Tormead School is a

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * "In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorded ...

day school A day school — as opposed to a boarding school — is an educational institution where children are given instruction during the day, after which the students return to their homes. A day school has full-day programs when compared to a regular s ...

for girls aged 4–18 years old in

Guildford, Surrey Guildford () is a town in west Surrey, England, around south-west of central London. As of the 2011 census, the town has a population of about 77,000 and is the seat of the wider Borough of Guildford, which had around inhabitants in . The nam ...

, England. It comprises a

reception Reception is a noun form of ''receiving'', or ''to receive'' something, such as art, experience, information, people, products, or vehicles. It may refer to: Astrology * Reception (astrology), when a planet is located in a sign ruled by another p ...

, prep school, senior school and

sixth form In the education systems of Barbados, England, Jamaica, Northern Ireland, Trinidad and Tobago, Wales, and some other Commonwealth countries, sixth form represents the final two years of secondary education, ages 16 to 18. Pupils typically prepa ...

. It was founded in 1905 and is a member of the

Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference The Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference (HMC), formerly known as the Headmasters' Conference and now branded HMC (The Heads' Conference), is an association of the head teachers of 351 private fee-charging schools (both boarding schools ...

(HMC) and Girls Schools Association (GSA). Main-Building-Outside-Autumn-1152x576-c-default

History

Tormead School was founded in 1905 in a residential area of Guildford. Starting with a mere handful of girls and a teacher in a private house, the school survived the threat of a takeover in 1912 and near financial collapse in 1935. Tormead survived these vicissitudes to grow in size during the two World Wars, led by a succession of Headmistresses. David Boyd, the current Head, is the first male Headteacher of Tormead since the school's inception. Tormead School Historical

Additions to the building include Alleyne House in the Junior School (named after former headmistress, Honor Alleyne), the science wing, and specialist design technology,

home economics Home economics, also called domestic science or family and consumer sciences (often shortened to FCS or FACS), is a subject concerning human development, personal and family finances, consumer issues, housing and interior design, nutrition and f ...

and textiles rooms. In 2008, construction was completed on a new

performing arts The performing arts are arts such as music, dance, and drama which are performed for an audience. They are different from the visual arts, which involve the use of paint, canvas or various materials to create physical or static art objects. P ...

centre. In 2015 the most recent developments took place, with the addition of a new atrium to the old school house and a refit of all the classroom facilities and library. In 2022 planning permission was granted for the development of the Tormead Urn Field Sports Ground, 5 minutes from the main school site. Despite fierce opposition from local residents, the new sports facility is due for completion in 2024 and will provide Hockey, Football, Rugby, Cricket and Athletics facilities for Tormead School, their partner state school, Guildford County School and a variety of local clubs and sporting groups.

Extra-curricular activities

Particular sporting activities at the school include

swimming Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, such as saltwater or freshwater environments, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Swimmers achieve locomotion by coordinating limb and body movements to achieve hydrody ...

(a number of students compete at both national and international level),

gymnastics Gymnastics is a group of sport that includes physical exercises requiring Balance (ability), balance, Strength training, strength, Flexibility (anatomy), flexibility, agility, Motor coordination, coordination, artistry and endurance. The movem ...

(the school has previously won the European Championships for Schools, GISGA) and

fencing Fencing is a combat sport that features sword fighting. It consists of three primary disciplines: Foil (fencing), foil, épée, and Sabre (fencing), sabre (also spelled ''saber''), each with its own blade and set of rules. Most competitive fe ...

(the school competes nationally and some members of the squad represent Great Britain internationally). The school has a Music Department. Four

orchestras An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * String instruments, such as the violin, viola, cello, ...

and four

choirs A choir ( ), also known as a chorale or chorus (from Latin ''chorus'', meaning 'a dance in a circle') is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform or in other words ...

operate within the school, as well a Jazz Band, which tours Europe during the summer every two years and has played at numerous events and locations. The school has held musical events to celebrate its 90-year anniversary, the turn of the millennium and its centenary. Formal music events are arranged throughout the school year, with male singers for vocal performances often "borrowed" from the Royal Grammar School, Guildford. Other extra-curricular activities of note are

Young Enterprise Young Enterprise is a British charity that specialise in providing enterprise education and financial education to young people. Young Enterprise works directly with young people, teachers, volunteers, and influencers with aim of building a suc ...

, Young Consumer,

The Duke of Edinburgh's Award The Duke of Edinburgh's Award (commonly abbreviated DofE) is a youth awards programme founded in the United Kingdom in 1956 by the Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, which has since expanded to 144 nations. The awards recognise adolescents and ...

public speaking Public speaking, is the practice of delivering speeches to a live audience. Throughout history, public speaking has held significant cultural, religious, and political importance, emphasizing the necessity of effective rhetorical skills. It all ...

and

debating Debate is a process that involves formal discourse, discussion, and oral addresses on a particular topic or collection of topics, often with a moderator and an audience. In a debate, arguments are put forward for opposing viewpoints. Historica ...

. The debating squad frequently enter the

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a List of cities in the United Kingdom, city and non-metropolitan district in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It is the county town of Cambridgeshire and is located on the River Cam, north of London. As of the 2021 Unit ...

Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...

and Mace debating competitions. In 2009, they also were picked as one of the first schools in Britain to take part in the YPI project (Youth Philanthropy Initiative).

Notable former pupils

The school has an active

alumnae Alumni (: alumnus () or alumna ()) are former students or graduates of a school, college, or university. The feminine plural alumnae is sometimes used for groups of women, and alums (: alum) or alumns (: alumn) as gender-neutral alternatives. Th ...

association, TOGA, the Tormead Old Girls' Association and Parents' Association. *

Andrea Byrne Andrea Byrne (née Benfield; born 1978) is an English journalist and News presenter, presenter, currently working for ITV Cymru Wales, where she presents ''Wales at Six'' and ''Wales This Week''. Personal life Born in Guildford, Surrey, Byrne gr ...

,LinkedIn Profile
/ref> ITV newsreader *

Emma Dodd Emma Dodd (born 1969) is an English author and illustrator. She is best known for her children's books published by Orchard Books, Templar Publishing, Penguin Books, Macmillan Publishers (United States), Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins (US), Sch ...

, illustrator *

Lorna Hutson Lorna Margaret Hutson, FBA (born 27 November 1958) is the ninth Merton Professor of English Literature and a fellow of Merton College, Oxford. Together with Professor John Hudson, she is a director of the Centre for Medieval and Early Modern ...

, academic *

Riva Taylor Rebecca Jane Grosvenor Taylor, known professionally as Riva Taylor, is an English singer and actress. Early life and education Taylor was born in Hammersmith, London. She had her first experience on the stage at the age of seven in London's Wes ...

, singer *

Sandi Toksvig Sandra Birgitte Toksvig (; ; born 3 May 1958) is a Danish-British broadcaster, comedian, presenter and writer on British radio, stage and television. She is also a political activist, having co-founded the Women's Equality Party in 2015. She ha ...

, comedian

References

External links

* {{Guildford Private schools in Surrey Educational institutions established in 1905 Girls' schools in Surrey 1905 establishments in England Schools in Guildford