Tormead School

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.[2]

As part of its centenary celebrations, it hosted the BBC Radio 4 programme Any Questions? in 2005. It has also previously welcomed Poet Laureate Andrew Motion.

Tormead (Junior) School

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 Centre.

Tormead offers a range of Academic, All Rounder, Art, Drama, Music and Sport Scholarships to existing pupils and to external candidates.

Tormead offers financial support in the form of means-tested bursaries. Entrance Bursaries may be awarded in the form of a discount of up to 100% on tuition fees.[3]

Particular sporting activities at the school include swimming (a number of students compete at both national and international level),[4] gymnastics (the school has previously won the European Championships for Schools, GISGA) and fencing (the school competes nationally and some members of the squad represent Great Britain internationally).[5]

The school has a Music Department. Four orchestras and four choirs operate within the school, as well a Jazz Band,[6][7] 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. The Music Department holds informal concerts at least once a term in which individual pupils or small ensembles can play, and in which some of the larger ensembles perform as well. 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 Consumer, The Duke of Edinburgh's Award, public speaking and debating. In 2004, the school team ranked third in the national final of the English-Speaking Union's Public Speaking Competition for Schools.[8][9] The debating squad frequently enter the Cambridge, Oxford 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).[10]

Alongside the existing on-site facilities, the School submitted plans to Guildford Council for a sporting development on the Guildford County School Urnfield site in May 2020.[11] The planning is in its final stages and a decision on the project is expected in due course. The proposal includes the creation of a floodlit artificial hockey pitch with a six-lane all weather running track, a football pitch, relocation of cricket nets, extension and renovation of the sports pavilion and balcony and new javelin, discuss, shot put and long jump area.[12][13]

The School has an active alumnae association, TOGA, the Tormead Old Girls' Association[14] and Parents' Association.

• Olivia Attwood
• Andrea Byrne,[15] ITV newsreader
• Emma Dodd, illustrator
• Lorna Hutson, academic
• Riva Taylor, singer
• Sandi Toksvig,[16] comedian

• Official website