Archbishop Tenison’s C of E High School
Mission:
Academic excellence for each person in a Christian community
Our School
Archbishop Tenison’s Church of England High School exists to provide a Church of England education primarily for children of Anglican and other Christian families living within the Archdeaconry of Croydon and Deanery of Sutton.
Introduction
We are delighted to have the opportunity to tell you about Archbishop Tenison’s Church of England High School, Croydon. An 11-18 voluntary aided, Church of England, mixed comprehensive school, within both the Diocese of Southwark and the Borough of Croydon, with Foundation Governors appointed by the Church of England.
We are a school with a distinctive character and purpose. Our school motto is ‘Academic excellence for each person in a Christian Community’ and we aim to instil these values in everything that goes on at Tenison’s.
A School With A History
Celebrating its 310th year, Archbishop Tenison’s offers good schooling in a secure Christian context to boys and girls in Croydon. In 1714 our Founder, Thomas Tenison, Archbishop of Canterbury, was way ahead of his time in making the school mixed from the start.
A School With A Purpose
Our 310 years of experience encourage us to approach the challenges of educating young people in the 21st century with clarity of vision and confidence of purpose. We know that the whole person matters, that the best curriculum combines the academic, the human and the practical and that the best teaching develops the knowledge, understanding and skills of each pupil across all the different subjects. We also know that the best learning takes place in a school community where pupils know and are known and where they find the space to learn independently, the grace to understand new and difficult things and the inner strength to succeed.
This is what it takes for their academic study to be rewarding and, above all, enjoyable.
We recognise that there is so much for us to learn as human beings – about ourselves as created in God’s image; about the world in which we live and our purpose in being here; and about our relationships with other people and how we handle the differences between us.
We want our pupils to experience a genuine, strong, Christian learning community. We want our teaching to be rigorous, imaginative and exciting, alive and alert to what interests them. We want it to help them develop into people of good character, who can think hard, communicate well and understand for themselves different areas of human experience.
We want to see them progress individually, but also grow spiritually and contribute socially – to the school now and to society later.
Teaching and Learning
The curriculum at Archbishop Tenison’s retains a particular focus on the core subjects of English, Maths, Science and Modern Languages, with a high profile for History, Geography and Religious Studies, as well as a lively tradition of Art, Computing, Drama, Music, Physical Education and different forms of Technology.
In Sixth Form we add social science courses in Business, Classical Civilisation, Economics, Further Maths, Psychology and Sociology as well as the Extended Project. Personal and Social Development is taught in every year.
Good teaching is at the heart of all that we do. Our school motto of ‘Academic excellence for each person in a Christian community’ means that every lesson matters. High standards of discipline and pace ensure each pupil fulfils his or her potential in a class setting. Imaginative resources, well-structured discourse and good teamwork between staff and pupils make for challenging and engaging tasks. Success is celebrated, effort rewarded and achievement recognised. Good provision is made for Gifted and Talented pupils and for those with Special Educational Needs.
Students attending the school achieve high academic standards at both GCSE and A Level.
Tenison’s has shaped me as a person. Not only does the school aim for success academically, but the school has a fantastic support system and pupils are encouraged to follow their ambitions. I am very proud to be a Sixth Form student here. –
Thomas, Year 13
Why Train With Archbishop Tenison’s?
Archbishop Tenison’s is a lively, friendly and high achieving school, where pupils take their studies seriously. As a Church of England School we are always pleased to receive applications from those keen to help us develop our Christian ethos and educational vision.
Archbishop Tenison’s has a strong track record of Initial Teacher Training with King’s College, The Institute of Education, Roehampton University and e-Qualitas in subjects such Maths, Modern Foreign Languages, Art, History and Religious Studies. Since 2011, we have worked with eQualitas training GTTR and more recently trainees in Chemistry, Design and Technology, Drama, PE and Religious Studies. Trainees work with experienced teachers, observing, team teaching and teaching independently.
Professional Development
The skill of teaching is central to the work at Archbishop Tenison’s. We are a school always looking to develop and refine our teaching and training others helps us to further develop our own skills.
Ofsted’s inspection report in March 2022, stated: ‘Archbishop Tenison’s CofE High School continues to be a good school’ and ‘Leaders have high expectations for all pupils and are fully focused on developing academic excellence within their faith community, in line with the school motto’.
