World-famous school is set to close its doors

The Historic Archbishop Tenison’s School in Oval announced last week that it will be closing, writes Claudia Lee.

Founded in 1685 by Thomas Tenison, the school has a long and rich history in South London.

When he founded the school, Thomas Tenison was a Vicar of St Martins-in-the-Fields in Trafalgar Square, where the Founder’s Day service for the school is held each year.

The school was set up within the precincts of the church to provide free education for boys in London, moving to what is now the site of the National Gallery, then to a house in Leicester Square, before settling in Lambeth opposite the Oval cricket ground, where it has been made world famous by mentions during international cricket matches.

The ground can also often be seen on TV during matches.

A girls’ school was formally established in 1706. The school closed in 1961 and amalgamated with Archbishop Temple’s Boys’ School to form a mixed voluntary aided school.

It became a grammar school, then a comprehensive, before becoming grant-maintained in 1993, voluntary-aided in 1998 and finally an academy as part of the Southwark Diocesan Board of Education Multi-Academy Trust in 2019.

A girls’ school was formally established in 1706. The school closed in 1961 and amalgamated with Archbishop Temple’s Boys’ School to form a mixed voluntary aided school.

It became a grammar school, then a comprehensive, before becoming grant-maintained in 1993, voluntary-aided in 1998 and finally an academy as part of the Southwark Diocesan Board of Education Multi-Academy Trust in 2019.

Thomas Tenison was an educational evangelist and the school embraced his innovative approach with a modern curriculum firmly supported by respect for traditional values.

Tenison went on to become Archbishop of Canterbury in 1695 and his portrait can be found hanging in the National Portrait Gallery.

In 1714, the year before he died, he established the first co-educational school in the country, at Croydon, also known as Archbishop Tenison’s School, which is still in existence today.

The school in Croydon was founded on a site which is now close to Croydon’s shopping centre. Little more than 300 years and three sites later, it is thought to be the oldest surviving mixed-sex school in the country.

Thomas Tenison’s brother’s descendants are still associated with the school.

In 1714, the year before he died, he established the first co-educational school in the country, at Croydon, also known as Archbishop Tenison’s School, which is still in existence today.

The school in Croydon was founded on a site which is now close to Croydon’s shopping centre. Little more than 300 years and three sites later, it is thought to be the oldest surviving mixed-sex school in the country.

Thomas Tenison’s brother’s descendants are still associated with the school.

AHR Tenison was architect for the main building that opened in 1928, his grandson was a governor and foundation trustee from the mid-1960s until his death in 2009, and his great-grandson has been a governor and foundation trustee since 2005.

The Archbishop Tenison’s School Foundation is a charity which exists to uphold the Christian ethos of the school and to provide funding to supplement state funding.

The school will be permanently closing down due to dwindling application numbers.

 

 

 

Picture:  Archbishop Tenison’s school in Oval;  St Martin’s in the Fields in Trafalgar Square, where the Founders Day service for both the Oval and Croydon schools is held each year, a portrait of Thomas Tenison Pictures: Google StreetView/