The Judd School
The Judd School is an 11–18 voluntary aided, grammar school and sixth form in Tonbridge, Kent, England. It was established in 1888 at Stafford House on East Street in Tonbridge, where it remained for eight years before moving to its present location on Brook Street, in the south of the town. Founded by the Worshipful Company of Skinners, it was named after 16th century merchant Sir Andrew Judde, whose endowment helped fund the school. The Skinners' Company maintains close links with the school and makes up the majority of the governing body.
There are over 1400 pupils in the school aged 11 to 18; the lower school is all boys, but of over 500 pupils aged 16–18 in the sixth form, about a fifth are external joiners, many of them girls. The first headmaster was William Bryant, who oversaw the transition to the present site before his retirement in 1908. The current headmaster as of 2025 is Jon Wood, who replaced the previous headmaster, Robert Masters, at the start of the 2017-18 academic year.
Judd pupils generally take eleven General Certificate of Secondary Education tests in Year Eleven, and are encouraged to take four A-levels in the sixth form. An Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills inspection in 2015 graded the school as "outstanding", and league tables published by the Daily Telegraph based on 2013 A-level results rank Judd as the second best school in Kent. In 2013, The Sunday Times ranked the school as the 12th best state secondary school in the country. The majority of pupils go on to higher education following the completion of their A-levels at the end of Year Thirteen, and in 2017, over one in five Year 13 students gained an Oxbridge offer.
In September 2004, the school was designated a music and mathematics specialist school, which means it receives additional funding for those subjects. In 2007, 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 be included under the first specialism. The Judd School is now a specialist school in music with English, science and mathematics.
History
Early years: 1888–1918
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 was acknowledged as early as 1870. It was revealed that only one in 200 of its pupils was the son of a Tonbridge tradesman, as was required in its endowment. Tonbridge School was founded in 1553 by Sir Andrew Judd, who made a fortune in the Muscovy fur trade during the 16th century. 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. 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.Demand persisted for a similar school in Tonbridge; in July 1888, William J. D. Bryant, previously an assistant master at Tonbridge School, was named headmaster of Sir Andrew Judd's Commercial School, which opened on 17 September at Stafford House in East Street, Tonbridge. The funds were provided by a loan of £13,000 repaid over the next 20 years with income from the Judd Foundation, which rapidly increased when the leases on the Sandhills Estate in London were renewed in 1906. The school also benefited from at least £500 per year from the Judd Foundation, after funding for Tonbridge School was reduced. Although established on a tentative basis, the school's early success led to its move to a larger, purpose-built site in south Tonbridge in 1896.
William Bryant retired as headmaster in 1908 and was replaced by John Evans, appointed in preference to the 217 other applicants for the post. Previously headmaster of Ashford Grammar School, 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. 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. In 1917, the school Cadet Corps was established, which within one month consisted of 120 pupils. The following year, and according to Taylor "much to the Headmaster's distaste", the first female teachers were appointed after the deaths of several male members of staff.
Inter-war years: 1919–1939
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 and to offer free places, equal to 25 per cent of the normal number of admissions. In 1925, the school saw its first students enter the Oxbridge universities and changed its name to simply The Judd School. 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. 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. 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.Second World War: 1939–1945
The outbreak of the Second World War on 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. Initially, each school used the facilities three days per week, but Taylor notes that "imaginative timetables" enabled all Judd pupils to attend five days a week by the end of 1941. The Westminster boys were instructed to further evacuate to Exmouth, Devon in July 1944, but ended up fleeing back to London. 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. By the end of the war, 60 former pupils had lost their lives, and 48 were decorated. On 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.Post-war years: 1945–1986
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. 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. 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. Taylor also introduced some major curriculum changes, including the introduction of new subjects such as rural biology and zoology.Denis Rendall took over in 1970, 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. 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. 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, and the student body grew from 463 to 746 during these years.
Recent years: 1986–present
Rendall was succeeded in 1986 by Keith Starling, who further developed and expanded the school to celebrate its centenary; the £2 million Cohen Building was constructed in 1991, followed by a £1.4 million music centre in 1995. 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. 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. 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. Masters also organised the building of the school's all-weather pitch, which was completed in 2006.
Governance
The Judd School foundation document, which was approved by Queen Victoria on 1889, stipulated that the Board of Governors had right of appointment and dismissal of the headmaster, who has the same powers over the rest of the staff. Major decisions were made by The Skinners' Company, but its powers were restricted by the Charity Commissioners, who were granted considerable powers under the Endowed Schools Act. Soon after the First World War, in the wake of the Education Act 1918, the Burnham Scale of teacher's salaries came into force and the school was forced to enter into negotiations with the Kent Education Committee to meet the increased expenditure; the Court of The Skinners' Company approved the school becoming grant earning in June 1919. It became necessary to appoint a composite governing body, a third of them public representatives nominated by the Kent Education Committee, who also had some control over school affairs. Subsequently, a fee of one guinea was paid to those who attended meetings of the governing body, the first of which was held on 4 February 1920, at Skinners' Hall in London.After applying for voluntary aided status, the school was required to adopt new Articles of Government on, 1944. It became the first school in the country to be awarded the dual control of state funding and limited independence. The Kent Education Committee funded free dinners for some pupils, travel and maintenance grants and created a common entrance exam. The current governing body consists of a chair and vice chair, ten foundation governors, three parent governors, two Local Education Authority governors, three staff governors, an education officer and clerk, education assistant, assistant clerk and the headmaster.