Torriano Primary School

Torriano Primary School is a community primary school in Kentish Town, London. The school was founded in 2015 following the merger of the previous Torriano Junior School with Torriano Infants School.[1] It is rated Outstanding by Ofsted. Torriano has inherited from its predecessor a partnership with Netley Primary School that was set up in 2012.

Torriano Primary School
Address
Torriano Avenue

Kentish Town
,
London
,
NW5 2SJ

England
Coordinates51.549736°N 0.132521°W / 51.549736; -0.132521
Information
TypeCommunity Primary school
Established1900s
Local authorityCamden
Department for Education URN100023 Tables
OfstedReports
Chair of governorsLuca Salice
Head of SchoolHelen Bruckdorfer
GenderCoeducational
Age3 to 11
Websitewww.torriano.camden.sch.uk
Torriano Primary School. The silver triangle on the roof is the STEM lab.

Buildings and grounds

The oldest building is the Junior building which used to host the entire school. Edwardian in character, it was opened in 1910, a few years after the abolition of the London School Board and the transfer of its responsibilities to the London County Council. Pevsner comments 'Roughcast gables in an Arts and Crafts spirit'.[2] The Infant building is a low-rise 1960s construction. The Infants' library was designed by local firm AY Architects and completed in 2013. The Gatehouse building was designed by Cullinan Studio and completed in 2010.[3] The school grounds contain play areas designed by Erect Architecture dubbed Earthling Kingdom and Cloud Kingdom.[4]

The most recent addition is the Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics activity lab, designed by Hayhurst & Co Architects[5] which was a RIBA London Award winner in 2019 and won the RIBA London Small Project of the Year Award 2019[6] and was displayed as part of Open House London.

History

Torriano Primary School was the result of a merger between Torriano Junior School and Torriano Infants' School. Previous notable headteachers included Ros Pomeyie[7] at Torriano Infants; and Dilys Brotia OBE,[8] Laurence Harding[9] and Bavaani Nanthabalan[10] at Torriano Junior School. Torriano Junior School was three times rated Outstanding by Ofsted, in 2000, 2005 and 2009. Torriano Infants School had also been an Outstanding school but was downgraded by Ofsted in 2014. The merged school retained the rating of the previous Junior School.

The school notable for its long tradition of democratic change, as shown in the Pathe News film "We Want A Zebra!" (1962). In 2017, artist Cornelia Parker made a series of blackboard drawings with the collaboration of 5-10 year-olds from the school. The children were asked to copy out news headlines collected from various UK and US newspapers. 'At that age, children have a barely formed view of the news and world affairs - they don't yet have a vote, but the political turmoil unfolding in their young lives will have a profound effect on their futures'.[11] From September 2018 to July 2019, the school took part in a pilot study to improve gender equality through education.[12]

Awards

Torriano is a Rights Respecting School; its predecessor achieved level 1 in 2009 and level 2 in 2011. It was invited to join the London Schools' Gold Club for 2013/14 and for 2015/16.[13] It achieved Eco-School Silver standard in 2012.[14] Torriano is also part of the Camden Primary Partnership,[15] a Teaching School Alliance. Torriano Infants and Torriano Junior Schools had both achieved the Healthy Schools Bronze award in 2013.[16][17]

Notable alumni

Actor Daniel Kaluuya was educated at the school.[18]

Citations
  1. "Camden Council, Cabinet Member for Children". 10 September 2015. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  2. Cherry, Bridget; Pevsner, Nikolaus (1998). London v. 4; North. Yale University Press. p. 358. ISBN 9780300096538.
  3. Foot, Tom (11 November 2010). "Love and gate! 'Futuristic' building for Torriano Junior School". Camden New Journal. London. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
  4. "Camden Active Spaces". Erect Architecture. 2015. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
  5. "Imagination seems to run riot in this inspired transformation of a disused roof space in a primary school into a learning environment for science". The Architects' Journal: 246. 19 September 2019.
  6. "RIBA London Award winners". Retrieved 19 April 2021.
  7. Lamden, Tim (22 December 2012). "Tributes paid to inspirational Kentish Town headteacher and librarian". Ham&High. London. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
  8. Wright, Jane (2 January 2003). "Primary head leads New Year gongs list". Camden New Journal. London. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
  9. Hinton, Josie (11 November 2010). "Laurence Harding – 'Pupils wanted to be in Mr Harding's class'". Camden New Journal. London. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
  10. Wilkey, Susanna (11 May 2009). "Top marks for Torriano School". Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  11. "News at Eight (Make the Moon Great Again)". Retrieved 19 April 2021.
  12. Ferguson, Donna. "A year to clean five schools of sexism – shouldn't others do the same?". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
  13. "Gold Club members 2015/16". Greater London Authority. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
  14. "Eco-Schools England". Retrieved 8 October 2015.
  15. "Camden Primary Partnership". Retrieved 8 October 2015.
  16. "Torriano Infants". Healthy Schools London, Mayor of London. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  17. "Torriano Junior School". Healthy Schools London, Mayor of London. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  18. "Decolonising Our Education System: The Primary School Reforming Its Curriculum". Wolf Reporter. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
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