Tiffin School

Entry into the school is by academic selection, using both an English and a mathematics test.[http://www.tiffinschool.co.uk/_docs/admissions/Allocation%20of%20places.pdf] {{Dead link|date=April 2019|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}} The school admits 180 students each year in year 7. Since at least 2002,{{Cite report |url=https://files.ofsted.gov.uk/v1/file/786475 |title=Tiffin School, Ofsted Inspection Report 249564 |last=Baxendale |first=W |date=2002-10-04 |access-date=2020-07-06}} students have been able to apply to join Tiffin for Sixth Form (Years 12 and 13); approximately 35-40% of the boys are 'new boys', from other schools. Admission to the sixth form is based on GCSE results.{{Cite web |title=Sixth Form Determined Admissions Policy |url=https://tiffinschool.co.uk/_docs/sixthform/Sixth%20Form%20Determined%20Admissions%20Policy%202023.pdf}} From September 2019, the Sixth Form became co-educational and admits around 80 girls. Tiffin remains an all boys’ school from Years 7 to 11.

File:Tiffin School.jpg

Plans were drawn up in 1874 for two new schools; Tiffin Boys' School and Tiffin Girls' School, each taking 150 pupils. A single building by the Fairfield housing both schools was opened in January 1880.{{cite web|title=Tiffin School|url=http://www.kingston.gov.uk/browse/leisure/museum/events_and_activities/heritageopendays/tiffin_school.htm|access-date=30 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120219174116/http://www.kingston.gov.uk/browse/leisure/museum/events_and_activities/heritageopendays/tiffin_school.htm|archive-date=19 February 2012|url-status = dead|df=dmy-all}}

In 1929, the boys' school moved to its present site, in Queen Elizabeth Road near the centre of Kingston. It became a grammar school under the Education Act 1944. The school changed from being voluntary-controlled to being grant-maintained in 1992. On 1 July 2011, the school achieved Academy status.

In 1937, a new building was opened for the Girls' School for 480 pupils. They had previously been in the same building as the Boys' School.{{Cite newspaper The Times|title=£42,000 School Opened at Kingston|department=News in Brief|date=28 October 1937|page=21|issue=47827|column=A}}

In 2011, an all-weather AstroTurf pitch was erected on part of the old grass field, funded by Jim Dixon and a National Lottery grant. The cricket nets were refurbished and named the Neil Desai cricket nets to commemorate his death.{{Cite web|url=http://www.tiffinfriends.org/design/pdfs/TiffinianAssociationBulletin21.pdf|format=PDF|title=Tiffinian Association Bulletin|date=October 2011|website=Tiffinfriends.org|access-date=9 July 2022}}

Over the course of late 2017 and early 2018, a new building attached to the existing Dempsey Centre was opened.{{Cite web |title=TiffinFriends - Tiffin School's 21C New Building |url=http://tiffinfriends.org/page/fundraising |access-date=2023-01-14 |website=tiffinfriends.org}}

File:DempseyCentre.JPG

There are between 180 and 190 boys in each year, and about 500 in the Sixth Form. In 2019, the school began admitting girls to the sixth form, with an aim to have at least 100 girls overall between the Lower and Upper Sixth.{{Cite web |title=Sixth Form Admissions {{!}} Tiffin School |url=https://tiffinschool.co.uk/sixthform/admissions.html |access-date=2023-01-17 |website=tiffinschool.co.uk}}

The Dempsey Centre, named after Dr Tony Dempsey, who retired as head in 2004, was opened in September of that year.

It contains ICT suites, a lecture theatre, a library and a new careers office.{{Cite web|url=https://www.tiffinschool.co.uk/home.html|title=Tiffin School | Welcome|website=Tiffinschool.co.uk|access-date=9 July 2022}}{{cite web|title=Serota Library Furniture|url=http://www.serota.co.uk/cases/tiffin.htm|access-date=11 February 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080902004014/http://www.serota.co.uk/cases/tiffin.htm|archive-date=2 September 2008|url-status = dead|df=dmy-all}}

In 2004, Sean Heslop took over as head of Tiffin School, due to Dempsey's retirement. Heslop subsequently left the school in 2009 to take a position at Folkestone Academy. He was subsequently arrested and bailed by the police on the charge of abusing a position of trust with a minor. He was acquitted of all charges.{{Cite web|url=https://www.surreycomet.co.uk/news/14113044.former-tiffin-headteacher-released-without-charge-over-relationship-with-ex-pupil/|title = Former Tiffin headteacher released without charge over relationship with ex-pupil|website=Surreycomet.co.uk}}

In 2009, Hilda Clarke became the first female head of Tiffin School. She is a former head of Langley Grammar School in Slough and former deputy head of Tiffin Girls' School in Kingston upon Thames. In November 2014, it was announced that Clarke had stepped down and was replaced by the former deputy head and longstanding history teacher Mike Gascoigne. The current head is Garth Williams.

The Ofsted report in 2002 stated that "the school is very popular; annually, it receives around 1,300 applications for the 140 available places. Very nearly all 16-year-olds continue into the Sixth Form and around 40 more join the Sixth Form each year from other schools. On entry, the pupils’ and Sixth Form students’ attainment is very high compared with the national average." In the 2007 Ofsted Report, Tiffin was rated outstanding (grade 1) in every area.{{ofsted|102605|Tiffin School}}, Office for Standards in Education

In the 2013 Ofsted Report, pupils' exam results overall were in the top 40% of similar schools' results, and in the top 20% of all schools.{{cite web|title=School Data Dashboard|url=http://dashboard.ofsted.gov.uk/dash.php?urn=136910|publisher=Ofsted|access-date=7 February 2015|archive-date=7 February 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150207083258/http://dashboard.ofsted.gov.uk/dash.php?urn=136910|url-status=dead}}

In the 2022 Ofsted Report, Tiffin was rated 'good' (grade 2) overall.

According to the Sunday Times Parent Power Guide, the school is ranked 10th in the top hundred State Secondary Schools based on 2011 examination results.Sunday Times Parent Power Guide (2011) The 2011 results for the school are:

• A-level %A*-B: 90.9
• GCSE %A*-A: 82.8

In 2022, the school achieved its "best set of grades" for GCSEs and A levels in the last 10 years.{{Cite web |title=Examinations {{!}} Tiffin School |url=https://tiffinschool.co.uk/life/exams.html |access-date=2023-01-14 |website=tiffinschool.co.uk}}

• A-level %A*-B: 91.46
• GCSE %9-7: 84.52

The school has a prestigious choir and several musical ensembles, including a swing band and symphony orchestra, of which many pupils are also members of the nearby Thames Youth Orchestra.{{cite web|title=Tiffin School Performing Arts College|url=http://www.tiffinschool.co.uk/index.php?&mod=page&page=Music%20-%20PAC|website=Tiffinschool.co.uk|access-date=30 September 2014}} Every year, the school performs an oratorio either held in the Rose Theatre or the Tiffin Sports Hall, which consists of students, parents, staff and friends and is accompanied by the London Mozart Players or the Brandenburg Symphony Orchestra or the Sinfonia Britannica.{{cite web|title=Tiffin Oratorio|url=http://www.tiffinschool.co.uk/index.php?&mod=page&page=Oratorio|website=Tiffinschool.co.uk|access-date=30 September 2014}}

The Tiffin Boys' Choir (directed by James Day), which celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2017, performs at venues including the Royal Opera House, the Royal Festival Hall, and the Barbican with London orchestras, and it regularly goes on tour.{{cite web|title=Tiffin Boys Choir|url=http://www.tiffinboyschoir.org.uk/event.htm|access-date=30 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111009004807/http://www.tiffinboyschoir.org.uk/event.htm|archive-date=9 October 2011|url-status = dead|df=dmy-all}} The choir has recorded CDs such as Rejoice in the Lamb and Christmas at Tiffin. It has also appeared on recordings of Mahler with Klaus Tennstedt, Puccini's Tosca with Antonio Pappano and Britten's War Requiem with Kurt Masur. The choir was featured on the last episode of TFI Friday, on the soundtrack of A Christmas Carol starring Kate Winslet, and on the subsequently released top-ten Kate Winslet single "What If".

Tiffin School is active in all the main sports.{{cite web|title=Tiffin School Sport|url=http://tiffinschool.co.uk/index.php?mod=page&page=Sports|website=Tiffinschool.co.uk|access-date=30 September 2014}} It has facilities for rugby, athletics, football and cricket at a 29-acre (119,000 m²) site in East Molesey near Hampton Court, known as Grist's (named after a former headmaster).{{cite web|title=Tiffin School Prospectus|url=http://www.tiffin.kingston.sch.uk/uploads/files/Admission/TiffinProspectus.pdf|access-date=30 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120226233938/http://www.tiffin.kingston.sch.uk/uploads/files/Admission/TiffinProspectus.pdf|archive-date=26 February 2012|url-status = dead|df=dmy-all}} Tiffin School Boat Club is based at Canbury Boathouse, which is shared with Kingston Rowing Club along the Thames at Canbury Gardens.{{cite web|title=Tiffin School Boat Club|url=http://www.tiffinsmallboatshead.co.uk/tiffinrowing|access-date=30 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041204042322/http://www.tiffinsmallboatshead.co.uk/tiffinrowing/|archive-date=4 December 2004|url-status = dead|df=dmy-all}} The school has a sports hall and all-weather AstroTurf pitch which are used by external sports clubs after and before school hours. Tiffin School{{cite web|title=Tiffin School|url=https://hi-learn.com/tiffin-university-scholarship/|access-date=30 September 2014}} provides ball boys for The Championships, Wimbledon.

{{see also|Category:People educated at Tiffin School}}

{{alumni|date=July 2021}}

Former pupils are known as Old Tiffinians. The Tiffinian Association arranges reunion events such as dinners and sports fixtures.

;Arts and entertainment

{{div col}}

• Gethin Anthony, actor
• John Bratby, painter and writer[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-john-bratby-1534856.html "Obituary: John Bratby"], The Independent, 23 July 1992
• James Seymour Brett, composer{{Cite web|url=http://www.tiffinfriends.org/design/pdfs/OT%201%20Honours,%20successes,%20appts%20133%20-%20138.pdf|title=Tiffinian Association Limited - Honours, Successes, Appointments and other News|access-date=20 May 2017}}
• Herbie Flowers, musician
• Inno Genga, musician{{cite web|url=http://www.tiffinfriends.org/design/pdfs/Pages%20from%20The%20Tiffinian%202012-2013%20Low%20Res-37-72.pdf|format=PDF|title=Pages from The Tiffinian 2012-2013 |website=Tiffinfriends.org|access-date=9 July 2022}}
• Jake Hendriks, actor
• Rich Keeble, actor
• Andrew Lawrence, comedian{{cite journal|date=September 2007|title=People|url=http://www.tiffin.kingston.sch.uk/ota/tiffnews/Sept2007.pdf|issue=233|page=6|editor=Brian Holden|journal=Tiffnews: The Newsletter of the Old Tiffinians Association|access-date=18 December 2011|url-status = dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120422160852/http://www.tiffin.kingston.sch.uk/ota/tiffnews/Sept2007.pdf|archive-date=22 April 2012}}
• Sir Richard Mantle, director of Opera North
• Neil McDermott, actor[http://www.tiffin.kingston.sch.uk/ota/tiffnews/March2006.pdf "Newsletter of the Old Tiffinians' Association No. 227"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718170301/http://www.tiffin.kingston.sch.uk/ota/tiffnews/March2006.pdf |date=18 July 2011 }}, March 2006
• Jonny Lee Miller, actor[https://web.archive.org/web/20080204081339/http://movies.nytimes.com/person/200487/Jonny-Lee-Miller/biography "Jonny Lee Miller"], The New York Times; accessed 28 June 2008.
• Will Varley, musician
• Alan Wheatley, theatrical performer, BBC announcer and star of the TV series Adventures of Robin Hood

{{div col end}}

;Education and politics

{{div col}}

• Ralph Allwood, choral conductor, composer and teacher{{Cite web|url=http://www.ralphallwood.com/|title=Ralph Allwood - Personal Website|website=Ralphallwood.com|access-date=20 May 2017}}{{Cite web |title=Ralph Allwood (Conductor) - Short Biography |url=https://www.bach-cantatas.com/Bio/Allwood-Ralph.htm |access-date=2023-01-14 |website=www.bach-cantatas.com}}
• Tom Bloxham MBE, founder of Urban Splash[http://info.uwe.ac.uk/news/UWEnews/article.asp?item=1159&year=2007 "UWEawards honorary degree to Tom Bloxham MBE"], University of the West of England, 22 November 2007. and currently Chancellor of the University of Manchester
• James Boyden, Labour MP for Bishop Auckland[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-james-boyden-1509143.html "Obituary: James Boyden"], Walter Bunn, The Independent, 7 October 1993.
• Michael Dixon, Director of the Natural History Museum[http://www.tiffin.kingston.sch.uk/ota/tiffnews/December2005.pdf "TIFFNEWS No. 226"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060410081239/http://www.tiffin.kingston.sch.uk/ota/tiffnews/December2005.PDF |date=10 April 2006 }}, 22 December 2005.
• Philip Eggleton, discoverer of Phosphagens
• Chris Heaton-Harris, Conservative MP for Daventry (1979–86)[http://www.leicesterconservatives.com/index.php?sectionid=2&pagenumber=22 Chris Heaton-Harris profile], leicesterconservatives.com; accessed 1 June 2008.
• Dennis Lindley, statistician[http://www.bayesian.org/awards/LindleyPrize.html "The Lindley Prize - Dennis V. Lindley"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010219193213/http://www.bayesian.org/awards/LindleyPrize.html |date=19 February 2001 }}, International Society for Bayesian Analysis; accessed 28 June 2008.

{{div col end}}

• Ben Obese-Jecty, Conservative MP for Huntingdon[https://tiffinfriends.org/news/alumni-news/16/16-Ben-Obese-Jecty-Selected-as-Prospective-Parliamentary-Candidate-for-Huntingdon "Ben Obese-Jecty Selected as Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Huntingdon"]

;Sport

{{div col}}

• Neil Bennett, rugby union player for England {{Citation needed|date=March 2019}}
• Mark Feltham, cricketer
• Arun Harinath, cricketer Surrey CCC{{cite web|url=http://content.cricinfo.com/england/content/player/15377.html|title=Players and Officials - Arun Harinath|last=Horne|first=Ben|date=January 2007|publisher=Cricinfo|access-date=22 September 2009}}
• Rob Henderson, rugby union player for Ireland and the British and Irish Lions [https://www.questia.com/read/1G1-75331919 "Lion Rob glad to ring the changes"], Chris Jones, Evening Standard, 27 February 2001
• Gregor Kennis, cricketer
• Cameron McGeehan, footballer[http://www.tiffinfriends.org/design/pdfs/Pages%20from%20The%20Tiffinian%202012-2013%20Low%20Res-37-72.pdf "Football Note"], Tiffinfriends.org; accessed 30 September 2014.
• David Ottley, cricketer
• John Parlett, 800m runner, 1950 European champion
• Alec Stewart OBE, former England cricket captain[http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-6011601.html] {{dead link|date=February 2019|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}, Sunday Mirror, Steve Whiting, 24 May 1998

{{div col end}}

;Other

{{div col}}

• Captain Douglas Belcher, Victoria Cross recipient[http://www.tiffinschool.co.uk/ota/tiffnews/March2008.pdf "Newsletter of the Old Tiffinians’ Association No. 235"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111004162958/http://www.tiffinschool.co.uk/ota/tiffnews/March2008.pdf |date=4 October 2011 }}, March 2008
• Roy Chaplin, aircraft designer at Hawker Aircraft, worked on Hawker Hurricane, Hawker Hunter and Hawker Siddeley Harrier.
• Reginald Foster Dagnall, founder of RFD and British aviation pioneer{{Cite web|url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1942/1942%20-%202454.html|title=Obituary in Flightglobal 1942|website=Flightglobal.com|access-date=9 July 2022}}

• Frank Dobson lichenologist and businessman{{cite journal |last1=Pedley |first1=Ivan |title=Frank Stuart Dobson - June 11th 1934 to December 19th 2021. A personal tribute |journal=British Lichen Society Bulletin |date=2022 |volume=130 |issue=Summer |pages=6}}
• Commander Roddy Elias, Swordfish navigator who flew from HMS Ark Royal and found the Bismarck{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/11464533/Commander-Peter-Roddy-Elias-obituary.html|title=Commander Peter "Roddy" Elias - obituary|date=11 March 2015|work=Daily Telegraph|access-date=12 March 2015}}
• Patrick Hobson, Military Cross, decorated British Army officer, Colonial Service officer and Anglican clergyman

{{div col end}}

{{div col}}

• Roderick Williams, singer{{cite news | title=Facing the music: Roderick Williams | url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/jan/16/roderick-williams-facing-the-music | work=The Guardian | date=16 January 2017 | access-date=12 July 2017}}

{{div col end}}

{{reflist}}

• {{official website|http://www.tiffinschool.co.uk}}
• [http://www.tiffingirls.kingston.sch.uk/ Tiffin Girls' School]
• [https://archive.today/20120910212307/http://www.edubase.gov.uk/establishment/summary.xhtml?urn=102605 Edubase]

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20090124123422/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/buyingsellingandmoving/4289699/Homes-near-good-schools-Go-for-the-grammar.html Telegraph January 2009]

{{Schools and colleges in Kingston upon Thames}}

{{Authority control}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}}

{{Use British English|date=November 2020}}

Category:Educational institutions established in 1880

Category:Grammar schools in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames

Category:Boys' schools in London

Category:1880 establishments in England

Category:Academies in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames

Category:Specialist arts colleges in England

Category:Specialist language colleges in England