Autumn 2019 Pages 2 & 3
Exam success Awards Prizes
Pages 4 & 5 Music Drama Fundraising
Pages 6 & 7 Sport Bees Writing
Page 8
Community Languages Real-life lessons
Colour Run for Child Action Lanka – Page 4
Excellent set of A-level and GCSE results
l Seven of the leavers who achieved a ‘clean sweep’ of
top A-level grades, with James Priory, Headmaster. Tonbridge celebrated outstanding exam results in August 2019. At A-level, 90 per cent of boys’ grades were A*, A, B or their Pre-U equivalent. Nearly two thirds of all results were graded A*/A, and 15 of the school’s Upper Sixth Formers achieved a remarkable ‘clean sweep’ of A* or equivalent grades. The ‘average’ outcome for a Tonbridge leaver this year is AAA. The talented Upper Sixth cohort will now be taking up places at many of the UK’s leading universities, including Oxbridge and Russell Group institutions, with most leavers achieving their firstchoice destination. A significant number chose to study abroad, particularly in the US, and will attend
l Tonbridge boys celebrating their GCSE results.
prestigious establishments such as the University of Pennsylvania and New York University. In the GCSEs, the school recorded one of its strongest ever performances, with 92 per cent of all results at Grades 9, 8 and 7, equivalent to A* or A. In addition, 46 per cent of all results at GCSE were at Grade 9, and 76 per cent of all results were at Grades 9 and 8. The ‘average’ outcome was the equivalent of 8 A*s and 2 As at GCSE; 15 boys received a ‘clean sweep’ of Grade 9s; and 48 boys (nearly one third of all candidates) were awarded nothing lower than Grades 9 and 8.
School shortlisted for top award
Gallery’s global display A new exhibition at the Old Big School Gallery is showcasing world-class photographic work.
Tonbridge is a finalist in the Independent Schools of the Year 2019 awards, within the ‘Best Boys’ School’ category. The awards, now in their second year, highlight the quality of the student experience and attracted entries from hundreds of independent schools throughout the country.
Each image selected for the Environmental Photographer of the Year exhibition has been chosen for its impact, originality, technical skill and ability to inspire a worldwide audience. Winners of the school’s Environmental Photography Competition will also have their work displayed.
The final results will be announced at an awards ceremony in London in October. James Priory, the school’s Headmaster, said: “It has been a very exciting year in the life of Tonbridge. The boys have taken part in an impressive range of activities and events, all of which contribute to their academic and personal development. It is excellent to see the school being recognised for the quality and roundedness of all that the boys achieve.”
Tonbridge’s Barton Science Centre has been shortlisted for a national award celebrating architectural excellence. The Architects’ Journal Retrofit Awards are one of the industry’s
leading events, recognising creative, innovative and sustainable work in design, engineering and construction. The state-of-the-art centre opened in January 2019.
Henry’s first prize for Cambridge essay
Upper Sixth Former Henry Goodall was awarded first prize in an international essay competition run by the University of Cambridge. He was chosen as the winner of Jesus College’s Lord Toulson Essay Prize in Law. The prize, open to Sixth Formers worldwide, goes to the student who can best demonstrate
Two teams of Sixth Form boys achieved ‘podium finishes’ in the national finals of the Schools Aerospace Challenge 2019. The teams participated in the final round of the competition, held at Cranfield University in July, after which both were awarded a top three position. Just 12 teams from across the country won the right to take part in the finals. In order to qualify, entrants had to write a report about potential threats posed by UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles, such as drones) to UK airspace, asking them to find practical solutions. As well as winning cash prizes for the school, the boys will now have the opportunity to present their ideas to Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Hillier in an event taking place at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers in November.
an outstanding understanding of, and ability in, the subject. Henry, who is applying to Jesus College to study Law from 2020, after a gap year, was also awarded a cash prize in a ceremony at Cambridge. He said: “It was a lovely surprise to find out I had won, and this award makes me more determined than ever to pursue a career in this field.”
Medals for Maths champs Tonbridge boys achieved excellent results in the Intermediate Maths Olympiad, a national competition which tests some of the country’s top pupils. Five Tonbridge boys, pictured, received a medal and a Certificate of Distinction for finishing in the national top 100 in their year group. They are Hayden Lam, Kenneth Lee, Kiefer Chow, Ben Gardner and Sherman Yip. Sherman was one of just a handful of entrants to score full marks in his paper.
Hundreds take part in first Colour Run
Several hundred boys and around 70 staff joined together in May for the school’s inaugural Colour Run around the sports fields. The event raised funds for Child Action Lanka, the school’s partner charity in Sri Lanka. Runners completed a 3km route, along which they were covered in vast amounts of colourful powder thrown by the school’s prefects. The runners were thoroughly coated – the powder was non-toxic
and environmentally safe – and many ended up almost unrecognisable! Tonbridge is helping to establish a new education centre in Batticaloa, on the east coast of Sri Lanka, which will transform the educational provision for more than 500 children in six communities. Through various activites, the school has now raised nearly £70,000 for the centre.
Fighting homelessness Homelessness charity Porchlight has paid tribute to Tonbridge School for its fundraising efforts. The school has raised more than £72,000 for Kentbased Porchlight over the last seven years through its annual ‘Sleepout’ event, when all first-year boys sleep rough in the Quad for a night (as below).
Rwanda Aid cricket A celebrity cricket match at the school raised more than £35,000 for Rwanda Aid, a charity that works to relieve that country’s poverty by supporting education and opportunities for enterprise. Stars taking part in the event in May included Sir Ian Botham, Keane singer Tom Chaplin, TV presenter Chris Hollins, former England rugby player Rob Andrew, England’s chief national cricket selector Ed Smith and several ex-Test cricket players. There was also a question and answer session (pictured above). In an entertaining T20 match, attended by the public, the Sir Ian Botham XI defeated the Rwanda Aid XI.
The charity’s Nathan Tough, Community and Corporate Fundraising Officer, said: “We cannot thank the school enough for the support it has given us. Without Tonbridge, we would not have the same level of success.”
Merits and distinctions in music exams
The recent successes of boys in their music examinations has further enhanced the school’s reputation as a centre of excellence for the subject. In the past year, no fewer than 100 per cent of candidates sitting for Grade 8 in the Associated Board Exams have achieved either a merit or a distinction; likewise, 100 per cent of candidates achieved a distinction for the new ARSM (Associate
of the Royal Schools of Music) diploma. In addition, nearly three quarters (74 per cent) of all candidates achieved either a merit or a distinction for Grade 7 in the Associated Board Exams. Mark Forkgen, Director of Music, said: “Proud as I am of these results, what pleases me most is seeing our musicians collaborating, learning from each other and realising their potential.”
Macbeth reimagined Macbeth was the school’s senior production in the summer term, reimagined amid the chaos and carnage of the Great War. A series of events unfold that lead to the murders of kings, comrades, mothers and children. The play was performed at the school’s EM Forster Theatre and also featured girls from Tonbridge Grammar School and The Weald of Kent.
Comic double bill The school’s Junior Plays in the summer term saw a double bill of comic one-act productions taking place, under the title of Double Trouble. The Musicians, by Patrick Marber, was a lively and humorous production about a school orchestra whose instruments were impounded by customs. Utterly Utterly, by Moliere, was a biting comedy of manners with a theme of revenge.
Cricket teams capture more silverware
The school’s cricketers completed another highly successful season. The under-15s, top left, were crowned as Kent Cup champions, beating the Skinners’ School in the final, played at Wye Cricket Club. The side remained unbeaten in all their Saturday fixtures during the season. The under-14s completed a junior double by winning the Oliver Cup, beating Simon Langton School in the final. The first XI (top right) were once more Cowdrey Cup champions, remaining unbeaten in the competition for the second year running. The side Tonbridge boys put in fine performances in the Kent Schools Championship: Zachary Nwogwugwu (Gold in the 100m, Silver in the 200m), Zac Beasty (Silver, High Jump), Folarin Babalola (Silver, Long Jump) and Ibukun Olagunju (4th, 200m and 5th, 100m).
also emerged as the South East winner of the HMC National Schools T20 competition, winning their group and knock-out matches. They met Merchant Taylors’ School in the regional final: a dramatic finale saw the scores tied, but with Tonbridge defeated due to losing more wickets. Year 10 boys Sam Baldwin and Sam Hadfield were selected for the Bunbury Festival, as part of the London and South East Squad. Bunbury brings together the country’s most talented under-15 schoolboy cricketers in 50-over and T20 matches.
Louis’ England call-up
Ultimate team is flying!
The Upper Sixth’s Louis Tipper made his England hockey debut in a three-Test series against Holland in the spring. He played as vice-captain in the drawn series, creating a piece of school history as the first Tonbridge boy to be selected for the England hockey under-18s. The school’s Ultimate Frisbee Team, The Boars, pictured, put in a fine performance in the UK Nationals, finishing third – their best ever finish.
Louis was then selected for the England under-18s in the Six Nations Tournament in July, also staged in the Netherlands, with the side finishing in third place.
The school also hosted its annual Ultimate Tournament, in which more than a hundred young people took part, representing various schools and frisbee clubs across the south east. The latest competition was the biggest to date, with 11 schools and clubs entering a total of 17 teams.
The Intermediate Relay Team set a new school 4x100m record, also taking the Lord Burleigh relay title at Eton in May. The team of Folarin Babalola, Sam Oteng-Ntim, Max White and Zachary Nwogwugwu set a time of 44.1 seconds.
Buzz of excitement as bees arrive in Biology
The school’s Barton Science Centre has more than a thousand new residents after the arrival of a colony of bees. In a careful operation, the insects were transported from the school’s main apiary to their new home, installed on the Biology floor.
The bees are now in a specially designed ‘observation hive’, equipped with double glazed units, which means that boys can get up close and study the day-to-day activities and behaviour of the hive without disturbing the colony.
Junior Debating Final
Praise for boys’ stories Two House teams went head to head in the final of the Junior Inter-House Debating Competition. Oakeshott House proposed, and Whitworth House opposed, the motion, ‘This House would rather argue than agree’. After an evening of spirited discussion, Whitworth were declared this year’s champions. Will Law, Head of Modern Languages, who organised this year’s event, said: “Healthy argument, it seems, lives on at Tonbridge – and that is exactly what the Inter-House Debating Competition is about.”
The school has awarded prizes to boys who took part in the EM Forster Prose Fiction competition. The annual contest, a showcase for creative writing talent, was judged by author Ben Davis. The winner of the Novi competition was Matthew Smith for ‘The Shaman’, which Ben called “one of the most imaginative and bold entries”. The author selected Jamie Lambert’s ‘Lady Bird’ as the winner of the Intermediate category (“a stunningly confident evocation of loss”), while Jamie Whitney’s ‘Late Night Shift’ won first place in the Senior category (“a haunting, resonant story, beautifully told”).
Sun shines on fun-filled Community Day
More than 600 primary school children took part in a wide range of activities during the school’s Community Day in July. Boys and staff teamed up with children from 16 primary schools, special schools and community groups, encouraging them to try their hand at something new and have fun along the way.
performance poetry, arts and crafts, climbing, science classes, model-making, various sports, photography, creative writing, dance, drama, wheelchair basketball, digital creativity and music.
A total of 29 activities were on offer, including
Juliet Burnett, Community Action Manager, said: “This is our flagship event in a busy year of community, volunteering and charitable activities. We had a fantastic day, the weather was amazing and everyone headed home tired but happy.”
‘Poverty Trap’ lessons
Will’s winning fable
Tonbridge’s first years took part in lessons with a difference as they learned about the effects of poverty across the world. Boys had a fully immersive experience inside the ‘Poverty Trap’, an area especially created at the school by the charity Empathy Action. The aim of the day was to give participants an opportunity to discover more about the economics of poverty and to think about solutions for tackling deprivation. Sixth Former Will Adams has been highly commended in a national languages competition. ‘Fabulous Translation’ was run by the Faculty of Medieval and Modern Languages at the University of Oxford, for which Will created a modern-day fable, L’éléphant et le babouin (The Elephant and The Baboon). His entry also formed part of a display at Oxford. News From Tonbridge: A round-up of school news, events and achievements Editor: Nick Ellwood, Head of Communications, nick.ellwood@tonbridge-school.org Designer: Jody Taylor, Reprographics, jody.taylor@tonbridge-school.org