Tormead School - Current opinions?

@SchooldilemmaSurrey Views not great, I actually posted constructively on another thread where I think you had asked for advice on joining StCats? Anyway, the thread says it was deleted on the author’s request, not sure why you changed your mind, so I’ve been a bit more candid and less diplomatic here.

So, as you asked, we joined St.Cats just a few years ago, offered a place and very happy that DD got in tbh. However, v quickly found it to be an awful place where we (as a family) simply would never fit in. It’s very rah, very countryside, parents aspire and expect their daughters to be amazing at everything, as a result it’s quite competitive. The pastoral care is nothing but a tag-line and doesn't exist in reality, we scratched just below the surface on a minor issue and got no-where. I have no experience of the prep school. We chose to leave and went to a nearby independent school - not as academic, even though DD was bright enough to get into stcats, she’s doing well and very happy, and we fit in with parents. We consider ourselves to be normal people.

i know Tormead only from our initial open day visits. Seemed good but simply wrong side of the Guildford one way system for us. If you’re looking and are in the Bramley area, there are other schools you should defo look at before committing to stcats.

@FabulousFlamingos apologies, I realise I should have tagged @SchooldilemmaSurrey in my post this morning. It was a direct reply to her comment. Probably looked a little odd standing on its own.
None of the above comments have put me off Tormead. My DD went to the activity morning and we are still considering the school above others. The ‘moaners’ will often shout louder than the ‘settled and happy’ It’s great to have varied views.

.. my emails pinging left right and centre!

@Velvet3 , fair play, I recall you asking and responding positively, it was the same question I had as well!

I'm considering too... I've actually spoken (using a phone!) with @AndreaKnowsBest, lovely lady, prob meet for a coffee to chat schools/houses b4 Xmas. So, also, tbf, she is real, not marketing!
Just like any school, +ve parent comments from supportive fams do actually exist, i mitigate the risk of it being one sided by actually speaking with them, its much more reliable than just MN.😂

And, tbh, you did confuzzle even me a bit, when I read your post this am, it 'felt' like you were at the school, defo different to before. I'm sure no one really cares anyway what happened at your friday drinks sesh, i cant ever remember mine afterwards, so well done! 🍷

What odd replies from a couple of Tormead parents. I don’t have children at the school, hence my first post. I do look behind the scenes to see if schools are recruiting etc but my question regarding the high level of recruitment was answered in a reassuring way.
The Christmas drinks on Friday had nothing to do with Tormead.
The post above about Tormead’s marketing department being on Mumsnet rings slightly more true!

Apologies, not sure why my post had so much spare space between the lines?!

@Velvet3 Apologies, I now see you attended Xmas drinks. Asume elsewhere.

Although your posts do jump around a bit, first you're a happy prospective, then you're a disgruntled (reads like) existing?

Fishy fishy.

Anyway, I'm pretty prolific in the year group, class, tpa and other senior whatsapp groups, as I have no life (lol) and there is zero chat about bums on seats, zero chat about chaos. There's also no chat on the gate to that affect.

But they'll always be the ones who go around chatting 'downers', usually because of their own situation - ironically they usually / always think people agree or care about what they're saying - most are just being polite. We have one lady who's leaving simply due to a house move at the moment, she is doing just that, we think its to make herself feel better about having to leave, it's quite odd.

HANG ON - Are you that person? 🕵

Shame to hear you're not impressed by tormead, we're in year 7 and very happy, vibes on the WhatsApp group are also very good.

I'm aware from DD that there is a girl looking to leave year 7, but i think she came from StCats prep anyway. Having just enquired, there is another my DD says has been talking of leaving, as she wasnt happy about a recent sanction. We, personally, support consequences for bad choices... one of the reasons we didn't choose St.cats, as at the time it was rife with unchallenged bullying and Alpha-Girl behaviour.

I'm sorry to say I have to disagree, we are finding it quite outstanding, with very happy girls all round. There have been no talk of bums on seats, although there is a clear focus on recruitment, which is a fact of life these days - wouldn't be surprised if these two posts are in fact StCats employees who have decided to post negatively.

Finally, there weren't any drinks Friday, further raising my suspicions of a red-herring here! However, on Thursday there was a Christmas Spectacular, which was amazing, hundreds of girls performing, amazing creative talent, and all us parents watching, so much positive energy in the room and at the drinks and mince pies after lots of great chat.

I seriously think this is a veiled recruitment attempt at worse and two disgruntled parents at best, absolutely not the majority.

I attended Christmas drinks on Friday and there were some Tormead parents there. I don’t think you’ll be the only family leaving. It sounds like disorganised chaos. Bums on seats was mentioned quite a lot.

We have just started senior school totally underwhelmed - thinking of moving DD to St Cats Bramley. Would love to hear views , finding Tormead mediocre on all fronts

These are interventions on an educational thread that no one needs. It was only a matter of time until the members of the residents group diversified into other online realms. One can only asume they're here because their voice isn't being heard/listened to elsewhere, or that progress is being made (another condition was discharged a few weeks back)- otherwise, why bother? It cant be to 'educate parents' as we all know the score, the school have been very open and honest, afterall their public dealings are public, as a charity and Guildford County is an Academy Trust.

@FabulousFlamingos , its best just to ignore and move on, and not become antagonised. I recommend no one replies to them on here, as it's just bait.

The fact of the matter is that it will happen, it is guaranteed, likely this year. It's a basic project with relatively basic environmental issues. There are some seriously experienced people at the school in the parent community that work on massive projects like the M3 Wisley junction, huge housing deveopments, etc., as planners, architects, ecologists, consultants, etc., and they all point out that this project has been blown totally out of proportion! Do remember that even if the Urnfield contained the largest badger sett known to mankind, the law still provides guidance and provisions to mitigate that and conduct work anyway.

Finally, given how woefully underreasourced and vastly inexperienced the LA are these days (all public knowledge!) in planning, whether there have been failings or errors on behalf of the school or not, it is abundently clear that the council simply want everything done to the 1000th degree, to avoid any risk of legal comeback from the group. I don't think they are scared, per se. These are battles they can't afford, let alone competently argue. It's just a matter of ass covering at this stage, nothing else.

As I said - just ignore them. Move on. End.

Back to the point of the thread.

Gosh, that's quite a strident reply @FabulousFlamingos with a number of incorrect assumptions about me, including that I am anti-children (my 2 teenage kids might sometimes agree with you), that I opposed Newlands Corner playground (what??), that I am rich and that I live on Downside Road (incorrect on both counts). You are right however in assuming I do place priority on nature, and not just for the wildlife, flora and fauna, but because of its value to us as well.

As you say your only concern is when it will be completed for your daughter, I would just say there is no guarantee.

Hi @HasAnyoneWalkedTheDog , thanks for your post. Yes a bit off piste tbh and doesn't really address my question. I'm also not bothered about any complexities, as a prospective parent, just when it will be done for my potential place at Tormead.

I live in merrow and follow 'goings-on' via our local WhatsApp groups and the FB page, so I'm aware of the 'pressure group' activities - it seems you're more in the business of frustrating various projects, like this and Newlands corner playground, etc., than positively contributing towards them.

Unfortunately most residents view you as the "anti-children project activists" of merrow, and in this particular application "the NIMBY rich people of downside road'. Perhaps some of you do have nature's best interest in mind, but it doesn't come across as such.

I think the school, from the presentations ive seen at open events and other parents i know, are genuinely trying to do their best, but disappointed as that at every turn the 'pressure group' come up with a new way to derail the project instead of working with them to help. It simply cannot be that a school would have a full-on, blatant disregard for nature, I just dont believe it, what I do believe though it that people like you enjoy watching developers suffer and enjoy banjax and delay.

Thanks for your insight, but on a thread about schools, it's a bit irrelevant and somewhat gets my goat-up as a local resident family. I know I'm not alone.

Best wishes.

@FabulousFlamingos, hope you don't mind me picking up the thread around the sports development proposal (Urnfield), and @AndreaKnowsBest comments as I am part of the "local pressure group", opposed to this development which is in a protected landscape (the Surrey Hills). Like Tormead, we have been frustrated with the council's planners, but for quite different reasons.

The reason everything has taken so long is not, I would suggest, because they are "frightened" by the residents' group, but because the quality of material submitted by the school to get the construction started has not been good enough to meet the conditions set down by the planning inspector. Most of the conditions to start the work were actually approved by the council back in June. These were then subject to a legal challenge over the summer which was uncontested (by the council and the school) because the school's planning consultants had not followed planning procedures correctly. So the school had to re-apply.

Yes, the badger activity and setts on and adjacent to the site are now the key sticking point and the school is working on version 3 of a plan to manage the ecology of the site, including related to protected species such as badgers and dormice (versions 1 and 2 of the ecology plan having had missing and conflicting information within them, so that the council did not sign them off). Bear in mind the planners also seek advice from experts such as Surrey Wildlife Trust before approving ecology plans.

Apologies for going a bit off piste in terms of the thread, as I cannot make any comment on whether I would recommend Tormead as a school, but I think it is important that any prospective parents understand the complexity and controversy surrounding the promised new sporting facilities.

Yes, the hiring makes sense when you break it down.
I wonder which one you think needs firing??!! 😂

Just looked at website, as @Velvet3 your comment panicked me into thinking theres something I've clearly missed! But all I see is a math teacher job, physics and a Director of science. I'm pretty certain most schools have a perma-advert up for maths and physics, given the government's woeful attempts to train and retain them into teaching. I've heard the director of science is moving out of teaching and had been there ages, he's the biology teacher being advertised too I would guess, nice chap - so thats one out and two in - not bad..... Unless I've missed an email, no physics and maths teachers have left, so turnover seems legit?

The head has probably, like any new head (my DH used to be one, admittedly in the state) spent the last few years to date sorting out who rates, who he is keen to 'encourage' to move on and who he likes. So some change to be expected.

There's probably just one I'd defo fire if I was him, but wont get specific here 😎

Ps. Year 7 has been around the 100 mark for the last few years. Using ISI data you can see that's clearly up from when the last head was there.. I guess this might explain what feels likes lots of recruitment in recent years, as teacher lead in times can vary, whilst not many moving on?

@Velvet3 , staff turnover is low, there was another thread a few months back when someone clarified who had moved on and why, in response to a similar question you can search for it. To precis: the school is getting larger, so to maintain teaching standards, more staff have to be recruited. Alongside that a few people had/are moving on for purely personal/logistical reasons or indeed promotion.

Class sizes are capped at 23 in secondary and are usually half that in reality, depending on speciality taught - plus I've heard it's usually 5-10ish for a sixth form class, I believe. I've just messaged a mum there about the year 7 as she has registered for the 11+ and made a similar enquiry about extra classes. She says that she was told that as "the school has become popular and there is a large internal year 6 group it means the school might put on an extra class. Teacher recruitment reflects an investment in ensuring the class size cap and quality of education remains high, even with increased numbers".

Thanks for all these replies. So helpful and I really appreciate your time.
can anyone tell me what the class sizes are like in seniors? How many go into Y7? I saw that they were putting in an extra Y7 class but what does that mean in terms of students? Also, what’s the staff turnover like? It seems they are recruiting quite a few staff at the moment

Hi @Libit I would say 'yes', there is a culture of high expectarions, but its spans across all aspects of school life. During our time and at present, the general ethos is that girls are expected to aspire to do well academically, but they must also aspire to be better citizens and young women. The Prep for example seems to focus on a high expectation of kindness, confidence and resilience, whilst still being academically minded. These are the things we take away from parent/teacher meetings, communications and what our youngest DD tells us anyway.

The senior school isn't a hot house which is why we picked it, but the teachers are great at motivating and our daughter seems to genuinely want to do well, but never seems to be stressed or in competition with her peers. I would say if anything the school could focus more on academic rigure/matters in some areas tbh, but I've heard the pressure does start to mount slowly but surely into the exam years.

Ps. Also don't work there. Happy to chat any time if you want to PM me. Also, plenty of parents about tormead who would be happy to chat to prospective parents, we had a few invited along by a friend to a parent coffee morning the other week in Guildford, they found it useful.

@PeaPingu , sorry to disappoint, but as one of the 'two' people who have put entirely positive reviews on this thread of 19 posts, I can assure I don't work for the school! 😂i used mumsnet to help inform my decision on school choices and it is my pleasure to try and help others by providing feedback on how it going for us.
It's a shame people can't be positive about something on mumsnet these days without someone crying 'suspicion'! Its pretty depressing that only bad news should be believed.

I meant there is always an influx of suspiciously similar worded reviews. There just aren't that many parents who all rush on to comment about schools when any other school is mentioned on here. I have a feeling one, key person at the school enjoys coming on the post as a bit of marketing for their school......

We are also considering Tormead, amongst others. For those with daughters already there, is there a culture of high expectations and are the girls themselves motivated to do well academically?

It's mega competitive out there these days. With tax changes and charity status on the horizon, cost of living, etc. Plus even the RGS prep I've heard is finding recruitment hard, due to a fundamentally smaller pool of kids in the UK these days. Schools need to do all they can to attract. Tormead seems to be doing well at it, decent product, well advertised. But its all courses for horses and DDs should look around to find the fit for them.

Yeah @PeaPingu , it does has a bit of a cult following. Good for it I say. Other schools would kill for these types of 'review happy' parents. I'm sure there are other views out there, no school is 100% perfect for everyone.