The American School In England
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TASIS England, also known as "The American School in England",is one of five American schools located in and around London. It was founded in 1976 in the village of Thorpe, Surrey, south west of London.
The school consists of a Lower School (pre-kindergarten to 5th grade), a Middle School (6th-8th) and an Upper School (9th-12th grades). In total there are approximately 750 students and 100 full-time faculty. The Upper School has about 390 students, 160 of whom board.
The Lower and Middle schools only teach the American curriculum. The Upper School, starting in 2005-2006, offers the International Baccalaureate together with the traditional American AP system, which it has offered since its founding.
TASIS is the smallest of the American schools around London.
One of the many programs that TASIS offers is its INPRO, "in-program", travel week during October. During this week off, students travel, if they wish, to various countries throughout the world. Past destinations have been France, Ireland, Spain, Germany, Russia, The Canary Islands, Italy, USA, Greece, Morocco and various Eastern European countries. The Greece trip has traditionally been the Senior class trip.
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[edit] Origin of name
TASIS stands for The American School in Switzerland. This school was originally set up as a branch of that school based in Surrey, England, but has recently tried to distance itself from the Swiss based name. Its current official relationship to the original TASIS (other than sharing private ownership) is that of a sister school. TASIS England was founded in 1976 by Mary Crist Fleming for the purpose of expanding the TASIS family. It is still a fairly young school and has a low endowment.
[edit] Campus & Surrounding Areas
The school has been converted from a 17th century manor. Hence, the Coach House buildings were the Coach houses of the manner. Dr James Lander, a current history teacher, has written an extensive history of the school and surrounding area in The Heart of Thorpe.[1]
The school is divided into North and South campuses, separated by Coldharbour Lane. The Lower and Middle Schools are completely located on the North side of campus. Several dorms, Thorpe House, the Admissions building, cafeteria and Student Center are located on the South side of campus.
After receiving a grant of $745,000 from the US Embassy in London to improve security, TASIS has added on to its network of CCTV cameras to more than cover the entire campus, as well as installing a PA system specifically for the purpose of alerting students and faculty of terrorist attack. Infrared night vision has been added to all of the cameras, and there is a PA in every classroom on campus as well as large speakers for outdoor coverage. New security personnel have been hired and routinely patrol campus.
Currently, the school is undergoing rebuilding under a ten year Master Plan. So far, extensions have been built to provide more classroom space, and the gyms have been expanded. There is a new fully-featured fitness center, concessions booth, four new changing rooms, two dance studios and a new PE department office as well as a new gym.
The school is located near Staines, which has a cinema, shops, as well as a train station. The school runs shuttles on the weekend allowing students easier access to the town.
The school is located 30 minutes away from Heathrow Airport, and 45 minutes away from London by train. The nearest train stations are in Virginia Water and Staines.
[edit] Dress Code
Lower and middle school students are required to wear a uniform, though this varies depending on which school division the student is in.
The Upper School dress code mimics professional attire. Dress code requires jacket-and-ties for boys and either skirts or trousers and a blazer for girls. The dress code is formal but allows individuals more self-expression than a uniform. During September, October and after spring break the dress code is relaxed to allow students to wear TASIS polos and khakis.
[edit] Academics
The Upper School is a college preparatory school. Currently it operates on a block schedule.
[edit] Graduation Requirements
Current graduation requirements are as follows:[2]
- English - 4 credits
- History - 3 credits (with required courses in grades 9 and 10, and including US History at the 11th or *12th grade level)
- Foreign Language - Third-level proficiency in a modern foreign language. If a student has completed the second-level proficiency in Latin, a further two levels of a modern language will satisfy this requirement. Students must satisfactorily complete at least two levels of their foreign language study in grades 9-12.
- Mathematics - 3 credits in high school
- Science - 3 credits in high school laboratory science courses, including Biology
- Arts - 1 credit
- Humanities - 1 credit (in grade 12)
- Physical Education - Required courses in grades 9 and 10
- Sports/Activities - Students in grades 9 through 12 participate in the afternoon Sports/Activities Program.
- Community Service Program - Students in grades 9 through 12 complete a CSP assignment on or off campus
[edit] Accreditation
The Council of International Schools, the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, and the International Baccalaureate Organisation have all accredited TASIS England.
In 2004-5, the school was inspected by OfSTED, the Office for Standards in Education of the UK government. It is in charge of school inspections in Britain.
[edit] Advanced Studies
Many students take Advanced Placement (AP) tests. Currently, APs are offered in Art History, Biology, Calculus, Chemistry, Economics, English Language, English Literature, Environmental Science, European History, French Language, German Language, Government, Latin, Music Theory, Physics, Spanish, Statistics, US History and World History. Traditionally, a student may elect to take an AP exam despite not taking the class.[3]
The school currently offers IB courses as well.
[edit] University Admissions
99% of graduates from TASIS England go on to university. While many go to American universities, some go to the UK, Japan, Spain and Germany.
