Did you know Twyford Church of England High School has roots stretching back to a Baroque country villa? It is right here in Acton. Today we will explore this co-educational academy school. It has a fascinating story and a commitment to its pupils.
Twyford Church of England High School is located on Twyford Crescent. The school is in west London. It serves just under 1500 pupils aged 11 to 18. Over 500 of these students are in the Sixth Form. Twyford has specialisms in music, science, and languages.
The name “Twyford” comes from the Twyford Brook. This brook runs underground near The Elms. “Twyford” means “Two Fords.” This brook also connects to Twyford Abbey in West Twyford.
Twyford High School was purchased from the London Borough of Ealing. The London Diocesan Board for Schools established it in 1981. It is one of 13 LDBS secondary schools in the city. Local parents campaigned for the school’s opening.
One of Twyford’s buildings is The Elms. It is the oldest surviving building in Acton. Charles Morren built it in 1735. It was a Baroque country villa. Various wealthy citizens occupied it over the years. In 1954, it stopped being a private home. The former local council opposed plans to demolish it. Middlesex County Council bought the house. It was to be used as a school. An extension was added for new classrooms. In 1981, Twyford C of E High School took it over.
Twyford converted to academy status on 1 October 2011. This means it is independent of local authority control. It is directly funded by the Department for Education. The Twyford Church of England Academies Trust administers the school.
Twyford is organized into year groups. Each year group contains seven tutor groups. These groups are members of the school’s seven houses. The houses are Truro, Wells, York, Fountains, Ripon, Durham, and Canterbury. Each tutor group has representatives. These are for Chaplaincy, Sports, Enterprise, Music, STEM, Literature, and MFL. Two representatives for each subject are also chosen. They are the Year Representatives for that subject.
Each pupil is a member of one of the seven school houses at Twyford. House representatives meet at a council. They represent the views of students in each house and year. Houses are named after famous cathedrals or abbeys in England or Cornwall. Each is associated with a colour. Truro is red. Wells is orange. York is yellow. Fountains is light green. Ripon is blue. Durham is dark blue. Canterbury is purple.
Ed Harris the playwright attended Twyford. Simon Reeve the British documentarian and journalist also went here. Asma al-Assad wife of the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was a student. Lashana Lynch the actress is a former pupil. Harry Baker a poet and comedian attended Twyford. Several footballers also studied here. They are Myles Hippolyte Michael Klass and Harry Podmore the cricketer.
Twyford Church of England High School has a rich past. It maintains an “outstanding” rating by Ofsted. The school’s motto is “I have come that you should have life and have it to the full”. It is a fitting sentiment for a school with such a vibrant history.