Tormead School is an independent day school for girls aged 4–18 years old in Guildford, Surrey, 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 ...

, prep school, senior school and

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

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

Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference The Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference (HMC) is an association of the head teachers of 361 independent schools (both boarding schools and day schools), some traditionally described as public schools. 298 Members are based in the Un ...

(HMC) and Girls Schools Association (GSA).

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. 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 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 are the use of paint, canvas or various materials to create physical or static art objects. Perfo ...

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.

Extra-curricular activities

Particular sporting activities at the school include swimming (a number of students compete at both national and international level),

gymnastics Gymnastics is a type of sport that includes physical exercises requiring balance, strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, dedication and endurance. The movements involved in gymnastics contribute to the development of the arms, legs, s ...

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

fencing Fencing is a group of three related combat sports. The three disciplines in modern fencing are the foil, the épée, and the sabre (also ''saber''); winning points are made through the weapon's contact with an opponent. A fourth discipline, ...

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

choirs A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which sp ...

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 national charity who specialise in Enterprise Education and Financial Education. Young Enterprise works directly with young people, teachers, volunteers and influencers to build a successful and sustainable future for all yo ...

, Young Consumer, The Duke of Edinburgh's Award,

public speaking Public speaking, also called oratory or oration, has traditionally meant the act of speaking face to face to a live audience. Today it includes any form of speaking (formally and informally) to an audience, including pre-recorded speech delive ...

and debating. The debating squad frequently enter the

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

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 (singular: alumnus (masculine) or alumna (feminine)) are former students of a school, college, or university who have either attended or graduated in some fashion from the institution. The feminine plural alumnae is sometimes used for grou ...

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

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

,LinkedIn Profile
/ref> ITV newsreader * Emma Dodd, 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, songwriter and performer. Career The Riva Taylor era began in 2014 when Taylor featured as a guest artist on the Video Games Live World Tour, performing h ...

, singer * Sandi Toksvig, 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