The Judd School is a selective Voluntary-Aided Grammar School comprising 1,400 students; boys in Years 7-11, with a co-educational Sixth Form. The school maintains a long tradition of academic excellence and has high expectations for all its students. Above all, it has a reputation for being a very caring and happy community.
It places an emphasis on both individual and group achievement and promotes a full range of activities, which includes a very high standard of sport, music, drama and service to the community. The expectation is that all students leaving Judd will have gained success academically, achieved a well-balanced and confident approach to life and will be prepared for the challenges of leadership in the 21st century. Ofsted graded the school as outstanding in all categories in May 2015.
The school was designated a Specialist Music College (with Mathematics) in September 2004 and became a High Performing Specialist School in October 2007 (taking Science as its second specialism). The school has produced many distinguished Old Juddians, including a Nobel Prize Winner, a Chief of the Defence Staff, two Bishops, a Royal Portrait Painter and many leaders of industry and commerce.
Sir Andrew Judd’s Commercial School was founded in 1888 in East Street, Tonbridge, by the Skinners Company out of funds provided by the Sir Andrew Judd Foundation and moved to its permanent home in Brook Street in 1896. It became known as The Judd School early in the 20th century and under the 1944 Education Act became the first Voluntary-Aided Grammar School. Today it still has close links with the Skinners Company, whose members make up a significant proportion of the Governing Body.
There is a highly active Judd Parents Association (JPA), which gives valuable help to the school as well as offering social occasions for parents and staff and providing a means of communication over current issues. In recent years, the JPA has provided substantial funds to support the Music Specialism, the refurbishment of the Sixth Form Common Room and two new minibuses, amongst many other projects.
The school expects all students to participate in some of the many opportunities offered. There is a very wide range of school clubs and societies. These include Chess Club, Christian Union, French Club, Greek Club, Theatre Club, LGBT+, Voluntary Service Unit, Engineers’ Club, Young Enterprise, Potions Club, Puzzle Club, Ancient History Society, Medical Society, Debating and various subject-specific clubs/clinics. Students participate in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme and many achieve Silver and Gold Awards before leaving school.
Pass rates are consistently high. The school has regularly featured in the national newspapers as one of the top state schools in the country. Ofsted has always judged the school to be outstanding.
The school has a very strong record of university entry, including Oxford and Cambridge (over 20 successful applicants in the last two years), and over 95 per cent of Upper Sixth leavers each year enter universities for degree courses.
The Governors award a major scholarship and up to four leaving exhibitions to outstanding Sixth Formers going on to university. Each year, two students are apprenticed to the Skinners Company.
All students are encouraged to join the Old Juddian Community and to keep in touch with the school through the newsletter, the OJ website and attendance at social events.