Townley Grammar School is a

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 ...

with academy status for girls on Townley Road, Bexleyheath, in the

London Borough of Bexley The London Borough of Bexley () is a London borough in south-east London, forming part of Outer London. It has a population of 248,287. The main settlements are Sidcup, Erith, Bexleyheath, Crayford, Welling and Old Bexley. The London Boro ...

, England. It was previously known as Bexley Technical High School for Girls. The school consists of Years 7–11, single sex (girls), and a mixed-sex sixth form. The school specialises in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and maths) subjects as a core for its GCSE. In June 2018, the school was featured in the BBC Two documentary ''Grammar Schools: Who Will Get In?''.

Academics

The Sixth Form returns excellent exam results; in excess of 98% of students enter higher education at 18, and the school regularly appears in the Sunday Times Good Schools Guide. In 2008 the school had 4 students going onto courses of study at Oxbridge, the highest number for a state school in Bexley. At GCSE, students perform well, consistently achieving a 100% pass rate. The only way to gain entry to the school is through the

11-plus The eleven-plus (11+) is a standardized examination administered to some students in England and Northern Ireland in their last year of primary education, which governs admission to grammar schools and other secondary schools which use academi ...

Curriculum

The school was awarded

Specialist Status Specialist schools in the United Kingdom (sometimes branded as specialist colleges in England and Northern Ireland) are schools with an emphasis or focus in a specific specialised subject area, which is called a specialism, or alternatively in t ...

for the performing and visual arts in September 2004. The school converted to academy status in 2012, but continues to specialise in performing and visual arts as well as maths and computing. All girls take eleven

GCSEs The General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) is an academic qualification in a particular subject, taken in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. State schools in Scotland use the Scottish Qualifications Certificate instead. Private sc ...

. However, certain exceptional students can be entered early for subjects such as Art, Mathematics or Modern Foreign Languages if they have a special aptitude for the subject, and

Mandarin Mandarin or The Mandarin may refer to: Language * Mandarin Chinese, branch of Chinese originally spoken in northern parts of the country ** Standard Chinese or Modern Standard Mandarin, the official language of China ** Taiwanese Mandarin, Stand ...

is also part of the extracurricular programme. Townley has a large mixed sixth form; students choose from some thirty five

Advanced Level The A-Level (Advanced Level) is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education, as well as a school leaving qualification offered by the educational bodies in the United Kingdom and the educational aut ...

(AS and A2) courses.

Accommodation

The school is constructed on a site and has sporting facilities. A new building was completed in 2006 which provides a theatre, recording studio, a large Sports Hall, five additional science laboratories, and a further ICT suite.

Extra-curricular activities

Ofsted observed that the School's extra-curricular activities covered "an impressively wide range" and demonstrated "high standards of achievement". The School has a long tradition for excellence in the Arts and was recently awarded the Gold Arts Mark. The school has three choirs, two orchestras, a concert band, string and woodwind ensembles. Full-scale music, drama and dance productions have included Scarlatti's '' Stabat Mater'',

Benjamin Britten Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten (22 November 1913 – 4 December 1976, aged 63) was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He was a central figure of 20th-century British music, with a range of works including opera, other ...

's ''

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'',

Holst Gustav Theodore Holst (born Gustavus Theodore von Holst; 21 September 1874 – 25 May 1934) was an English composer, arranger and teacher. Best known for his orchestral suite ''The Planets'', he composed many other works across a range ...

's ''Ave Maria'', ''

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'',

Vivaldi Antonio Lucio Vivaldi (4 March 1678 – 28 July 1741) was an Italian composer, virtuoso violinist and impresario of Baroque music. Regarded as one of the greatest Baroque composers, Vivaldi's influence during his lifetime was widesprea ...

's ''Gloria'', ''

Oklahoma! ''Oklahoma!'' is the first musical written by the duo of Rodgers and Hammerstein. The musical is based on Lynn Riggs' 1931 play, ''Green Grow the Lilacs''. Set in farm country outside the town of Claremore, Indian Territory, in 1906, it tell ...

'', '' Sweet Charity'', ''The Visit'', ''

Cabaret Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music, song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, a casino, a hotel, a restaurant, or a nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining o ...

'', '' 42nd Street'', ''Rainbow's Ending'', '' The Boy Friend'', '' Cats'', ''

The Sound of Music ''The Sound of Music'' is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the 1949 memoir of Maria von Trapp, ''The Story of the Trapp Family Singers''. S ...

'', ''Bugsy Malone'', Tales Untold, Jesus Christ Superstar Variations, '' A Midsummer Night's Dream'', '' Oliver!'', ''Hairspray'', and ''Annie''. In December 2017, there was a musical production of ''School of Rock''. Townley works with

Rose Bruford College Rose Bruford College (formerly Rose Bruford College of Theatre & Performance) is a drama school in the south London suburb of Sidcup. The college has degree programmes in acting, actor musicianship, directing, theatre arts and various discipl ...

, Trinity College of Music,

Laban Laban is a French language, French surname. It may refer to: Places * Laban-e Olya, a village in Iran * Laban-e Sofla, a village in Iran * Laban, Virginia, an unincorporated community in the United States * 8539 Laban, main-belt asteroid People ...

The Royal Ballet The Royal Ballet is a British internationally renowned classical ballet company, based at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London, England. The largest of the five major ballet companies in Great Britain, the Royal Ballet was founded in ...

and

Tate Modern Tate Modern is an art gallery located in London. It houses the United Kingdom's national collection of international modern and contemporary art, and forms part of the Tate group together with Tate Britain, Tate Liverpool and Tate St Ives. It ...

. Regular exchanges take place with

The Shri Ram School The Shri Ram School'' ' is a co-educational private school in India. It is one of the most sought-after schools in the country. Founded in July 1988, the Shri Ram School has four campuses spread across the National Capital Region of India. Th ...

in Delhi, India and the Franz Stock Gymnasium in

Arnsberg Arnsberg (; wep, Arensperg) is a town in the Hochsauerland county, in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is the location of the Regierungsbezirk Arnsberg administration and one of the three local administration offices of the Hoch ...

, Germany. Adventure holidays for the lower school take place in the UK. The school also visits

Silicon Valley Silicon Valley is a region in Northern California that serves as a global center for high technology and innovation. Located in the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area, it corresponds roughly to the geographical areas San Mateo Coun ...

, San Francisco, as well as New York City.

Notable former pupils and staff

* Baroness Valerie Amos, Labour politician and diplomat, British High Commissioner to Australia. Member of

Tony Blair Sir Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born 6 May 1953) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007. He previously served as Leader of th ...

's cabinet as Secretary of State for International Development, Leader of the House of Lords and Lord President of the Council. Amos is the first black head of an Oxford University college, was also the school's first black Deputy Head Girl. * Zoe Smith, Olympic weightlifter, Commonwealth champion, finished at Townley in 2012

Notes and references

External links

Official website
{{authority control Girls' schools in London Grammar schools in the London Borough of Bexley Educational institutions established in 1937 Academies in the London Borough of Bexley 1937 establishments in England Bexleyheath