC One and ITV; Anthony Seldon, an eminent historian
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“ Tonbridge is now a more diverse home to boys just as talented, thoughtful, confident and enthused by the world and its opportunities as we were” and education thought-leader; and John Stroud, a television director, producer and ‘king of comedy’ in the 1980s and 1990s. Fifty years later, Jonathan and I are still close friends: when my film When We Were Kings won an Oscar in 1997, his letter to me in Los Angeles was the one I valued the most. My Tonbridge years were a time of artistic, intellectual and social ferment in the wider world, and life in School reflected that fully. While we were being given an extraordinary classical education, we were also living the contemporary culture. Jonathan Smith had us performing plays by Tom Stoppard and Peter Shaffer within months of them first coming out. John Stroud and his rock band were playing David Bowie’s Suffragette City at local gigs within weeks of Ziggy Stardust coming out. It was an incredibly stimulating time, and you felt you could try your hand at anything. John and I made our first film together a few years after leaving Tonbridge. He used his copy to land a spot at Thames Television and never looked back; I took mine to Los Angeles and began a lifelong career making feature documentaries, producing and directing other hits that have played globally, as well as in British cinemas and on the BBC and Channel 4. None of this could have happened without what Tonbridge gave us. And now that I’m doing some teaching back here, working on establishing a film-making programme, I’m struck by the many ways in which the School
Vikram and boys discussing a group film-making project
has become even better. The teaching is still of the highest calibre. The facilities have become fantastic: a heated pool, imagine! Tonbridge is now a more diverse home to boys just as talented, thoughtful, confident and enthused by the world and its opportunities as we were. And every year there are at least two boys with the talent and drive to become real film-makers. Britain, like Tonbridge, has historically punched above its weight with culture and the humanities, which have made up a big chunk of its economy. Automation took away most manufacturing jobs. AI will take away most conventional jobs in the professions. Works of the imagination will be the last to go. Tonbridge continues to be best placed to hold that line. It is renowned as a top school for STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics – and Tonbridge’s dedication to the Arts, something I am lucky enough to still experience first-hand, means it can also lead the way as a “STEAM” school.
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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.