Headteacher's Newsletter February 2026

Respect, Excellence, Determination

Positive Pathways

A huge well done to all our students for their continued hard work and commitment to earning house points! We now have 60 students at the Silver boundary, eight students who have reached the Gold boundary and are enjoying their ability to show their gold badges and jump the lunch queues, and one who has achieved Diamond – an outstanding accomplishment! A special congratulations to Jackson (9I) who is the first student to reach Diamond level.

So far this academic year, an incredible 132,522 positive achievement points have been awarded across the school. This is an exceptional effort – well done everyone, and keep up the fantastic work!

Mr Lewis, Assistant Headteacher

Well-being

Many of our young people are preparing for their external exams in May/June and this can be a stressful time for them. Please encourage your son/daughter to follow this link for advice on how to cope with the stresses of exams: Exam Support Guide.

Mrs Rose, Assistant Headteacher

Whole school news

Governors' Day

Governors spent a highly interesting and enjoyable day at school this week. Over the course of a full day we took the opportunity to spend time listening to our students and staff and touring the school with members of the Sixth Form. It was a huge pleasure to see our very special community in action. We fed back our observations to School Leaders and discussed the implications of what we found.

During the day we also discussed some of the more important strategic opportunities and risks facing the school. We were grateful to School Leaders for their presentations on AI and its implications for students and staff, and on our staff and their well-being. Both topics prompted lively and constructive debate.

On behalf of the Governors, I would like to thank all of the staff and students who gave up their valuable time to meet us.

Dr Drew, Chair of Governors 

STEM Rising campaign launch

Over 150 members of our community braved the rain and bad traffic last Thursday 5th February to attend the launch of STEM Rising, our new fundraising campaign to improve the science and DT facilities for our students.

The evening began with hot drinks and chocolate brownies on arrival and a short welcome address. Visitors were then invited to tour our current DT and science facilities and view impressive exhibitions and demonstrations from staff and students. There was also an opportunity to experience an interactive session inspiring STEM subjects led by alumnus Robert Sloan (class of 1997), now the Senior Creative Innovations Manager at Disney.

The evening concluded with excellent talks from current students and TWGSB alumni including former head boy Harry Francis (class of 2020) and Robert Sloan. Their words affirmed our own belief: our young people deserve learning spaces that match their potential, not the outdated 1950s classrooms they currently work in. Harry was also involved with our first-ever capital campaign which raised funds for the superb Sixth Form Study Centre. 

Seeing everyone together in the school hall with such openness to support and invest in our students, was genuinely inspiring. 

As we now take the first steps toward raising the £1.5 million required, we are inviting ALL our parents to consider offering donations to this campaign please, while for those who can, we hope you will Buy-a-Brick as your signature of support for our students here at TWGSB: Campaign | TWGSB Connect

Thank you in advance for accompanying us on this empowering journey for our children as they 'Touch the Future, Today!'

Click HERE for more photos from the evening.)

Mrs Roberts, Development Manager

Sixth Form

Year 13 mocks

Congratulations to all our Year 13 students on successfully completing their mock examinations. The commitment, resilience, and determination shown over recent weeks are a real credit to them, and the mock exam process has provided a valuable opportunity to reflect on progress and strengthen exam technique. As they move into the final phase of preparation for their summer exams, students will receive detailed feedback from their mocks and work closely with their teachers to create focused action plans, helping them refine both subject knowledge and exam skills.

 Mrs Brooker, Head of Year 13

Year 12 trip to Queens' College, Cambridge

On Tuesday 3rd February Mr Hammond and Mr Hamilton accompanied a small group of Year 12 students on a visit to Queens' College, Cambridge. The trip was a great success and a student report follows:

Our trip to Cambridge was a really inspiring experience. We were given a tour of the campus, which helped us get a real sense of what studying at a top university might feel like. The atmosphere was welcoming, and seeing Queens' College up close made the idea of university feel much more real.

The staff also ran a session on writing personal statements, which was genuinely helpful. We learnt practical skills about how to present ourselves clearly and confidently through the writing of our personal statements, and I left feeling much more prepared for the application process. To top it off, the food they provided was great, which is what made the day even better.

Adriana O (Year 12)

Co-Curricular

Science Club launch rockets

Last term, the Science Club at Tunbridge Wells took on an exciting hands-on rocketry project. Students learned how rockets work by exploring key forces such as thrust, drag, lift and gravity, as well as Newton’s Third Law. Using simple materials like paper, tape and PVC tubes, they designed and built their own rockets, experimenting with nose cones, fins and body shapes to improve performance.

The club then headed outdoors for the launch. With an air-pressure pump, students sent their rockets soaring, measuring flight times and distances while comparing how different designs affected flight. Friendly competitions were held for the longest flight and best design, adding to the excitement. Through this project, students discovered that science is creative, investigative and fun, proving that the next generation of engineers and explorers is already on the rise.

Dr Oluwawumi, Science

Students enjoy a range of co-curricular clubs at lunchtime and after school – from music and gardening clubs to Dungeons and Dragons, chess and design clubs. Click HERE for the range of clubs currently on offer.

The Library

Fellowship of the Reads author event

The library was delighted to have secured a visit from Nate Lessore, winner of the Carnegie Shadowers’ Choice Medal amongst many other writing awards. The visit was the culmination of our Fellowship of the Reads (FOTR) joint reading club and scheme with The Skinners’ School. TWGSB hosted an after-school event for 160 students, which included students from TWGSB, The Skinners’ School and Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar School.

Nate’s book What Happens Online was one of 12 books that we read over five months and was a favourite. Nate’s books are boisterously funny at first but become increasingly moving with the right amount of male teen angst and a mixture of mistakes and life lessons.

As a speaker Nate was funny and engaging, holding the attention of his audience in an informal and humorous manner. He speaks as he writes and tells some great stories based on his life in South London. He spoke with conviction about the importance of reading and how statistics show that teenagers who read more, tend to get higher paid jobs. He also spoke of his books being empathy machines that give insight into other people’s lives. Encouraging reading for pleasure and having access to books such as Nate’s, which address the rise of toxic masculinity, may help to combat it at the same time as underscoring the value of kindness and compassion.

Nate connected incredibly well with the teenage audience from all three schools, girls and boys alike, who appeared awestruck by his talk. He enthusiastically took endless questions from the teenagers about being a writer and his experiences of the publishing industry. The queue to speak to him afterwards and have him sign copies of his books was the longest ever at such an event at TWGSB.

Over the five months that the library has run FOTR, almost 100 students across both campuses have read from the 12 shortlisted books and attended weekly book club meetings. They have taken part in activities centred around the books and impressed us with their eloquence and empathetic book reviews. We have had some fun meetings and scoffed a few biscuits along the way too!

Mrs Musselwhite Steel, Library Manager

Art

Shortlisted for prestigious award

Pictured here is a photograph of a painting by Max M. in Year 7, which has been shortlisted for the prestigious 2025 John Downton Awards. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the annual awards, which showcase the work of the very best young artists in the county. 

Max has painted his sister wearing her VR headset while holding a soft toy. His painting can be viewed alongside other shortlisted artwork in a public exhibition at the County Gallery, County Hall, Maidstone until 20th February 2026. The winners will be announced at a special awards ceremony. The Art Department is extremely proud of Max and his achievement!

Mrs O'Driscoll, Art

Design and Technology

DT at Sevenoaks

Year 8 students have been designing and building bridges as part of a hands-on learning project this term. Working in teams, they have explored design and engineering principles while developing problem-solving, communication and teamwork skills. The project has encouraged creativity and collaboration with students producing some impressive structures.

Mrs Geer, Design and Technology

Reimagining water: creating calm space from crisis

Meanwhile, at Tunbridge Wells, Year 9 students Max, Crispin, Harry, Faris, Matthew and Magnus have responded creatively to the V&A Innovate 2025/26 design competition using the theme 'Reimagine', and have transformed a real-world problem into a thoughtful design solution.

Following the water shortages in the Tunbridge Wells area, the students identified an opportunity to repurpose the essential water bottles supplied by South East Water. Rather than viewing them as single-use items, they reimagined them as part of a calm, modular space for reflection and study. Their design creates a quiet area where students can sit, think and work comfortably with their laptops, encouraging both sustainability and well-being.

Their project shows how young designers can turn necessity into innovation, combining environmental responsibility with practical, student-centred design.

Ms Hannah, Design and Technology

Sustainability competition

For our DT sustainability competition Matt L. (Year 8) has created a brilliant clock and calendar using repurposed dominoes and reclaimed timber. It's a fantastic example of upcycling – turning discarded materials into something new and useful. 

Ms Bramham, Head of Design and Technology

Drama and Theatre Studies

Newsies Jr!

Students at both the Tunbridge Wells and Sevenoaks campuses have been busy preparing for our spring musical Newsies Jr! They have been taking part in lunchtime and after-school rehearsals with Miss Turner and Mrs Rose, focusing on the scenes, choreography and songs from the show. We look forward to sharing more information about the show and about purchasing tickets in the spring term, so watch this space!

Miss Turner, Head of Drama and Theatre Studies

Food & Nutrition

The Food and Nutrition department in Sevenoaks has been very busy since our return after the Christmas break. Year 7 have made some delicious blueberry muffins and have examined the differences between vegan and non-vegan recipes. Year 10 students have made sushi and have been practising a few different styles of presentation and been experimenting with different ingredients. Meanwhile, Year 9 have carried on through their recipe books and made some impressive sausage savouries and macaroni cheeses.

Mrs Geer, Sevenoaks Food & Nutrition

Media

Year 12 attend the BFI Media Students’ Conference

Our Year 12 A Level Media students, accompanied by Mr Stephens and Mr Tidy, spent an exciting day in London in January attending the annual Media Studies Students' Conference at the BFI in London. Curated by the English and Media Centre, this exciting event offers Sixth Formers the opportunity to hear and engage first-hand with leading creative professionals and academics from the media industry, including Dr Bethan Jones, an expert on Henry Jenkins’ theory on Fandom – one of the topics studied on the A Level course. We were also treated to a presentation by Dr Anamik Saha, Professor in Race and Media at the University of Leeds, who provided academic perspectives on representation in social media content creation.

Other speakers took to the stage to represent film, television and documentary, offering an insight into the impact of funding and legal processes. Tom Basden spoke about the production journey of The Ballad of Wallis Island, his critically acclaimed comedy-drama.

Another keynote speaker was the journalist and presenter Anita Rani who gave an inspiring summary of her radio and TV experiences and her status as a prominent British-Asian media celebrity.

Students were also treated to a Q and A with the Oscar-winning director Andrea Arnold who answered questions following a screening of her emotional short film, Wasp.

The feedback from our students this year was once again overwhelmingly positive about the breadth of topics covered and the quality of the speakers. Hopefully, attending the conference has not only helped deepen their understanding of the subject, but also inspired their creativity – just ahead of their NEA practical projects.

Mr Stephens, Head of Media

Music

Double bass donation

The Music Department is honoured to have received a beautiful double bass, generously donated by the family of legendary bass player Mo Foster (22 December 1944–3 July 2023). Mo Foster was an English multi-instrumentalist, record producer, composer, solo artist, author and public speaker. Over a career spanning more than half a century, he toured, recorded and performed with an extraordinary range of artists, including Jeff Beck, Gil Evans, Gary Moore, Phil Collins, Ringo Starr, Joan Armatrading, Gerry Rafferty, Brian May, Frida of ABBA, Cliff Richard, George Martin, Van Morrison, Dr John, Hank Marvin, Heaven 17 and the London Symphony Orchestra.

His family has had a commemorative plaque placed on the instrument in his memory. Mo would have loved to see his passion for music living on through our students.

Physical Education

Rugby

Year 7: The Year 7s have continued to make excellent progress this season, adapting well to the demands of competitive rugby within the Kent Developing Schools’ League. Fielding both an A and B team has provided a wide squad with valuable opportunities to gain match experience, leading to clear improvements in confidence, teamwork and overall game understanding. Their commitment in both training and fixtures has been a strong feature of the term.

Year 8: The team have shown consistent development across the season, with regular training attendance translating into improved physicality, decision-making and cohesion during competitive fixtures. The group have demonstrated a positive attitude towards learning and development, placing them in a strong position as they continue their season.

Year 9: The Year 9 squad have enjoyed a successful period of competitive rugby, recording impressive victories against Bennett and Oakwood Park Grammar School. These performances reflected the team’s growing confidence, resilience and ability to apply key skills under pressure. Although their Shield campaign came to an end earlier in the season, the progress shown in league fixtures highlights the development made by the group.

Year 10: The students competed in a fiercely contested league fixture against Norton Knatchbull Grammar School, renewing a growing rivalry following last year’s narrow defeat to the same opposition in the Kent Shield. This added extra intensity to what proved to be a thrilling grudge match, which ended in an exciting 31–31 draw. After falling behind initially, the team showed outstanding resilience and determination to battle their way back into the game, demonstrating real character and belief. Their composure under pressure and ability to respond positively to setbacks were key features of the performance. Crucially, the result means Year 10 remain unbeaten at home. Their confidence continues to grow with each home fixture, and the question now is how long they can maintain this excellent record.

All year groups now look ahead with enthusiasm to the upcoming Kent 7s competitions and league play-offs, where they will have further opportunities to build on their progress and represent the school with pride.

Mr Stevens, PE

Football

A and B teams have continued to play in Kent and ESFA National Cups and three teams have reached a Kent Cup Final!

Year 9 U14B: An impressive 9-0 victory away against Dover GS in the Kent Cup semi-final led to a final with Hurstmere from Sidcup. This was played under floodlights at the Maidstone United FC stadium on Friday 30th January. A brilliant performance in heavy rain led to a superb 1-0 victory against a talented team – the only goal scored just before half-time by Sam C. This is the success the team deserves after they reached the Kent Cup semi-final and ESFA National Cup semi-final last season. Congratulations to all involved!

Year 8 U13B: The team have been very impressive in winning all matches this season and have reached the Kent Cup final and the ESFA National Cup quarter-final. The Kent Cup final will be against Ravens Wood from Bromley in Term 4, while the ESFA National quarter-final will be at home against Kingsdale from Dulwich. Very well done to all involved.

U18 2nd XI: The team gave an impressive performance to win 1-0 against Maidstone GS in the Kent Cup semi-final and secure a place in the final, which will be played after half term against Judd.

Year 10 U15A: Over 660 teams entered this competition. The team did very well to reach Round 6 (last 32 teams) in the ESFA National Cup, losing 2-1 in a very close game with Howard of Effingham from Surrey.

Year 8 U13C: The team played a friendly fixture against St Gregory's U13B team. Sixteen students were selected for this fixture with all of them playing well to secure a 7-0 win.

Year 7: Inter-form football will start in Term 4 with all ten forms having a team.

Mr Menzies, Head of Football and Head of Co-Curricular Sport

Year 9 U14B are Kent Champions after their victory over Hurstmere in the Kent Cup Final at the end of January.

Other News

Remembering Catherine Dodds

It was with great sadness that we learned of the passing of Catherine Dodds in late January.

Mrs Dodds was a member of the TWGSB community for nearly two decades, working at the school from 2004 until her retirement in 2022. As a Geography teacher and Lower School Head of Year, she was a constant, trusted presence for students, parents and staff.

In her classroom, Mrs Dodds was known for being strict, fair and yet consistent; outside of the classroom, during geography field trips and residential trips to Iceland and Somerset her warmth and humour were enjoyed by students and colleagues. As Head of Year, Catherine’s high expectations ensured students felt secure and supported; she cared deeply about them.

Catherine was also a dear friend and colleague to many across the school community. She will be remembered with great affection and her contribution to TWGSB will not be forgotten.

RE book review

Congratulations to one of our RE & Philosophy teachers, Miss Harmsworth, who has had her book review published in the national magazine called RE Today. The book is called Understanding Hinduism: A Guide for Teachers by James D Holt. Please feel free to read her article below.

Kent Fostering and Supported Homes are looking for new carers and hosts to join our outstanding fostering community and help care for some of Kent’s most vulnerable children and young people. As part of our team, carers and hosts receive excellent support, high-quality training, and the opportunity to make a lasting, positive difference in a child’s life. To learn more, visit our website: https://www.kentfostering.co.uk/

It’s never too late to give a child a second chance to shine and become the person they’re meant to be. To speak to one of our advisors please call us on 03000 420 002 or fill in our online enquiry form here.

Marketing, Development & Alumni Relations

To our TWGSB community

This year TWGSB turns 70. 

With our rich educational heritage, we wish to thank you at this milestone for being such wonderful parents and carers, and for your continued support. It is you who have helped us build our school and its fine reputation, supporting our ambition to be the best selective school in West Kent.

Thank you for your belief in us and going above and beyond to assist key infrastructural improvements – already made and still to be made – at the Tunbridge Wells campus, as well as enabling the tremendous growth at Sevenoaks.  

We are truly grateful to have you in our community.

Share your news!

We love celebrating our students’ achievements on our website and social platforms so please do get in touch if you have any news you would like to share with us. Equally, we love hearing from ex-students – news, views and pictures (see TWGSB Connect News) as we look to connect the past, present and future of this great school.

Thank you in advance, for any items you generously choose to share with us via one of these email addresses below. We are so grateful always! Thank you.

Mrs Roberts, Development Manager

iroberts@twgsboys.kent.sch.uk

connect@twgsboys.kent.sch.uk

TWGSB is on three social media platforms: