Welcome to the History & Alumni section of our website.
Here you can read about how the school has developed over the last 100 years, and find out about upcoming alumnae events and items of interest.
We have recently established an Alumni Relations office with the aim of developing and fostering the relationship between TGGS and our former students (and staff, hence alumni not alumnae!). We are hoping to run more frequent reunions and informal get-togethers, and to invite our inspirational alumnae community back into the school to work with us and our current students on careers events.
If you are a former student or member of staff, we would love hear from you! Keeping in touch will allow former students to reconnect and maintain links with their peers, receive news of the school and upcoming events and hear how our campaigns will benefit future generations of students.
Email us: (alumni@tggsacademy.org), or get in touch by post or phone.
We love to see former students at the school and would be happy to arrange an informal visit.
SCHOOL HISTORY TIMELINE
1915
Miss Mary Jackson appointed Headmistress
1915 - April
Official opening of Torquay Girls' Secondary School in Barton Road in a building shared with the Boys' School. 102 girls on the roll
1917
First Sports Day held. School houses were White, Red, Blue and Green.
1918 - September
Opening of Preparatory Department for junior boys and girls aged between 5 and 10 years
1928
School changed its name to the Torquay Grammar School and adopted the town coat of arms as its badge
1934
Miss Jackson retired
1934 - September
Miss Caroline M. Wilkinson appointed Headmistress
1935
Green and white dresses introduced as summer uniform
1936 - May
School celebrated 21st anniversary with a picnic tea on the new site at Shiphay
1936 - December
Careers Fund inaugurated
1937
Work began on new school building at Shiphay
1939 - May
School moved to new building in Shiphay Lane
1939 - July
New building officially opened by Dame Georgiana Buller
1939 - September
TGSG welcomed 147 evacuees in Autumn term from over 100 different schools
1940 - February
TGSG has to cope with an extra 200 pupils and their own staff evacuated from Paddington & Maida Vale High School (PMVHS), London. 650 pupils in total
1941
500 TGSG pupils plus 200 PMVHS pupils in school
1941 - September
Two Shiphay church halls acquired as extra accommodation
1943 - July
PMVHS evacuees returned to London. 480 pupils in TGSG
1944
School houses of Blue, Green, Red and White were renamed as Bickleigh, Buckland, Compton, Lydford, Pomeroy and Rougemont
1944 - July
Dagenham High School group arrived with an extra 35 girls and 1 teacher
1945 - January
583 pupils in main school and 224 in Prep department - 807 total
1945 -May
Dagenham High School returned home
1945 - July
Preparatory department closed, with exception of 10 year olds who joined the main school for one year as Form 1 (13 girls and 24 boys)
1945 - August
Structural alterations to the kitchen (greatly enlarged)
1946 - September
630 pupils in main school
1948
Work begins on new 'Dining Room Hut' in the east triangle
1949 - March
New school dining room opened
1949 - July
Additional field in use temporarily
1951 - September
Store by West entrance converted into new 6th form room
1954
Lecture room converted to 6th form lab
1957
Miss Wilkinson retired
1957
Miss Margaret C. Robertson appointed Headmistress
1957
New 6th form block and biology lab built in west triangle
1965
TGSG Golden Jubilee celebrations
1965 - 67
Windows put in school corridors, including 3 stained glass windows commemorating TGSG Golden Jubilee
1969
School houses changed from 6 to 4, renamed Ansteys, Corbyn, Elbury and Redgate
1969
Miss Simpson appointed Deputy Headmistress School buildings fitted with oil central heating Two new 6th form study rooms opened off each end of library Two more stained glass windows added to corridors
1971
620 pupils Mosaic murals produced by 6th form
1972
660 pupils 6th form allowed to wear trousers to school
1975
Miss Robertson retired
1976
Dr Mavis Beal appointed Headmistress
1978 - 79
Acquisition of Shiphay Manor as Sixth Form Annexe
1980
Dr Beal retired
1981
Mrs Mary Cross appointed Headmistress
1982
New biology lab. Chemistry and physics labs refurbished
1983
Torquay Boys' Grammar School moved to Shiphay site
1990
TGSG purchased house in Tregourez, Brittany Miss Simpson, Deputy Headmistress, retired after 28 years at TGS
1995
Haystacks building opened TGSG 80th anniversary celebration
1996
Burton Sports Hall opened Mrs Cross retired
1996
Mrs Susan M Roberts appointed Head Teacher
1998
Refurbishment of second Chemistry Laboratory
2001
Environmental garden opened
2002
TGSG achieved Foundation Status
2003
New school dining room opened New all-weather pitch ready for use New building for biology lab in west triangle
2004
TGSG achieved Specialist Humanities School status Work began on new Humanities building to include new school library / Learning Resources Centre
2006
New Learning Resources Centre opened Work began on new Music/Drama building and new Sixth Form Centre
2006 - July
Mrs Roberts retired
2006 - 2007
Acting Head Teachers: Mr R Ashcroft and Mrs E Cross
2007 - September
Dr N Smith appointed Head Teacher
2008
New Drama/Music Suite and Sixth Form Centre opened
2011
TGGS becomes an Academy The school is judged "Outstanding" in all categories by Ofsted
2013
TGGS Cavanna Sports Hall opened
2014
Lecture Theatre completed
2015
Centenary celebrations including the building of Amphitheatre and Archive Expansion to 5 Form Entry with addition of new House: Cross
2016
Refurbishment of Science Lab C1
2019
Sunday Times Good Schools Guide names TGGS "South West Secondary School of the Year"
2020
Real Schools Guide names TGGS "Top School in Devon and Cornwall" COVID-19 Pandemic forces temporary closure of school and remote learning
2021 - September
Ms S Forster appointed Headteacher