The Judd School

Stafford House on East Street, the first site of The Judd School

The Judd School was established in 1888, but the need for a secondary school to supplement Sir Andrew Judd's Grammar School, a public school (now called Tonbridge School) was acknowledged as early as 1870. It was revealed that only one in 200 of its students was the son of a Tonbridge tradesman, as was required in its endowment.[5] Tonbridge School was founded in 1553 by Sir Andrew Judd,[nb 1] who made a fortune in the Muscovy fur trade during the 16th century.[7] His endowment was left in the hands of the Skinners Company, who agreed to fund the establishment of a commercial school in Tonbridge in 1875.[8][9] However, the Charity Commissioners – empowered by the 1869 Endowed Schools Act to govern the establishment of charitably funded schools – directed that the £20,000 provided by The Skinners' Company for this cause be taken to neighbouring Tunbridge Wells, where it was used to establish The Skinners' School in September 1887.[10][11]

Demand persisted for a similar school in Tonbridge; in July 1888, William J. D. Bryant, previously an assistant master at Tonbridge School,[12] was named headmaster of Sir Andrew Judd's Commercial School,[13] which opened on 17 September at Stafford House in East Street, Tonbridge.[12] The funds were provided by a loan of £13,000 repaid over the next 20 years with income from the Judd Foundation (of which The Skinners' Company were trustees), which rapidly increased when the leases on the Sandhills Estate in London were renewed in 1906.[8][14][15] The school also benefited from at least £500 per year from the Judd Foundation, after funding for Tonbridge School was reduced.[16] Although established on a tentative basis,[11] the school's early success led to its move to a larger, purpose-built site in south Tonbridge in 1896.[11]

William Bryant retired as headmaster in 1908 and was replaced by John Evans, appointed in preference to the 217 other applicants for the post.[17] Previously headmaster of Ashford Grammar School,[17] Evans took up his new position at the conclusion of the autumn term. He oversaw a period of change and modernisation, including the transition from gas to electric lighting, and the introduction of a house system in 1909.[18][19] Soon after the outbreak of the First World War the school was requisitioned by the War Office to house two brigades, from Folkestone and Aldershot.[20] In 1917, the school Cadet Corps was established, which within one month consisted of 120 students.[21] The following year, and according to Taylor (1988) "much to the Headmaster's distaste",[22] the first female teachers were appointed after the deaths of several male members of staff.[22]

In June 1919, soon after the passage of Education Act 1918, the school successfully applied for grant-earning status and became partly state-funded. As a consequence, it became necessary to introduce a composite governing board (including public representatives) and to offer free places, equal to 25 per cent of the normal number of admissions.[23] In 1925, the school saw its first students enter the Oxbridge universities and changed its name to simply The Judd School.[24] Evans retired in 1928 and was replaced by Welshman Cecil Lloyd Morgan who beat 164 other applicants to a job which carried an annual salary of £650.[25][26] He oversaw a change in the curriculum such that each form was divided into two streams, of which one took Latin, the other more vocational subjects.[27] Morgan continued as many of the Judd customs as long as he could, including the tradition of donating £20 per year to send a Barnardo boy to Australia or Canada.[28]

The outbreak of the Second World War on 3 September 1939 delayed the commencement of the Autumn Term until trenches could be dug at the school. To avoid the bombing raids, 369 students of the Westminster City School in London were evacuated to The Judd School in the relative safety of Tonbridge.[29][30] Initially, each school used the facilities three days per week, but Taylor (1988) notes that "imaginative timetables" enabled all Judd pupils to attend five days a week by the end of 1941.[31] The Westminster boys were instructed to further evacuate to Exmouth, Devon in July 1944, but ended up fleeing back to London.[32] In a bombing raid that same year a rocket shell exploded in a neighbouring field, destroying more than 200 panes of glass and numerous doors and windows.[33] By the end of the war, 60 former pupils had lost their lives, and 48 were decorated.[34] On 31 December 1944, The Judd School became the first in the country to be awarded the status of a voluntarily aided grammar school in new legislation brought in by the Butler Education Act, which meant it received state funding, but could continue to select pupils by ability.[35][36]

10 Brook Street is known as Lawton's, after a former head of the Kent Education Committee who funded its purchase.[37]

Francis Hillier Taylor, previously senior history master at The Skinners' School, was appointed as Morgan's successor at the end of the spring term in 1946, a position that attracted 321 applications.[35] During his tenure, Taylor significantly expanded the school facilities: in 1948, the headmaster's living quarters were converted to include a secretaries office, waiting room and medical inspection room (the headmaster moved to neighbouring Brook House, which was purchased by The Skinners' Company). In 1955, new geography rooms were constructed, followed three years later by a new gymnasium. Although not first used until two years later, a swimming pool was constructed in 1964 at the cost of £9,000.[38] Taylor also introduced some major curriculum changes, including the introduction of new subjects such as rural biology and zoology.[39][40]

Denis Rendall took over in 1970,[41] at a time when the future of the school was under threat from the Circular 10/65, which proposed the abolition of grammar schools, which select pupils according to their academic ability, in favour of the comprehensive schools, which are non-selective state funded schools.[42] He oversaw the building of the new art and crafts department building, currently the R.E. block, which opened in May 1974, and the purchase of a neighbouring detached house, 10 Brook Street, by the Kent Education Committee. Known as "Lawton's", this building is now used by music department, and contains a suite of computers, and also houses a changing room for female pupils.[37] Rendall experienced a high turnover of staff: 31 teachers were at the school in the year of his arrival, and 43 joined and left the school between 1970 and 1986. He increased the number of female staff from zero to seven during his tenure,[43] and the student body grew from 463 to 746 during these years.[37]

Rendall was succeeded in 1986 by Keith Starling, who further developed and expanded the school to celebrate its centenary;[44] the £2 million Cohen Building was constructed in 1991, followed by a £1.4 million music centre in 1995.[45] Other developments include the Library Building, built in 2002, and a new sports hall in 2003; much of the construction funds was raised by parents.[45][46] More recent developments include the Atwell building - which houses Maths and Geography - and the Ashton building - which houses the school's new canteen as well as four Biology laboratories.

After Starling's retirement in 2004, Robert Masters was appointed as his replacement and oversaw the school's transition to music and maths specialist status in 2004.[47] Following an "outstanding" result in a 2007 Ofsted inspection, the school was invited to become a High Performing Specialist School and in April 2008 was successful in attaining science specialism status. As mathematics is automatically included under a science specialism, the school selected English to join music under the first specialism.[48] Mr Masters also organised the building of the school's all-weather pitch, which was completed in 2006.[46]

In its early years, boys entered the school mainly from local elementary (now known as primary) schools from ages eight onwards;[60] at that time, the maximum age of a pupil was 16, although any boy who reached this age during the course of a term was permitted to remain until the end of that term.[61] In 1908, a government inspection noted that the average pupil remained at the school for three and a half years and left the school between the ages of 14 and 15, and that 20 per cent of the intake held scholarships.[62] The lower school as it is today was first established by the "Five Year Plan" following a government inspection in 1933.[27] In 1944, following the Butler Education Act, entrance to the school was gained through a common entrance exam, aged 11 or 12; five boys offered themselves for each place, and most came from local primary schools.[36] Prior to the establishment of the sixth form, The Judd School passed several boys to Tonbridge School, or other grammar schools, to complete their education to the age of 18 or 19; £20 was paid as a leaving scholarship.[60]

As of 2010, the lower school has an annual intake of around 125 boys at the beginning of Year Seven (aged 11).[63] The lower school (Years 7–11) is 625 students (all boys) strong,[47] for whom the school uniform consists of a navy blazer accompanied with the school badge on the breast pocket, with grey trousers and a grey or white shirt. Socks must be dark, and shoes must be black. Shirts must be worn with a tie, which varies according to the house in which the student is placed; green for Rendall, light blue for Starling, purple for Taylor, red for Bryant, yellow for Morgan, and orange for Evans.[64][65]

The Judd School sixth form can be said to have been established as early as 1903 – in the wake of the Education Act 1902 – when the Pupil Teachers Scheme was born and The Judd School was used as a training centre for young teachers.[66] However, normal pupils above the age of 16 were not permitted until 1919; previously, special permission from the governors was required to stay on beyond this age.[15] A 1952 government inspection stated that 42 students were in the sixth form.[58] Judd's sixth form has significantly grown over the last decade, consisting of 308 students at the last Ofsted inspection in 2007.[47] A minimum of 40 offers per year will be made to external applicants; girls are admitted in Year Twelve (aged 16) and make up about 16 per cent of the sixth form.[47] The sixth form has its own Common Room in the main school building, including a dedicated cafeteria and study area.[67]

Boys may wear a dark grey or black suit, plain black, grey or navy V-neck sweater and a scarf of a plain colour. Girls may wear plain tailored suits (skirt or trousers) in black, navy or dark grey. Shirts may be plain grey, blue or white. There is a sixth form house tie available, although girls may choose to wear a pin badge instead.[65]

In July 1904, The Judd School participated in the Pupil Teachers Scheme on an experimental basis.[68] Established in the 1902 Education Act, students would receive a normal secondary education, before receiving two years of training, splitting their time between a Pupil Teacher's Centre and practical experience at elementary and secondary schools.[66] The experiment was dropped soon after the First World War.[15] When the school became grant earning in 1919, the additional funds meant teachers received pensions under the School Teachers (Superannuation) Act 1918.[23] In 1970, 31 staff taught 463 boys; 45 taught 745 in 1988.[43] According to the 2009 school prospectus, there are 71 teaching staff, 20 visiting music staff and 36 additional support, administration and maintenance staff.[69]

The foundation document stipulated that fees were to be fixed by the governors and could range from £4–8 per year;[61] in 1888, the fees charged were £7/10s per year.[12] Provision was made for the allocation of scholarships to the value of the tuition fees for one in every ten boys in the school; one-half of the scholarships were arranged by the governors and awarded only to boys who had spent three years education in a public elementary school.[56] Around the turn of the 20th century, an attempt was made to attract younger boys into the school by reducing fees for those under the age of 12 from £2/20s to £2 per term.[76]

In July 1919, the school applied for grant-earning status, and as a result, 25 per cent of the places became free. As part of this change, the fee structure was changed to £3/10s per term, or ten guineas per annum.[15] In 1944, in accordance with the Butler Education Act, fees were abolished under the principle of universal free education.[36] Parents are encouraged to contribute to The Judd School Development Fund, which raises money for future construction projects.[67]

The school continues to be state-funded and thus charges no fees.

Until the establishment of the General Certificate of Education, exams were set once a year by an external examiner(s) appointed by the governors, who reported in writing on the general proficiency of pupils, as well as the condition of the school.[73] A 1902 report by examiner Dr. Wormell found that the curriculum was "sufficient to help those few capable of rising to something higher by providing a bridge between elementary school and grammar school". He criticised the absence of German tuition and the fact that more than half the students came "feebly taught from country districts".[78] The headmaster would also submit a written report to the governors.[73]

In 1951, the school adopted the General Certificate of Education, but students were barred from taking any exams before the age of 16, which meant that many students left school without any qualifications because of the sheer necessity of leaving school to contribute to household income.[58] The system became more rational in time, but often pupils were taking O-levels and A-levels simultaneously.[58] As of 2010, the school offers GCSEs to students in the lower school, and AS/A-levels to students in the sixth form.[83] Under Rendall, exam pass rates at A-level increased from 67.5 per cent in 1970, peaking at 95 per cent in 1984 before decreasing slightly to 92 per cent in 1987. O-level/GCSE results have similarly improved, reaching a peak of 88 per cent pass rate in 1978.[84]

Playing fields to the west of the Brook Street site, with view of the Library Building and the Sports Hall

At lower school level, there are regular games for "A" and "B" teams in most sports, so that many of the students have the chance to represent the school; in Year Seven there are occasionally "C", "D", "E" and "F" rugby matches. A programme of inter-house competitions, caters for those who are not school team players. The main games are rugby, football, cross-country, and basketball during the winter months, and cricket, tennis and athletics during the summer term.[46] The school features on a national scale in its 4 main sports (rugby, cross country, cricket and athletics)[98] and in 2017 was ranked the 2nd best state school for sport by the School's Sports Magazine.[99]

The school adopted the rugby code of football in 1923, at which time it was played on soccer pitches; the first games against other schools were played during the 1925–26 season, and rugby was played by all students by 1927.[100] The school reached the quarterfinals of the premier national schools rugby competition, the NatWest Schools Cup, in 2017 and 2018. As of 2010, "A" and "B" rugby teams play against local grammar schools. The most important fixture in the Judd sporting calendar is the annual match against The Skinners' School. Boys are often rewarded for their efforts with international tours, and rugby sevens is also played at the school.[101] In the 2008–09 season, the under-15 rugby team advanced to the final of the national schools Daily Mail Cup at Twickenham on 1 April 2009 but lost 11–34 to Millfield.[102] Football had been played at the school since its foundation and in 1908, despite the inadequacy of the school's pitches, was the primary winter game. However, by 1925 rugby was the predominant winter sport, and three years later footballs were banned from the school.[100]

Burgess (2000) notes that The Judd School has a "fine reputation for its cricket teams",[103] and as the primary summer game, the sport remains popular today.[103] The Judd School offers cricket academies from Year Eight (aged 12–13) onwards, with training available all year round.[104] In recent years Judd has found success in County Cup competitions at all age groups.

In both cross country and athletics Judd competes nationally and internationally, winning competitions such as the National Schools' Cup in both sports at junior and intermediate level. The school has won 6 of 10, and the King Henry VIII relays in Coventry.[105] In 2004, the school's cross country team became the first school in a decade to end the dominance of public schools Winchester College and St Albans School at the Knole run in Sevenoaks.[106] The school cross country squad has an annual training camp in Lanzarote in December, which acts as both a reward for effort and a valuable warm-weather training camp in preparation for January's Knole Run.[106] The school holds weekly matches against local schools.[107] School teams compete in other sports such as basketball, tennis and hockey.[46] During the 2020 and 2021 UK COVID-19 lockdowns the school's Cross Country Team organised two virtual charity runs in support of NHS Charities Together[108] and Greenhouse Sports.[109] The student-organised events raised a combined total of £13,578.

Upon its foundation, when – according to Green (1990) – it was said to be a "temporary expedient", the school was based at Stafford House, in East Street in the centre of Tonbridge.[110] Previously used by private tutor Isaac Fleming in 1878,[71] it was a building whose central urban position was, Taylor (1988) said, a "major asset, and possibly the only one"; Headmaster Bryant "bore its numerous shortcomings, its bricked ambience and grasslessness".[111] Positioned in a narrow street and originally designed for 20 boarders, traffic noise, awkward arrangement and low pitch of the classrooms and the distance of the school from its playing fields made the building far from ideal. It underwent repairs and alterations to the value of £300, carried out by a local builder; several partition walls were knocked down to form larger rooms, although this still restricted the bench length in even the widest of the rooms to 9-foot (2.7 m), and 18 pupils.[111] The floor of the main schoolroom was restored and lavatory closets and urinals were installed. Later, a carpentry shed was placed in the yard, and a "Mr Russell" was appointed as its first occupant in October 1889. "Mr Beeching's field" was used – at what Taylor (1988) considered "an extortionate sum" – for games, but it was unavailable for four months of the year when it was used to grow hay.[14] Beeching ended this arrangement in April 1889, at which time the school used the 5-acre (2.0 ha) YMCA field, for £20 per year. In June of that year, a shed to house cricket equipment was constructed at the cost of £13/10s. It was soon decided that there was a need for more "wholesome" surroundings, and it was generally accepted that south Tonbridge would be more suitable for the development of a new school.[14]

After Bloodshotts field (the current location of Tonbridge Grammar School) was rejected as an inferior site, "Mr Deacon's Field" in Haysden Lane (now Brook Street) was acquired from Sir Edmund Hardinge's trustees for £240 per acre, a total of £2,059.[12][112] At one point owned by Sir Andrew Judd, the site consisted of 8 acres (3.2 ha) of land, which according to Taylor (1988) sloped "gently from the road to the rear of the site".[55][113][114] Plans, by Campbell Jones, were submitted to the headmaster in July 1883;[12] they included a covered playground, red-bricked buildings incorporating local sandstone, Broseley roof tiles and a small basement housing a boiler. The construction was carried out by Messrs Turners of Watford, and total construction costs were £8,637.[113][115][nb 2] Nearly two years later, on 27 April 1895, the Foundation Stone was laid, at which time Lewis Boyd Sebastian, Master of The Skinners' Company performed a small ceremony.[12] Opened in March 1896, the building featured an oak Neo-Georgian fleche surmounting an Oregon pine hammer-beamed roof. The principal entrance was carved by Messrs Lornie of London and featured shields bearing the coat of arms of Sir Andrew Judd and the company, the only architectural flourish allowed by the low budget.[112]

In addition to the "schoolroom", which was larger than the Town Public Hall, the building consisted of a dining hall (cum gymnasium), the masters common room to the east and a block of six classrooms to the west.[112] The headmaster's house was completed at the same time as the main school building, and had five bedrooms wired with electric bells, and a bathroom plumbed with hot and cold water.[112] In November 1920, an organ was built at a cost of over £1,000, and placed in the schoolroom as a memorial to the old boys and masters who died in the First World War.[51] A new gymnasium was constructed after a 1956 survey deemed its predecessor economically irreparable. Accompanied by the construction of three hard tennis courts, it was opened by Sir Benjamin Brodie in 1958, but lacked adjoining changing rooms, washing facilities and office facilities for members of the physical education staff.[116]

Yeoman's fields, a 10-minute walk from the school[79]

Now known as "Lawton's", 10 Brook Street was purchased during the early 1970s using funds provided by the Kent Education Committee, after whose chairman the building is now named.[37] A £2 million classroom and technology building (the "Cohen Building"), together with two new science laboratories, was opened in 1991. A new music centre, financed by voluntary donations, was opened in 1995 and a schoolroom annexe followed in 1997. The most recent developments are a library/classroom building in 2002, a new sports hall in 2003 and an all-weather pitch in 2006.[46] The Atwell Building, formerly known as the "Maths-Geography Block", opened in 2009 after suffering delays after the original building contractor went out of business.[117] There has been a new school building constructed, providing four new Biology labs and a new canteen to expand on the outdated old canteen in the main school building. After delays, it was completed in Easter 2017, entitled the "Ashton Building", and is currently in use. There are new pitches at Vizards that were officially completed in January 2017. There are several grass pitches as well as one of the largest 3G pitches in the UK. The school grounds have sufficient space for two rugby pitches and training grids in the winter months, or a 200-metre (660 ft) running track, and a cricket ground (with nets) for summer. There are also two asphalt tennis courts, an all weather pitch and an air rifle range used by the school's Combined Cadet Force.[46] By 2018, the Guy Hands Library had been added.[118]

The "Yeoman's fields" site was purchased after a government inspection in 1933 recommended the school seek more land. The site consists of 6.8 acres (2.8 ha) of level, dry land that requires little conditioning, making it ideal for the full-sized rugby pitches, which came into regular use in 1935. Previously part of meadlow land termed the "Townlands", it was purchased by the Kent Education Committee from the Town Wardens and soon equipped with hedges, lavatories and a pavilion. In 1939, trenches were dug in the field in preparation for the Second World War.[79]

On 26 April 2016, it was revealed that the "Yeoman's fields" site had been sold to help fund a new set of playing fields, which are situated near Lower Haysden Lane at the "Vizards" site. The new playing fields will tackle the issue of increasing student numbers and provide four rugby pitches, a cricket square and artificial strip and car parking in the 26 acres of land. This has caused some controversy in the Tonbridge community, as the proposed development will be situated in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.