Any updates on bullying or other issues in TB? Tonbridge school

[wwmom]

Tonbridge six form- Please advise if non-sporty shy, not fit, a bit nerdy boy will be ok at Tonbridge? My son plans to start in Fall 2026 but he is interested in sciences and hates sport. he is non competitive and kind, from Europe. I read there is an Alpha male culture at Tonbridge and focus on sports - am concerned whether my boy will fit in and not be a focus of laught/ bullying? How supportive is the environment and how effective is the school/ boarding houses supervision?

My son is also a non-sporty, bit shy, quite nerdy boy and he has thrived and very much 'found his people' at Tonbridge. I think the school has done an excellent job more recently at making the boys check their privilege and challenge the alpha male old boy public school reputation. There are definitely confident alpha types at school but they seem to respect each other and live and let live. I don't think it's any coincidence that the Head is an excellent role model on that front. A real gentle, quietly confident man who really knows the boys and seems to be everywhere, not just on the sports fields. It's definitely 'cool' for all of the boys to work hard and be academic. I don't know what sport is like in sixth fomr but there are lots of options lower down the school including doing some sort of media where you film and report on the week's fixtures. My son is a day boy so I can't answer for the boarding houses, but the house system does genuinely seem very effective. I was very unsure about whether it was right for us but it has worked very well so far. Good luck with your decisions.