Thomas Tallis School
Thomas Tallis School is a large mixed comprehensive school for pupils aged 11-19, located in Kidbrooke in the Royal Borough of Greenwich, London, United Kingdom. The school is a specialist Arts College, Leading Edge School and national School of Creativity. Occupancy of the new school scheduled to take place in 7 November 2011.
The School was built in 1971, originally for 850 pupils.[citation needed] It now has nearly 2000 pupils.[citation needed] It is built on the site of a former RAF airfield. A blue plaque to recognise this has been put up on one of the corridors connecting the school's buildings.
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[edit] The school and its facilities
Thomas Tallis currently has two main buildings, which are joined together by two 'links'. In between the two buildings is a concourse area. The school opened in 1973. The school has expanded with a series of temporary schoolrooms being built around the two main buildings. The school currently uses the front fields while the re-build of the school is taking place. In 2004 an obstacle course including climbing facilities was constructed behind one of the school buildings on the opposite side of the school to the main field. This was demolished as part of the new school programme as well as reported cases of Asbestos. The school itself has one sports hall, gym hall, general rooms, science labs, I.C.T rooms a specialised deaf support centre and other on-site facilities. Now preparing for demolition.
[edit] Criminal incidents
Richard Reid, also known as "The Shoe Bomber," attended Tallis.[1] In 1997, one of the school's pupils, fifteen year old Nathan Brown, a member of a gang called the Golden Snakes, murdered CJ Rickard, 14, a pupil from the neighbouring Kidbrooke School with a 17-inch machete. Six other pupils of the school were jailed for a total of 20 years after admitting conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm with intent.[2]
[edit] The past
In 1998, the school was awarded Specialist Arts College status and has successfully been re-designated twice. In 2005 the school was awarded Leading Edge. The school has belonged to the Creative Partnerships network of schools since 2005.In May 2008, the school became one of only thirty schools in the country to be awarded the status of School of Creativity.The school is also acknowledged for its Deaf and Hearing unit (to which several rooms are dedicated), in which deaf and hearing impaired students can interact more socially and achieve good results.
The school has also recently been in the news for being involved in TV chef Jamie Oliver's campaign to improve school dinners in Britain. It features in his TV series Jamie's School Dinners . Since then the menu has changed and a new healthy panini and fair trade cafe has opened.
A text book designed by German publisher Ernst Klett Verlag uses pictures of the school and, as a consequence, German students frequently contact Thomas Tallis in search of pen pals.
In 2007, the school was featured in the Channel 4 documentary Make Me a Tory, directed by former pupil Daniel Cormack.
[edit] The present
The school has undergone a £50 million pound renovation as part of the Greenwich Building Schools for the Future programme (BSF).
The interior design utilises colour coding and clear signage for greater accessibility. The majority of the teaching spaces are housed in three blocks to the west of the site. Rooms will benefit from full height windows and a mixture of natural ventilation and air management, providing superior levels of comfort and excellent learning conditions. Significantly enhanced sports facilities, a student cafe, performing arts spaces and other classrooms make up the other blocks. We have paid close attention to the dining area and toilets, areas which are of particular interest to students and which deserve to be of the highest standards.
However, the school has significant additional specialist spaces providing the whole community with state of the art facilities and enabling us to deliver an exciting curriculum for students of all abilities and talents. Access to community facilities has been made easier and circulation around the building will be enhanced by multi-level walkways. There is a close connection between indoor and outdoor learning facilities.
Currently, the old school building is being demolished so the students of the school can make sure of that space as a playing field for break and lunchtimes and physical education lessons.
[edit] Notable alumni
- Richard Colvin Reid - terrorist
- Charley Kazim Uchea - Reality TV Contestant in Big Brother 2007 (UK)
- Alex Slater - Reality TV Contestant in Beauty and the Geek (UK TV series)
- Dominic Cooper - Actor
- Patrick van den Hauwe, professional footballer, attended from 1972-1977
- Matthew Collins ex-NF leader and now renowned antifascist campaigner and writer
[edit] References
- ^ Nzerem, Keme (2002-02-28). "At School with the Shoe Bomber". The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,,659184,00.html. Retrieved 2007-03-15.
- ^ "Cj's Murderer To Appeal Against Sentence". News Shopper. 1998-06-20. http://www.newsshopper.co.uk/archive/display.var.353346.0.cjs_murderer_to_appeal_against_sentence.php. Retrieved 2007-03-15.
[edit] External links
- Thomas Tallis website
- Twitter feed
- Case Study on the School's Eco Programme by The Sustainable Development Commission
Coordinates: 51°27′53″N 0°01′36″E / 51.4647°N 0.0266°E
