Tollington School (1901-1967) was a selective,

coeducational Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to t ...

grammar school A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching Latin, but more recently an academically oriented secondary school ...

in Muswell Hill, London, England. For the present school on this site, see Fortismere School.

Foundation

Tollington School of Muswell Hill, North London N10, was the final manifestation of Tollington Park College, a private educational establishment for boys founded by William Brown in 1879 in Tollington Park, London N4. The success and increasing complement of the college soon outgrew its home. Rapid population expansion around Muswell Hill created the need for a new school and the opportunity was seen by the founder's son Campbell Brown; in 1901 he established Tollington Boys School in Tetherdown, Muswell Hill.

Tollington High School

In 1910 Tollington High School for girls was opened by Campbell Brown in nearby Collingwood Avenue. In 1919 both schools were purchased by

London County Council London County Council (LCC) was the principal local government body for the County of London throughout its existence from 1889 to 1965, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today kno ...

, the

local education authority Local education authorities (LEAs) were local councils in England that are responsible for education within their jurisdiction. The term was used to identify which council (district or county) is locally responsible for education in a system wit ...

. Aside from the senior management, the two schools operated independently.

Tollington Grammar School

In 1957, boys and girls came together in Tollington School, a coeducational grammar school and a new building was erected on the playing fields of the boys school, opening in 1959. In 1967 Tollington and the neighbouring William Grimshaw secondary modern schools were merged to become Creighton (comprehensive) School and the original names expired. The buildings are still in use today: the 100+ year-old original buildings and 1957 development in Tetherdown are now occupied by Fortismere School; the Collingwood Avenue site now houses Tetherdown Primary.

Distinguished alumni

Felix Aprahamian Felix Aprahamian ( arm, Ֆելիքս Աբրահամեան; 5 June 1914 – 15 January 2005), born Apraham Felix Bartev Aprahamian, was an English music critic, writer, concert promoter, publisher's adviser, supporter of young musicians, and frien ...

, classical music concert organiser *

Jennifer Bate Jennifer Lucy Bate (11 November 1944 – 25 March 2020) was a British concert organist. She is known for recording the complete organ works by Olivier Messiaen, guided by the composer, but also recorded, among others, English organ music, and t ...

OBE, concert organist *

Kenneth Biggs Major Kenneth Alfred Biggs GC (26 February 1911 − 11 January 1998) was a British Army officer of the Royal Army Ordnance Corps (RAOC) who was awarded the George Cross (GC) for gallantry in his actions in rescuing people from an ammunition trai ...

GC * Edwin York Bowen, English composer and pianist *

Michael Casson Michael Casson OBE (2 April 1925 - 12 December 2003) born in London, was an English studio potter, referred to as "respected and charismatic". He studied art and woodwork at Shoreditch College, and ceramics at Hornsey College of Art, and was one ...

OBE, potter *

Sir Henry Hallett Dale Sir Henry Hallett Dale (9 June 1875 – 23 July 1968) was an English pharmacologist and physiologist. For his study of acetylcholine as agent in the chemical transmission of nerve pulses (neurotransmission) he shared the 1936 Nobel Prize in ...

, President of the Royal Society and Nobel prizewinner *

Ted Dicks Edward Dicks (5 May 1928 – 27 January 2012) was an English composer. He is best known for composing the music for the novelty songs "Right Said Fred" and " The Hole in the Ground". They were both Top 10 hits in the UK Singles Chart in 1962, rec ...

, composer, incl. "Right Said Fred" and "A Windmill in Old Amsterdam" *

Chris Gilbey Christopher John Gilbey (born 13 May 1946, Islington) is an English-born Australian entrepreneur and music industry identity. His more recent activities are in the field of materials science and signals processing from graphene-coated material ...

, music industry executive and composer *

Mark Hollis Mark David Hollis (4 January 1955 – February 2019) was an English musician and singer-songwriter. He achieved commercial success and critical acclaim in the 1980s and 1990s as the co-founder, lead singer and principal songwriter of the band ...

, lead singer of

Talk Talk Talk Talk were an English band formed in 1981, led by Mark Hollis (vocals, guitar, piano), Lee Harris (drummer), Lee Harris (drums), and Paul Webb (bass). The group achieved early chart success with the synth-pop singles "Talk Talk (Talk Talk s ...

* W. J. MacQueen-Pope, theatre historian *

Maurice Saatchi, Baron Saatchi Maurice Nathan Saatchi, Baron Saatchi ( ar, موريس ساعتجي ; born 21 June 1946) is a British-Iraqi businessman, and with his brother, Charles, co-founder of the advertising agencies Saatchi & Saatchi and M&C Saatchi. Early life Mauric ...

, co-founder the advertising agency Saatchi and Saatchi * Sir John Sorrell CBE, designer, Chairman of the

Design Council The Design Council, formerly the Council of Industrial Design, is a United Kingdom charity incorporated by Royal Charter. Its stated mission is "to champion great design that improves lives and makes things better". It was instrumental in the prom ...

, 1994-2000 * Richard Speaight - society photographer * Rudolf Uhlenhaut, engineer, responsible for the Mercedes 300SLR Gull Wing * Prof Ann Wakefield, née Zaudy, microbiologist *

Anne Weyman Anne Judith Weyman OBE (born 1 February 1943) is a British executive. She was Chief Executive of the Family Planning Association, 1996–2008; and is a Member of the General Medical Council. She is a trustee of the Galapagos Conservation Trust ...

OBE, Chief Executive of the

Family Planning Association FPA (Family Planning Association) was a UK registered charity (number 250187) working to enable people to make informed choices about sex and to enjoy sexual health. It was the national affiliate for the International Planned Parenthood Federat ...

, 1996-2008 * Professor Anton Weinberg Distinguished Teacher: The White House Commission on Presidential Scholars. ARAM: ARCM: LRAM.

Old Tollingtonians Society

Tollington Schools are actively remembered by ex-pupils and staff, members of the Old Tollingtonians Society.Old Tollingtonians Society website
/ref> The society preserves records and memorabilia of the school. Members of the society meet annually for a reunion in the assembly hall of the school (now Fortismere).

References

{{authority control Defunct grammar schools in England Defunct schools in the London Borough of Haringey Educational institutions disestablished in 1967 Educational institutions established in 1879 Educational institutions established in 1901 1879 establishments in England 1901 establishments in England