The Judd School

The Judd School
The Judd School Coat of Arms
Motto	Deus Dat Incrementum ("God Gives Growth")
Established	1888
School type	Voluntary aided grammar school Specialist College for Music with Mathematics
Headmaster	Robert Masters
Location	Tonbridge, Kent, England
Pupils	c. 920
Web-site	www.juddschool.org.uk

The Judd School is a voluntary aided Grammar school in the town of Tonbridge in Kent, England. It was the town's first grammar school, and remains one of the leading state schools in the United Kingdom. There are around 920 students in the school aged 11 to 18 - all boys bar around 50 girls in the Sixth form. The school was designated as one of the first six Specialist Music Colleges in September 2004.

The current headmaster is Robert Masters, who has occupied the post since September 2004.

History

The death of Sir Andrew Judde left the control of Tonbridge School, which he founded in 1557, in the hands of the Worshipful Company of Skinners, a London Livery Company. Their remit, of maintaining a school in Judde's home town where bright young boys would be able to receive a free education, was achieved until Tonbridge School became independent and began charging fees.

By the late nineteenth century, the town of Tonbridge was fast experiencing competition from its growing neighbour, Tunbridge Wells. Having lost their free boys' school, the townspeople of Tonbridge were further outraged in 1887 when the Skinners' Company founded The Skinners' School school in Tunbridge Wells. In response to the uproar, the company founded Sir Andrew Judde's Commercial School in East Street the following year, and the town regained its free boys' school. The school quickly grew and moved to its present site in 1896.

To this day it has maintained its close links with The Skinners' Company – every July the Company comes to the school for the Visitation of the Governors and Prizegiving. The school's recent building ambitions have been greatly helped by funding from the Skinners. The Skinners' School remains Judd's sister school, and the Judd-Skinners match is the most important match for both schools during both rugby and cricket seasons.

The 1990s saw former headmaster Keith Starling preside over an unprecedented period of expansion and development for the school, beginning with the construction of the £2.1 million Cohen Building in 1992. The next decade saw new construction projects appear regularly, including (amongst others) the Music Centre, the Library Building and the new Sports Hall.

Taking over the position of headmaster in 2004, Robert Masters oversaw the school's transition to Music Specialist status. He also organised the building of the school's own all-weather pitch which was completed in December 2006, and has helped to increase the available playground space for the school's growing student population. During poor weather, the all-weather pitch is for health and safety reasons out of bounds to pupils.

The school motto is "Deus Dat Incrementum", Latin for "God Gives Growth".

Timetable Changes

Robert Masters has announced to staff that timetable changes will be taking place, changing from Judd's traditional 8 periods of 40 minutes each day to 6 periods of 50 minutes each day. This has provoked some anger from students, pupils and teachers. The loudest criticism has been reserved for the head's indiscretion - announcing the changes to his sixth form Maths set, while urging other members of staff to be 'discreet', at least a week before pupils and parents had been informed on the 2nd of February 2007. When challenged on how pupils found out about the changes, Masters claimed it was from external students being interviewed to join the school, although it is still unclear why transferees should have been told before current pupils, and why he told his sixth-form maths set before other students or their parents. Mr Masters has since claimed that he did not tell his maths set, it was asked of him, and that he intended to present the information to both parents and students once a leaflet was prepared to inform both of the reasons behind the changes. A sixth-form petition against the timetable changes was put up on 2nd February 2007, in the main entrance hall. Within 40 minutes, the petition was removed by the head without further comment. Several new copies are being made available at various locations around the school from Monday morning (5th February 2007). Timetable changes are a part of a wider debate about curriculum, exam systems and exam boards. Many of those affected by these curriculum changes feel they threaten the school's performance and reputation. The issue is ongoing and although the decision appears to have been made, by "Senior Management", many students remain unconvinced and concerned at the future of the school.

Mr Masters has subsequently admitted that the changes had been brought up and discussed by him with his maths set. Grudgingly the truth has emerged. Nevertheless, his probity has been questioned and found wanting.

Pupils

There are currently 923 pupils in The Judd School with around 50–60 staff. In years 7 to 11, 128 boys are divided into one of four forms – W, X, Y and Z – with the forms named using the school year and form letter (eg 7Z, 9W). The sixth form has more and smaller forms, dividing 150 boys and girls in each year into eight numbered forms (e.g. 13-3). Historically, the then first to fifth forms were divided into four houses: Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta. The sixth form was grouped into "Arts" and "Sciences". This, however, had long been curtailed by the arrival of the 1990s.

Judd is renowned for its academic success, with near 100% pass rates the norm at both GCSE and A-level. Judd is consistently within the top 20 schools in the country in league-tables, and is usually the most successful boys' school in Kent. Nearly all students go on to study at university following their final year at school.

Sixth Form

At the beginning of Year 12, Judd accepts pupils from other schools, based mainly on their GCSE results. They are integrated into the Sixth Form and study towards A/S and A-Levels. There are typically around 30 girls introduced into Year 12 each year, and around 10 male transferees from other schools. The Sixth Form has its own Common Room, with a cafeteria shared with staff. Historically, towards the end of the year, around forty Year 12 students were appointed as Prefects to help the staff with tasks such as controlling the lunch queue and patrolling the school. Prefects were issued with a blue tie or badge to indicate their status, and are headed by a group of "Senior Prefects", consisting of a Head Prefect, two Deputy Head Prefects, and a number of Senior Prefects. In an egalitarian, if anti-meritocratic move, all sixth formers are now treated as Prefects, with a small cadre of Senior Prefects.

The last day of study before A-Levels brings a great deal of celebration for Year 13s, commonly known as "Muck-Up Day". Various items of fancy dress or old school uniform are worn, and some practical jokes are played. Highlights from recent years include:

• Laying quick dry cement in a corner of the car park and putting hand imprints and "Class of 2005" in it
• A full-scale waterfight
• A blow-up doll being brought into school
• A blow-up penguin placed outside the headmaster's door with a police hat on
• A tree planted overnight in the middle of the rugby pitch
• Doing a conga through the staff room and throughout the school
• Putting a bench in a tree
• Two Sixth Formers wearing dressing gowns running around school having a light sabre fight with toys while being filmed
• One unnamed alumnus, now a minor celebrity of University Challenge fame, being cling-filmed to the school flagpole
• Traffic from the nearby Brook Street being re-directed through the school premises.

Buildings and Property

The school has the following main buildings:

• The Main School Building – opened 1896 and subsequently extended
• Lawtons – a neighbouring house inherited and converted by the school
• The (Old) Gymnasium – opened 1958
• The RE Building (a.k.a. the "God Block"), previously the English Block and, before that, the Art Block – opened 1973
• The Cohen Building – opened 1993
• The Music Centre – opened 1995
• The Library Building – opened 2002
• The Sports Hall – opened 2003

The school grounds have sufficient space for two rugby pitches and training grids in the winter months, or a 300m running track, athletic field events and a cricket ground (with nets for summer. It has additional sports grounds at its 'Yeomans' fields, approximately one mile from the school, which include two full-size rugby pitches in winter and two artificial cricket pitches in the summer . There are also three concrete tennis courts, a rifle range (used by the school's Combined Cadet Force) and an open-air swimming pool.

There are currently plans to built a new three-storey building on top of the last remaining hut, devoted to Mathematics and Geography. The Mathematics Corridor will thence house the Economics, Politics and Business Studies department, and Lawtons will, potentially, become a flat. The Geography rooms, currently adjacent to the Sixth Form Common Room, will become part of a Sixth Form Wing.

An all-weather astroturf pitch on part of the school fields was opened in December 2006, although it has proven to be farcical since its introduction.

Sport

The school's main traditional team sports are rugby (in the winter months) and cricket (in the summer), in which it competes against other schools in south-east England. The Judd-Skinners matches, occurring in October for rugby and May for cricket, are traditionally seen as the most important friendly fixture of the season, although the annual rugby match against local rivals Tonbridge School is also a significant encounter. The school's U18 and U15 sides take part in the annual Daily Mail Cup, while cricket teams take part in the Kent Cup at all age groups. Judd are currently Kent Cup cricket holders at U19 and U12 level. There are tours to North America (now Australia) for rugby and Barbados for cricket in April every other year. 2005's North America tour saw the school win each of four matches by over 50 points, conceding less than 10 points across the whole tour.

Judd's cross-country team is extremely strong, acknowledged as the best state school in the country by some distance. Judd competes at a national level in all three levels (senior, intermediate and junior), and is probably one of the top three schools in the country at present. The cross-country team has an annual training camp in Lanzarote, and won the Knole run in 2004 and 2007, this year led by all conquering Captain Chris Kieley. It has been in the top 3 every year since 2002 against a field of famous private schools.

Athletics is also a key part of Judd's sporting success, with boys from every year group representing Kent at a national level. It is generally expected that the Judd team will qualify for the national finals at all three levels.

Keeping its traditional roots intact, Judd does not play football at an inter-school level. However, the school competes in other sports such as basketball, tennis and hockey. Swimming, Badminton and Dance are also included in the sporting choice for students as well as volleyball and rec. football in the summer. The annual "Football Fiesta" also caters for Judd's footballers, with student and staff teams competing in a charity tournament.

Music

Judd has always boasted a strong music department, and the construction of The Music Block in 1995 began the school's recent emphasis on the enhancement of musical opportunities. Students with any musical talents are catered for in one of the school music groups, ranging from Junior Orchestra to Judd Winds to Senior Chamber Choir.

In September 2004, the school was designated one of the first six specialist Music Colleges in the country, enabling even greater investment in Music Technology. The Music department now employs six members of staff, with specialist Music Technology Labs created in the neighbouring Lawtons building, which was formerly dedicated solely to the serious business of Government and Politics, and Economics. A student member has also been included in the specialist status with the creation of the role of Senior Prefect with Responsibilities for Music. From Years 7 to 9, every boy receives 2 music lessons per week, with the option to continue music for GCSE and even A-level.

The school regularly has a Judd Band Showcase, where bands created by students have the opportunity to play in front of a carefully-vetted audience of friends and peers. All proceeds raised by these events go back to the music department thereby giving students the facilities needed to develop their skills.

Drama

Judd has a strong tradition of promoting the theatrical side of its students; with both a school play and a sixth form play being performed every year. Recent School plays have included Romeo and Juliet, All My Sons, and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, all under the direction of the Head of English, while past Sixth Form plays have included Chicken Soup with Barley, directed by 'Probes', The Importance of Being Earnest, directed by Jason Lower, and most recently Loot, directed by Andy MacNamee.

Prominent Old Juddians

The school has a strong record of producing academic and sporting success and its alumni include :

• Professor Cecil Frank Powell, MA, Ph.D (Cantab.), FRS - Nobel Prize for Physics winner in 1950

• Squadron Leader Neville Duke, DSO, OBE, DFC, AFC - World War II fighter pilot and quondam holder of the world air speed record (727.63 mph in 1953)

• Air Marshal Sir Clive Loader, KCB, OBC, FRAeS - RAF Strike Command Deputy Commander-in-Chief

• The Rt. Hon Baron Terence Lewin, KG, GCB, LVO, DSC - former Chief of the Defence Staff and Admiral of the Fleet

• Humphrey Burton, CBE - Television Executive, former head of BBC Music

• Rev. Ronald Ralph Williams, DD - former Bishop of Leicester

• Bernard Hailstone - Royal Portrait Painter, who also painted Lord Mountbatten, Winston Churchill and Laurence Olivier

• Dave Heather - pioneering television director, who first brought opera to the small screen as head of the Glyndebourne telecasts

• Guy Hands - financier and CEO of Terra Firma Capital Partners

• Martin Purdy, member of London Wasps, member of Wasps' 2003 Heineken Cup winning squad

• David Fulton - Captain of Kent County Cricket Club from 2002-2005

Headmasters

• William J.D. Bryant - 1888-1908
• John Evans (MA, Cantab.) - 1908-1928
• Cecil Lloyd Morgan (MA, Oxon.) - 1928-1946
• Francis Hillier Taylor (MA, Cantab.) - 1946-1970
• Dennis Rendall (MA, Oxon.) - 1970-1986
• Keith Starling (MA, Cantab.) - 1986-2004
• Robert Masters (BSc, Reading) - 2004-2007

External links

• The Judd School website
• The Judd School on Ofsted