TIFFNEWS Newsletter of the Old Tiffinians’ Association No. 227 March 2006 President: MR S.M. HESLOP, MA(Cantab), MA(Lond) Chairman Hon. Secretary Hon Treasurer Hon. Membership Sec. Copy for next HOWARD MALLINSON STUART LESTER MARK DARBY DENNIS BARNARD edition by 12th Home: 01372 468693 Home: 020 8546 1172 Home: 020 8398 1050 Home: 020 8942 9768 E: [email protected] Office: 01628 589820 Office: 020 7694 3322 May, please. E: [email protected] E: [email protected] Tiffin School Office: Tel: 020 8546 4638 Fax: 020 8546 6365 www.tiffin.kingston.sch.uk TIFFNEWS Editor: Brian Holden, 20 Green Lanes, Epsom, Surrey KT19 9UJ Telephone: 020 8393 3293 E Mail: [email protected] The second question is then what do we do about the findings. We From the have many strengths but also some considerable areas for improvement. Against each area the School will draw up an action Head’s Study plan. Some of these actions are already happening; some are dependent upon finance; nearly all are dependent upon time. Dear Friends Nevertheless, if such an activity has any use, it is to show that we In my last letter I spoke about how we should start can listen, learn and act. to re-think links between the School and its Finally, with the repetition of the exercise next year, I would like community of former students. In School at the to believe that we can show improvement. The priorities will of moment we are going through a process of finding course change and, as we address one area, another will surely out more about our current students and parents. In emerge, so, as our vision statement claims that we are a ‘learning November every student and parent was sent a community’, we must show that we have the ability to ask difficult questionnaire and invited to participate in the survey. There was questions about ourselves in order to improve the experience for a very good take-up, and the results arrived in the School this week. our whole community. The findings are fascinating, both for what they tell us about our strengths as well as our weaknesses. These are exciting times for Tiffin School. Please do make sure that you keep aware of what is going on and, by all means, make The first question then arises about how to let everyone know what was said. suggestions regarding the contribution that the Old Tiffinians’ I will be putting the electronic version of the survey on our staff area and then Association can make to the debate. talking to all staff on the first day of next term about it. Next month I am running the second of my Head’s Question Time events for parents, and the feedback of the results will obviously be a key feature. We shall also use our School Council as a forum for disseminating the results to our students. Sean Heslop OTA Skiff Marathon The 93rd Skiff Marathon will take place on Sunday 7th May. Contact Tony Ellis - 020 8982 3866 (W) or 07774 123348 (Mob) Entries are accepted from any Old Tiffinian of any age or standard, to race for the main trophy or the handicap event. The spectator launch which follows the race will leave Dittons Skiff and Punting Club, Queens Road, Thames Ditton, at 11am. Anyone is welcome. The Dittons Club bar will be open afterwards for refreshments. FA CUP FINAL DAY 13th MAY AT GRISTS The Football Club is proposing to have an ‘FA CUP DAY’ at the Club for all players, family and friends. The proposal is along the lines of all-day drinking (tea or beer) whilst watching the FA Cup Final at Grists. Outline details of the social proposed are given below. Start at 12.00 — Bar open Football style teas and snacks for lunch/tea and throughout afternoon Competitions/fundraising for Football Club. FA CUP Match - we would hope to bring in projector and large screen. Continue social into evening. Please note the proposal is that, whilst OTFC organises it, the event would also be open to all other sporting sections and the wider OTA community. Do check details nearer the date with Steve Johnson on 020 8397 2051 or [email protected] Chairman Dates for your Diary Dear Old Tiffinian 15th – 18th March • Verdi’s ‘Nabucco’ at Richmond Theatre Within the Tiffin community today there are Thursday 23rd March two tough places to be: at School, always, and • Tiffinian Lodge Open Evening on the board of Old Tiffinians’ Ground • Instrumental Concert Company Ltd. Sunday 26th March At School, the demands are perennially tough, • Tiffin Choir at Kingston Parish Church for in the pursuit of excellence there are few Monday 27th March resting-places; but when a Headteacher can • OTA Council Meeting declare that Tiffin is a "good school, but not • Strings Competition in Judge Lecture Theatre yet a great one" and have a plan for achieving Thursday 30th March greatness through change, we can be sure that • OTA Social Lunch tough times are ahead. It is with pride that I • Tiffin Youth Orchestra Concert echo Sean Heslop’s mission statement for the Tuesday 4th – Thursday 6th April School: A leading creative community; an • Main School Concert enduring love of learning. Friday 7th April • Spring Term ends The other tough place is with the Ground Company. In my December • OT Golf Society at Surbiton (plus AGM) letter I referred to the need for new sources of income to fund renewal of Tuesday 25th April the fabric of the Dean Pavilion. I did not go too far in saying that without • Summer Term begins new income ‘the storm clouds will gather over Grists’. There is some Thursday 4th May urgent work that needs to be done now on the roof and to external • OT Golf Society at Tyrrells Wood decorations for which no funds are available: the Ground Company needs Friday 5th May help. In these circumstances Peter Smith’s personal appeal (see page 3) • Tiffin Boys with the Royal Ballet School to raise £10,000 from members is both well-timed and correctly focussed Sunday 7th May on the immediate issue of work that, if delayed, will bring greater cost • OT Skiff Marathon later. I urge all of you who have enjoyed the benefits of the Dean Pavilion Saturday 13th May and the facilities at Grists (and not to exclude any other member who • FA Cup Day at Grists (see Front Page) wishes to include himself) to respond to Peter’s appeal. Thursday 18th May When I said in my December letter that I intended to assist in a process of • House Singing Competition change by evolution, I now realize that I was too cautious: the problems Friday 19th May of the Dean Pavilion are deep-seated and may require some revolutionary • Tiffin Gig Night thinking if they are to be solved. The 40-year old facility is not suited to Tuesday 20th June present requirements. Is it realistic to expect outsiders to use it without • OT Golf Society at Guildford considerable expenditure, not on repairs, but on modernisation? Another Thursday 6th July issue is the division of effort between the School and the Ground • OTA Social Lunch Company in managing the Grist resource, of which it is difficult to escape (Further details can be found later in this newsletter or on the conclusion that the OTA has more than it needs. It is not easy to www.tiffin.kingston.sch.uk) contemplate how a replacement of the Dean Pavilion could be funded, and yet it has plainly come to the end of its economic life. In these circumstances we may be obliged to consider how a new facility can be Editor provided which is not wholly for OTA members: we need to think again Some readers may feel an apology is due, as they received their about the relationship with the School at Grists, and we need to assess how copy of the December ‘Tiffnews’ about the middle of last month ! the market could provide a facility which satisfies the OTA playing However, it was NOT our fault. All copies were posted by mid- sections’ reduced needs, but which brings in rental income from external December, so the problem lies with the Post Office. Do contact sources. We need to understand what community needs there might be, me, if in future your copy fails to arrive in the month due (except which, if provided, may bring funding sources. for the ‘September’ edition, which is normally posted in October). We need to start with a clean sheet of paper and think through what we want If you are at all interested in Soccer, do support the Football Club’s at Grists. I should like members to write to me or to the Editor: tell us initiative in organising an FA Cup Day Social Event at Grists. It what your thoughts are and widen the debate about how to move forward. should be a good occasion, bringing together many present and In the Summer is the annual Tiffin in the Garden on Saturday 15th July. I former players (and supporters) to enjoy the excitement together in shall be attending this event with my wife, and I hope to see many a convivial Tiffinian environment. (See the Front Page for members there. It is the occasion on which practically the whole range preliminary details.) of the School’s musical abilities is on show, in a relaxed outdoor setting in Words of mine are probably superfluous in urging you to support the afternoon, with a concert in the School Hall in the evening.