Tomlinscote School
Encyclopedia
Tomlinscote School and Sixth Form College is a state secondary school
and sixth form college
located in Frimley
, Surrey
, England
for 11-18 year olds. The school holds Specialist Language College
status.
first purpose-built comprehensive. It has 1570 students (including 190 in Years 12/13), 120 teaching staff and 35 support staff. Students enter Tomlinscote at the age of 11 years from local Junior, Primary and Independent Preparatory feeder schools, for example, Lakeside Primary School, Ravenscote Junior School, Pirbright Primary School or The Grove Primary School. There are often waiting lists for entry.
In March 2011 Surrey County Council
proposed that Tomlinscote take over the Kings International College
and that years 7, 8 and 9 be based on the Kings site and 10, 11 and VI form on the Tomlinscote site. Initial meetings with Parents at both schools suggested united opposition to the plans and sparked a heated internet debate. In the end, after a due diligence
report, letters written by teachers, parents and councillors stating their disapproval of the plan, the Governing Body of Tomlinscote voted against authorising a merger. This left the Surrey County Council
no choice but to scrap the plan.
. To attain Language College
Status the school had to put together a detailed submission including the aims and targets over a three year period. These targets were assessed against strict criteria by the Department for Education and Skills each year. The Language College
submission related to aspects of the whole school curriculum as well as specific objectives in Modern Foreign Languages. A successful first three years led to a re-designation for a further three years in 1999 and the school was one of the first Language College
s to be designated for a further four years in September 2002.
In students' first year (Year 7) they have an international week where they go to Germany
or France
, depending on which language they study. In Year 8, up to 40 students have an opportunity to visit Barcelona
, Spain
during their first year of Spanish
lessons. When students are in year 10 or above, they are offered the chance to take part in exchanges to countries including France
, Germany
and Spain
. PGL
trips are available from years 8 to 9 to the south of France, and the school ran a 5-week independent expedition to Iceland
in the summer of 2010.
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
and sixth form college
Sixth form college
A sixth form college is an educational institution in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Belize, Hong Kong or Malta where students aged 16 to 18 typically study for advanced school-level qualifications, such as A-levels, or school-level qualifications such as GCSEs. In Singapore and India, this is...
located in Frimley
Frimley
Frimley is a small English town situated 2 miles south of Camberley, in the extreme west of Surrey, adjacent to the border with Hampshire. It is about 31 miles west south-west of Central London. It is part of the Borough of Surrey Heath...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
for 11-18 year olds. The school holds Specialist Language College
Language College
Language Colleges were introduced in 1995 as part of the Specialist Schools Programme in the United Kingdom. The system enables secondary schools to specialise in certain fields, in this case, modern foreign languages...
status.
History
Tomlinscote was opened in 1970 as Surrey'sSurrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
first purpose-built comprehensive. It has 1570 students (including 190 in Years 12/13), 120 teaching staff and 35 support staff. Students enter Tomlinscote at the age of 11 years from local Junior, Primary and Independent Preparatory feeder schools, for example, Lakeside Primary School, Ravenscote Junior School, Pirbright Primary School or The Grove Primary School. There are often waiting lists for entry.
In March 2011 Surrey County Council
Surrey County Council
Surrey County Council is the county council that governs the non-metropolitan county of Surrey in England. The council is composed of 80 elected councillors.The council is controlled by the Conservative party.The leader of the council is David Hodge....
proposed that Tomlinscote take over the Kings International College
Kings International College
Kings International College is a secondary school in Camberley, Surrey near junction 4 of the M3 Motorway. The college has around 750 students, with 50 teaching staff and 25 associate staff...
and that years 7, 8 and 9 be based on the Kings site and 10, 11 and VI form on the Tomlinscote site. Initial meetings with Parents at both schools suggested united opposition to the plans and sparked a heated internet debate. In the end, after a due diligence
Due diligence
"Due diligence" is a term used for a number of concepts involving either an investigation of a business or person prior to signing a contract, or an act with a certain standard of care. It can be a legal obligation, but the term will more commonly apply to voluntary investigations...
report, letters written by teachers, parents and councillors stating their disapproval of the plan, the Governing Body of Tomlinscote voted against authorising a merger. This left the Surrey County Council
Surrey County Council
Surrey County Council is the county council that governs the non-metropolitan county of Surrey in England. The council is composed of 80 elected councillors.The council is controlled by the Conservative party.The leader of the council is David Hodge....
no choice but to scrap the plan.
Sports Department
Tomlinscote's grounds house a sports centre which has undertaken several changes of management in the past two years. The sports centre is run as a Dual-Use centre, with the School using it during the day for lessons, and then during the evenings, weekends and holidays it is operated by Blue Leisure Management, a Leisure company based in Surrey. The sport centre has a fully equipped fitness gym, changing facilities and hires out its Sports Hall and Outside courts to local clubs and the public.Learning Resource Centre (LRC)
Tomlinscote hosts a Learning Resource Centre (LRC), where students can use computers for educational purposes, as well as borrow books for up to two weeks at a time. The LRC is open Monday to Friday after or during school from 8:00am–4:15pm. It has a range of books, and an after school homework club where sixth formers get involved and help the younger years.Language College
On 1 September 1996 Tomlinscote was formally awarded the status of a Language CollegeLanguage College
Language Colleges were introduced in 1995 as part of the Specialist Schools Programme in the United Kingdom. The system enables secondary schools to specialise in certain fields, in this case, modern foreign languages...
. To attain Language College
Language College
Language Colleges were introduced in 1995 as part of the Specialist Schools Programme in the United Kingdom. The system enables secondary schools to specialise in certain fields, in this case, modern foreign languages...
Status the school had to put together a detailed submission including the aims and targets over a three year period. These targets were assessed against strict criteria by the Department for Education and Skills each year. The Language College
Language College
Language Colleges were introduced in 1995 as part of the Specialist Schools Programme in the United Kingdom. The system enables secondary schools to specialise in certain fields, in this case, modern foreign languages...
submission related to aspects of the whole school curriculum as well as specific objectives in Modern Foreign Languages. A successful first three years led to a re-designation for a further three years in 1999 and the school was one of the first Language College
Language College
Language Colleges were introduced in 1995 as part of the Specialist Schools Programme in the United Kingdom. The system enables secondary schools to specialise in certain fields, in this case, modern foreign languages...
s to be designated for a further four years in September 2002.
In students' first year (Year 7) they have an international week where they go to Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
or France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, depending on which language they study. In Year 8, up to 40 students have an opportunity to visit Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
during their first year of Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
lessons. When students are in year 10 or above, they are offered the chance to take part in exchanges to countries including France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. PGL
PGL (company)
PGL Travel Ltd. is a company established in 1957 by Peter Gordon Lawrence and is a provider of school activity courses and summer camps for children in the United Kingdom. It is a part of the Holidaybreak group.- Overview :...
trips are available from years 8 to 9 to the south of France, and the school ran a 5-week independent expedition to Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
in the summer of 2010.