Thomas Tallis School is a large mixed comprehensive school for pupils aged 11-19, located in Kidbrooke, London. The School was built in 1971, originally for 850 pupils, but now packs in nearly 1700. It is built on the site of a former RAF airfield. However, the school has now won funding for an entirely new state-of-the-art building, due to open in September 2009. A Comprehensive school is a type of school providing secondary level education in England or Wales. ... Kidbrooke is a place in the London Borough of Greenwich. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ...

The school and its facilities

Thomas Tallis currently has two main buildings, which are joined together by two 'links'. In between the two buildings is a concourse area, which is where the majority of students congregate before school and at break times. The buildings remain similar to how they were after construction in 1971; however the school has expanded with a series of huts being built around the two main buildings. The huts hold classes, meetings and exams. The school also uses two fields and a caged concrete area for recreational purposes. The main field is located to the left after entering the school, while the other field is behind the school itself, and is shared with Blackheath High School. Moreover, in 2004 an obstacle course including climbing facilities was constructed behind one of the school buildings on the opposite side of the school to the main field. The school itself has two gymnasia, several computer labs, a specialised deaf support center and various other on-site facilities.

The past

Some former pupils - in common with all educational institutions - have not gone on to greater things. For instance, Tallis numbers the 'Shoe Bomber' amongst its alumni.^[1] In 1997, one of the school's pupils, fifteen year old Nathan Brown, a member of a triad-style gang called the Golden Snakes, murdered CJ Rickard, 14, a pupil from the neighbouring Kidbrooke School with a 17-inch machete. Six other pupils of the school were jailed for a total of 20 years after admitting conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm with intent.^[2] Furthermore, ex-pupil Ashely Hunt was excluded for a national educational record of 7 months after being caught having sexual relations with science equipment during a particularly stressful mock examinaton. Whils his family are deeply saddned and impoverished, Ashley says that he 'has no regrets'. Richard Colvin Reid (born August 12, 1973), also known as the shoe bomber, is an individual convicted on charges of terrorism currently serving a life sentence in the United States. ...

Others have been much more positively successful. One instance amongst many: a more recent student at Tallis, Dominic Cooper, originated the role of Dakin in Alan Bennett's play The History Boys at the Royal National Theatre, going on to play Dakin on tour in New Zealand, Australia and Hong Kong and on Broadway and in film and radio versions of the piece. The school was filmed for some short cut-scenes projected onto a screen onstage at the National, however the footage was deemed 'too ethnically complex' by Bennett, believing that images of children from numerous ethnic backgrounds playing together under one roof without a discernible racial hierarchy would agitate the National's traditionalist cliental. Dominic Cooper is an English actor. ... Published by Faber/Profile Books in 2005 Alan Bennett (born May 9, 1934) is an English author and actor noted for his work, his boyish appearance and his sonorous Yorkshire accent. ... The History Boys is a play by English playwright Alan Bennett. ... The Royal National Theatre from Waterloo Bridge The Royal National Theatre is a building complex and theatre company located on the South Bank in London, England immediately east of the southern end of Waterloo Bridge. ... Broadway theatre is often considered the highest professional form of theatre in the United States. ...

The present

In 1998, the school was awarded specialist arts college status and has successfully been re-designated twice. Further recognition of its general excellence and high attainment came when the school was awarded Leading Edge status in 2005. This accolade refers to the fact that the school is seen as being involved in the development of innovative teaching methodologies and ways of increasing the attainment of children. The school is also acknowledged for its Deaf and Hearing unit (to which an entire story is dedicated), in which deaf and hearing impaired students can interact more socially and achieve good results.

The school has also recently been in the news for being involved in TV chef Jamie Oliver's campaign to improve school dinners in Britain. It features in his TV series Jamie's School Dinners - for instance, the students feeling a bit sick as they are shown how a 'Turkey Twizzler' is really made are in one of Tallis's Food classrooms. Since then the menu has changed and a new healthy panini and fair trade cafe has opened. James Trevor Oliver MBE (May 27, 1975), better known as Jamie Oliver and nicknamed The Naked Chef, is a British celebrity chef. ... Jamie Oliver on Jamies School Dinners Jamies School Dinners was a four-episode documentary series broadcast on Channel 4 in the UK from 23 February — 16 March 2005. ...

The future

The school is part of the British government's Pathfinder Building Schools for the Future programme. Building work on a new school adjacent to the current site begins in 2007 with occupancy of the new school scheduled to take place in 2009. Staff and students (as of October 2006) are actively involved with the architects in the design of the new school.

References

For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... February 28 is the 59th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Guardian is a British newspaper owned by the Guardian Media Group. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... March 15 is the 74th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (75th in leap years). ... Newsquest is the second largest publisher of regional or local newspapers in the United Kingdom. ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean by UNESCO. [1]. // Coated in ice, power and telephone lines sag and often break, resulting in power outages. ... June 20 is the 171st day of the year (172nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 194 days remaining. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... March 15 is the 74th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (75th in leap years). ...

External links

• The school's website
• Case Study on the School's Eco Programme by The Sustainable Development Commission