Public Benefit
Tonbridge School is a registered charity (No. 1097977); as such it benefits many more individuals than those who pass through its doors as full fee-paying pupils.
Principal public benefits are as follows:
Widening access to an outstanding education
Andrew Goodman, a first year Foundationer.
Of all the public benefits the school offers, perhaps the most notable is the programme of means-tested scholarships and bursaries designed to widen access to the school to boys hungry to achieve more with their talents.
Tonbridge has long been known as a scholarship school. Over the centuries, thanks to the financial help of the Skinners' Company, Tonbridge has provided a first class, subsidised education to thousands of boys, many of whom have been local. Now the financial help is directed in a more focused way. Costs dictate that those who can must pay full fees, while the school subsidises talented boys who could not possibly enjoy a Tonbridge education without this help. Help is provided in two ways:
- Tonbridge foregoes about £1.3m each year in fee remission for scholarships and bursaries. While the 'standard' scholarship award is now set at 10% fee-remission, up to 100% remission is available where a scholar has clear (means-tested) financial need.
- The above benefit within the school accounts is complemented by a separate scheme - the Foundation Awards - a programme of purely means-tested awards funded through philanthropy. Fee remission for Foundation Awards is up to 100%, though the school will look to award slightly less than this in most cases, on the basis that parents of a Foundationer will take greater ownership of their son's education if they are contributing to the fees at some level within their means.
The two schemes are linked because the school currently matches the money given by Old Tonbridgians and parents towards Foundation Awards.
In addition to its duties as a charity, the school takes the view that widening access is a two-way benefit. Tonbridge will become socially narrow if assistance cannot be given to middle and lower income families. A Tonbridge education will be a richer experience if boys come from a broad spectrum of society.
Foundationers win places because the school has spotted their passion and potential. As such, they bring extra vigour to the school, inspiring those who teach them and those who learn alongside them.
In the case of Foundation boarding places, our main aim is to support boys from socially-disadvantaged backgrounds - boys for whom the secure and stable environment of a boarding house will be especially valuable.
Tonbridge aims to offer full fee remission to at least 10% of its pupils by 2026. Currently there are 21boys in the school on such a basis.
In September 2004, the first Foundation Award was given to Harry Winstanley who joined the Lower Sixth from Maidstone Grammar School. While at Tonbridge, Harry was a semi-finalist in the BBC Young Musician of the Year competition.
Sharing facilities
The school chapel was used for 10 local school carol concerts in the run up to Christmas.
More than 24 days' free usage of the school's facilities were given to local schools and organisations during the academic year 2005/06. This, reduced-rate hirings and subsidised tickets for events, amounted to a total of nearly £20,000 given to the local community for the year October 2005 - September 2006.
Sports facilities are used by a number of local schools, organisations and clubs and the police on a regular basis. Free weekly training sessions are held for hockey, squash, gym and swimming.
The school encourages the sharing of its academic facilities, expertise and teaching material with local schools in a variety of disciplines as well as welcoming pupils to its Oxbridge preparation classes.
Information and Communications Technology facilities have been made available to the local fire brigade to allow them to train for and sit the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) examination and for training staff and volunteers at the local Citizens Advice Bureau.
Many local clubs and organisations make regular use of the school's facilities, such as the water-based Astro.
Working with an Academy
A partnership of Kent County Council, Microsoft and Tonbridge School is sponsoring the transformation of Southlands School, New Romney from a local comprehensive school to a new Academy - the Marsh Academy, which is now in its first year.
Our particular role in the partnership is in developing the Academy's new curriculum and the structures required to support the students' pastoral needs. This involves time and management skill from the Headmaster and input from Tonbridge teaching staff.
The engagement of Tonbridge School is central and vital to the success of the academy, and it represents an outstanding act of public service.
Andrew Adonis, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Schools
Community partnerships
A team of boys work for local conservation projects on a weekly basis, providing approximately 200 hours of labour over the year.
140 boys in the Lower VIth participated in a community action day which included painting village halls, clearing churchyards and other off-site projects.
Community action days encourage pupils to take part in a wide range of activities
Substantial support has been given to the local Citizens Advice Bureau, negotiating sponsorship, securing a grant and providing skilled labour from the school's Works Department to enable them to move to larger premises.
The arts festival involves around ten local schools.
As part of the annual arts festival, around ten local schools benefited from free outreach workshops in dance, drama, music, art and poetry.
Support is given to local charities through events such as a charity rock concert, a sponsored 'sleep out' and a fashion show.
A full list of the school's public benefit is available here.