Tormead School
Tormead School is an independent day school for girls aged 4–18 years old in Guildford, Surrey, England. It comprises a reception, prep school, senior school and sixth form. It was founded in 1905 and is a member of the Girls Schools Association (GSA). History. Tormead School was founded in 1905 in a residential area of Guildford. Starting with a mere handful of girls and a teacher in a private house, the school survived the threat of a takeover in 1912 and near financial collapse in 1935. Tormead survived these vicissitudes to grow in size during the two World  Wars, led by a succession of Headmistresses. David Boyd, the current Head, is the first male Headteacher of Tormead since the school's inception. Additions to the building include Alleyne House in the Junior School (named after former headmistress, Honor Alleyne), the science wing, and specialist design technology, home economics and textiles rooms. In 2008, construction was completed on a new performing arts centre. In 2015 the most recent developments took place, with the addition of a new atrium to the old school house and a refit of all the classroom facilities and library. Extra-curricular activities. Particular sporting activities  at the school include swimming (a number of students compete at both national and international level), gymnastics (the school has previously won the European Championships for Schools, GISGA) and fencing (the school competes nationally and some members of the squad represent Great Britain internationally). The school has a Music Department. Four orchestras and four choirs operate within the school, as well a Jazz Band, which tours Europe during the summer every two years and has played at numerous events and locations. The school has held musical events to celebrate its 90-year anniversary, the turn of the millennium and its  centenary. The Music Department holds informal concerts at least once a term in which individual pupils or small ensembles can play, and in which some of the larger ensembles perform as well. Formal music events are arranged throughout the school year, with male singers for vocal performances often "borrowed" from the Royal Grammar School, Guildford. Other extra-curricular activities of note are Young Enterprise, Young Consumer, The Duke of Edinburgh's Award, public speaking and debating. In 2004, the school team ranked third in the national final of the English-Speaking Union's Public Speaking Competition for Schools. The debating  squad frequently enter the Cambridge, Oxford and Mace debating competitions. In 2009, they also were picked as one of the first schools in Britain to take part in the YPI project (Youth Philanthropy Initiative). Notable former pupils. The school has an active alumnae association, TOGA, the Tormead Old Girls' Association and Parents' Association.