The Judd School

The Judd School
File:Judd School Logo.jpg
Address
Brook Street Tonbridge , Kent , TN9 2PN
Information
Type	Voluntary aided grammar school
Motto	Deus Dat Incrementum (God Gives Growth)
Established	1888
Founder	The Skinners' Company
Local authority	Kent
Specialist	Specialist College for Music with Mathematics
Ofsted	Reports
Headmaster	Robert Masters BSc
Staff	c. 65
Gender	Boys (11-16) Co-educational (16-18)
Age	11 to 18
Enrollment	935
Houses	soon to be introduced
Colour(s)	Navy and Maroon
Publication	The Juddian
Website	http://www.juddschool.org.uk

BSM R DA SHIT

YEAH BSM KIK BSE's SORY ASS

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 60 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.

Judd strives for academic success, with prospective first-year students having to take the "eleven plus" examination in order to gain a seat. The school targets 100% pass rates at both GCSE and A-level, and Judd is consistently ranked within the top 20 state schools in the country. League tables published by the BBC based on 2006 A-level results rank Judd as the best state school in Kent, and the second best school overall behind the independent Sevenoaks School (and notably ahead of Tonbridge School). In recent years Judd students have received a number of commendations from the Exam Boards following national top ten or top five scores in GCSE and A Level subjects. The vast majority of Judd students go on to higher education following the completion of their A-levels at the end of Year 13.

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 union 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 (1998), the Library Building (2001) and the new Sports Hall (2003).

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. Masters has also implemented a change in the format of the school day, replacing the traditional school day of eight forty minute periods with a new system of two-week timetables and six fifty-minute periods per day, from the start of the new academic year 2007-2008.

The official school hymn, Jerusalem, is traditionally sung on the afternoon of Prizegiving. The school's motto, which reflects that of its forerunner Tonbridge School, is "Deus Dat Incrementum", Latin for "God Gives Growth".

School structure

Judd currently has 923 pupils on roll (as of September 2006) from Years 7 to 13, with around 50-60 staff. Each Year Group has its own dedicated Head of Year, in addition to an overall Head of Sixth Form and departmental heads.

Lower school

The school has an annual intake of around 125 boys at the beginning of Year 7, who are divided into four forms - W, X, Y and Z. Historically, Years 7-11 were (then known as first to fifth forms) were divided into four houses: Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta, however this system has not been in use since the 1980s . Robert Masters will be introducing houses again at the end of the school year 2007/8, with names yet to be decided. Form groups remain the same in Year 7, but are mixed together in Year 8 in order to promote a unified year group. These form groups also remain for Years 10 and 11 regardless of GCSE options.

While in the lower school, students take part in the Inter-Form Cup - a combined sporting award for the form with the most sporting successes in all sports across the academic year. Inter-form events include A-team and B-team rugby and cricket, cross-country, basketball, athletics (at the annual Sports Day) and swimming.

Sixth Form

The sixth form at Judd was historically grouped into "Arts" and "Sciences". However, its size has grown tremendously over time and now stands at over 300 students. There is a net intake of around 30 students at the beginning of Year 12 (with places offered principally based on GCSE results), with around 30 girls and 10 boys joining around 110 who have stayed on at The Judd. The 150 boys and girls in each year are divided into eight numbered forms (e.g. 13-3). From the academic year 2007-2008, sixth formers can if they wish study five A/S-level examinations at the end of Year 12, continuing through with four of these to full A-levels in Year 13.

The Sixth Form has its own Common Room, with a cafeteria shared with staff. Historically, the end of the Year 12 would see around forty students appointed as Prefects to help the staff with tasks such as controlling the lunch queue and patrolling the school outside lesson-time. Prefects were issued with a tie (or badge for females) to indicate their status, and were headed by a group of "Senior Prefects" consisting of a Head Prefect, two Deputy Head Prefects, and a number of Senior Prefects. However, since 2006-2007, all sixth formers are now treated as Prefects, with a cadre of six Senior Prefects.

In common with many schools, 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. Recent examples include writing messages in drying concrete (2005), planting a tree in the centre of the rugby pitch (2006), and raising a German flag up the school's flag pole (2006). Amongst other pranks, 2007 saw the Headmaster's front door repainted from blue to pink, the construction of a golf course (known as the "Masters' Masters") on the school fields and a group of students spending the night camped on the rugby pitch, school benches placed on the roofs and a small tree being planted in the centre of the athletics track

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 then 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.

Extra-curricular activities

Sport

The school's main traditional team sports are rugby union (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 Cricket currently hold the Kent Cup at U19 and U12 level. The Easter holidays see an annual tour alternating between rugby tours to Australia (formerly North America to 2005) and cricket tours to Barbados. 2005's North America tour saw the school win each of four matches by over 50 points, conceding fewer than 10 points across the whole tour.

Judd's cross-country team competes at a national level in all three levels (senior, intermediate and junior), and is one of the top 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. 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 sixth-form students as well as volleyball and "Rec(-reational) 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 Big Band to Senior Chamber Choir. Student bands have performed in year assemblies, further promoting music within the school.

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 Drama, while past Sixth Form plays have included Accidental Death of an Anarchist and What the Butler Saw both directed by Matt Armstrong, Chicken Soup with Barley, directed by Thomas Probert with Myfanwy Hill as 'Sarah', The Importance of Being Earnest, directed by Jason Lower with, and most recently Loot, directed by Andy MacNamee with Tom Bender in the leading role. Most recently, in November 2007, a joint Drama-Music department production of Oh What a Lovely War was performed.

Notable 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 Chief Marshal Sir Clive Loader, KCB, OBE, FRAeS - RAF Air Command 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-present

See also

• The Skinners' School
• Tonbridge School

External links

• The Judd School website
• The Judd School on Ofsted