TASIS England A GSG School

- TASIS England
Coldharbour Lane
Thorpe
Egham
Surrey
TW20 8TE - Head: Mr Bryan Nixon
- T 01932 565252
- F 01932 564644
- E [email protected]
- W www.tasisengland.org
- An independent school for boys and girls aged from 3 to 18.
- Boarding: Yes
- Local authority: Surrey
- Pupils: 655; sixth formers: 111
- Religion: None
- Fees: Day £13,880 - £35,740; Boarding £66,970 pa (last updated on 21/01/2025)
- Open days: Saturday 8 March 2025
- Review: View The Good Schools Guide Review
What The Good Schools Guide says..
‘The individual tailoring of the academic programme without streaming and setting is just amazing. The balance and focus on each child, no judgement between them is what sets this school apart.’ Grateful parents of strikingly different siblings told us it ‘suits the whole family’. A small, cosy and friendly international school that gets the best out of children with its placement by ability, not age, along with its nurturing environment. School’s mantra that ‘we don’t just bring students to TASIS, we bring families’ is appreciated; parents are grateful to find…
What the school says...
TASIS England offers a challenging university-preparatory curriculum, including the International Baccalaureate Diploma, to day (ages 3-18) and boarding (ages 14-18) students on its spacious campus. Small classes and a dedicated, experienced faculty provide individualized attention and an outstanding environment for learning. Graduates go on to excellent universities in the US, the UK, and worldwide.
While academics are emphasized, a comprehensive athletics program, extracurricular activities, community service, and cultural excursions ensure a balanced education. Taking advantage of the opportunities that England and Europe offer as extensions to classroom learning, students enjoy numerous field trips, weekend activities, and travel abroad. Committed to providing the very best educational experience, TASIS England has excellent facilities for theatre, visual arts, music, sports, fitness, and technology. ...Read more
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Curricula
International Baccalaureate: diploma - the diploma is the familiar A-level equivalent.
Other features
All-through school (for example 3-18 years). - An all-through school covers junior and senior education. It may start at 3 or 4, or later, and continue through to 16 or 18. Some all-through schools set exams at 11 or 13 that pupils must pass to move on.
What The Good Schools Guide says
Head of school
Since 2017, Bryan Nixon. Previously head of Whitby school, an independent school in Connecticut, USA, and before that, director of Bavarian International School near Munich, Germany. The first non-American head of TASIS England was parachuted in for his experience and steady hand to help the school ‘find its heartbeat again’. And parents say he has: ‘The school wouldn’t be where it is now without him,’ and ‘I’m very impressed, he sets such an amazing tone and others follow.’
Born and raised near Belfast (a warm and welcoming Irish lilt still flows forth), plan A was to become a professional soccer player. When that didn’t pan out, he trained as a PE teacher but ‘has never taught a day of PE’, starting instead as a primary school teacher before moving into international education. Has spent many years working with the IB organisation and has a deep understanding of the programme. He also has first-hand experience of the value of individual pathways, seeing his own three children through TASIS, each following a different combination of IB and APs.
His early experience of growing up during the Troubles in Ireland and learning that other people’s thoughts and beliefs have equal value to yours (‘it’s a hard concept’) helped shape his drive for creating connection and community. ‘We’re an international community – anytime something happens globally it happens here on site, we help the children think about the wider contexts and understand the different perspectives.’
Is well respected for his ‘expansive and nurturing’ leadership style, with staff ‘blossoming and growing under him’. He modestly says, ‘It’s not feasible for one person to do it all, it has to be a community effort.’ Parents appreciate that he is ‘available, approachable and genuine’, loving his combination of ready humour and no-nonsense stance, while students say he is ‘a good guy’, noting that while an untucked shirt might not slip past him, ‘he’s fair’. He tells a story about how he blasted You’ll Never Walk Alone (the Gerry and the Pacemakers version) around the campus when his beloved Liverpool won the 2019 UEFA Champions League. His enjoyment in seeing others succeed is palpable.
Entrance
School’s mantra that ‘we don’t just bring students to TASIS, we bring families’ is appreciated. Parents speak of the nurturing admissions team who supported them through both the application and the stressful decision-making processes associated with family relocations. Many told us the school visit was the ‘clincher’. ‘They really paid attention to our child to see how he would fit in, we got that sense of community from the off.’ School references and reports required alongside assessments (not entry tests per se, but to determine best-fit classes). Mid-year placements possible.
Exit
Graduates go far and wide, many applying to multiple countries. In 2024, leavers headed to 76 different universities – 29 in the US (eg Yale, University of Chicago, Cornell, NYU, McGill, Boston), 25 in the UK (eg Cambridge, Imperial College London, Edinburgh, Bristol, Warwick) and 22 to other countries including Austria, Brazil, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Spain.
Latest results
In 2024, AP students achieved an average mean score of 4.0; 32 per cent scored 5 and 63 per cent scored 4 or higher. Ninety-four students qualified as AP scholars (50 with distinction, 17 with honor and seven with AP international diploma). In the same year, the average IB score was 33 (against a world average of 30.32), with a 100 per cent pass rate and a top score of 44.
Teaching and learning
Offers an American-based curriculum, an American college prep programme and the IB diploma. Parents are delighted with the high standard of academics (school follows AERO plus standards, Common Core for English and maths, Next Generation science) but say the stand-out is the ‘à la carte’ programming tailored to each child – not just in terms of graduating pathway (IB diploma/certificate courses, US high school diploma/AP courses – an impressive 120-course offering in total) but in classes set according to ability, not year group.
‘School is really cognisant of what students can manage and do an outstanding job of making a schedule for each individual student,’ parents tell us. We were impressed to see this in action, dropping in on an AP biology class to watch 10th graders confidently working alongside 11th graders, presenting on microplastics in the environment in mixed teams. ‘She’s having academic opportunities she wouldn’t have elsewhere; she took two APs as a sophomore (10th grade/year 11) when she would have had to wait until juniors (11th grade/year 12) in the US.’ ‘The individual tailoring of the academic programme without streaming and setting is just amazing. The balance and focus on each child, no judgement between them is what sets this school apart.’ Grateful parents of strikingly different siblings told us it ‘suits the whole family’.
In lower school (ages 3-10), children work within grades (year groups) and classes are kept small. We spotted lively, colourful classrooms with children busily creating plasticine dinosaurs (‘How do organisms get their traits?’) and a board highlighting the international days celebrated that week, eg cheese-rolling day, day of the potato and, our favourite, macaroon day! We especially enjoyed seeing young lower school scientists (complete with adorable mini white lab coats) being given a taste of science from the AP chemists (grades 10 and 11). Who wouldn’t be inspired by the chance to fire a matchstick rocket or make a lava lamp? And indeed it works as several of the AP students fondly recalled their own lower school scientist day.
Come middle school (ages 10-14), a homeroom concept gives children a regular touchpoint with their grade teacher. Learning largely continues in-grade, though children showing strong ability in maths or language can step up a level: ‘You can join upper classes in Spanish while taking science at your grade level.’ ‘They are good at pushing potential.’ Small class sizes and a focus on study habits also helps. Group and project work keep engagement high, while MAP testing and GPA scores reassure parents that children are keeping pace.
In upper school (ages 14-18), the individual pathways kick in with students placed in maths, science, art and social science classes according to ‘readiness not age’, while English, history, PSHE and advisories (tutor groups) run at grade level. Small classes (8-10, at most 16) still feature and a high level of interaction, with teachers encouraging students to ‘put the effort in’.
Expectations run high and demands (eg for homework) are not light, but teachers are ‘good at helping you through’ and there is more ‘elbow room’ than other more rigorous, test-oriented schools.
Every step of the journey is celebrated, from the end of lower school celebration to the middle school graduation and the rolling out of the red carpet for the final year graduation. ‘Community learning’ events held regularly to bring parents in (parent evenings, sectional updates etc) and for students to share learning across school sections. Families say plentiful communications mean they have a good handle on how their child is doing.
Teachers ‘live and breathe’ the school, building a rapport with students (‘my son loves that he can chat about baseball teams with his teacher’) and running extracurricular clubs and activities for students and faculty, eg the hiking club which sees teachers picking up the pace, literally, on weekends.
Learning support and SEN
Dedicated learning support staff in each school section. No specific quotas; needs are considered on application. Parents say that teachers are good at flagging issues early, and that information and regular meetings ensure they are kept in the loop. ‘They’ve been great,’ we were told, ‘recommendations were made quickly. Our daughter isn’t afraid to ask for more support when she needs it.’
High praise too for the transition between school sections, as ‘they make sure the different learning support teams know what your child needs’. At the other end of the scale, we heard that teachers also ‘help find the stretch’ for bright students.
Many children (83 in the upper school, at last count) take advantage of the school’s excellent EAL programmes (in all three sections of the school). We were impressed to meet one girl whose near-flawless English belied her arrival at the start of that academic year, barely speaking any English. Popular summer programmes also offer a taster of the school and a head-start on language learning.
The arts and extracurricular
In middle school, students enjoy a rotational trimester programme of drama, art and innovation in design – the latter an impressive, project-based class where children delve into design thinking, drawing on UN sustainable development goals, eg the creation of sustainable floating cities. The impressive Center for Innovation, in partnership with Samsung, is a handy technology tie-up – but doesn’t mean you won’t spot an Apple Mac or two!
Range of arts on offer in upper school (fine art, ceramics, textiles, photography etc); studio arts are offered through IB art certificates and art history as an AP class. A fabulous, bright, light exhibition room showcases artwork across all grades – parents can drop in at any time and school also organises showcase evenings.
The drama department is much loved, and they really ‘encourage them’ – ‘It’s lovely to see her coming out of herself,’ and ‘my daughter found her tribe here’. Annual productions range from the US musical ,The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee to the more British, Gilbert and Sullivan comic opera, Pirates of Penzance – both sitting equally comfortably alongside ‘homemade’, a student-led acting showcase.
A small school orchestra, with an ‘interesting selection’ of instruments from the accordion to the bassoon. ‘I’m astounded by what they play and the quality, eg Vivaldi. It’s never going to be the Philharmonic Orchestra but they do well with what they’ve got.’ Winter and spring music performances are enjoyed by parents, while lunchtime sessions offer less formal opportunities for students.
All the usual co-curricular activities, field/study trips and service learning activities. An overriding sense of ‘if you have an idea, school will say yes but encourage students to lead’; the fabulous, lower school wooden playground a marvellous example of student council action.
Sport
An inclusive approach across all sports – football, basketball, rugby, golf, tennis, volleyball and swimming. Yes, they manage the latter even in the ‘school with no pool’ (they use local facilities; ditto for track and field). An impressive array for a small school, with the TASIS Royals frequently punching above their weight against other international schools in London and across Europe. Signing up for sport is voluntary but school encourages involvement and commitment from those who participate in competitive sports teams. Special praise for ‘school making it happen’ for a small cohort of swimmers who made the ISA championships in Greece.
Boarders
Boarding from age 13. Nine single-sex boarding houses, each with 35 children max in shared two- or three-person modern study bedrooms, shared bathrooms (between two rooms) and lovely big common rooms (complete with iron and ironing board – essential life skills encouraged). A secure sign-in/out system, houseparents, weekly mentor meetings, supervised study hall every evening, heaps of weekend activities, student house leaders – you name it, it’s covered. Parents love it and students love it even more – boarding house hoodies worn with pride at the end of the school day.
Boarding staff are ‘friendly and upbeat’ and the sense of family and home spills into the whole school. Parents feel confident that school would ‘keep an eye out’ if they had any concerns.
Good integration of boarders and day students, though some acknowledgement that boarders forge closer friendships. Boarding numbers are steadily growing, the majority of international students coming for one semester right through to the full four years of upper school; a few locally based students choosing to board in senior grades. If you are thinking of boarding, make enquiries early as spaces are snapped up fast.
Ethos and heritage
‘They really care for the child – not like in other schools where the business model seems to trump that.’ ‘At British schools you get a product but we didn’t want our children to be a product of their school – TASIS allows them to be who they are.’ High praise heard on repeat from parents who emphasise that the school has long since moved away from its days of being ‘the American school in Surrey’, and that the international and community vibe is ‘extraordinary’.
The school was founded in 1976, an extension of TASIS (The American School in Switzerland) founded by Mary Crist Fleming, an American who arrived in Europe in the 1950s with the aim of establishing a friendly and family-orientated school in the US boarding prep tradition. She believed that ‘being educated meant knowing the humanities and arts’ and in the importance of being educated in ‘nice surroundings’. She was an iconic character (well-remembered for driving in and out of school in her black Mini) and an influence to the end – the Fleming family remain on the foundation board to this day.
Today, TASIS England (there are three other schools in the group: Switzerland, Portugal and Dorado) weaves that deeply ingrained family feel and American bedrock into a more international community and outlook. Families love that it is smaller than other international schools and American schools in London and the surrounding areas and say that it feels ‘more real’ than nearby British schools, thanks to its diverse community. While English is without doubt the corridor language, there is a distinctly international twang in the air and we even heard one student politely switching to Spanish to thank a clearly thrilled (native Spanish-speaking) dinner lady.
Sitting on 46 acres in Thorpe (near Egham and conveniently close to international airports and direct access to London), the school’s estate and historic buildings sit across a (well-manned and not at all busy) road. Lower and middle schools are self-contained in more modern buildings, the upper school spreads across the two sides of the campus with students moving between them for classes and meals. The school is growing and building work was underway on our visit, but we were still able to gain a sense of the space and wonderful grounds – complete with fountain and pond in full view. Add in the iconic British red telephone boxes (now used for book and plant swaps) and you can see why many families are captivated from the start of their tour. With framed black-and-white photos of Mrs Fleming in the entrance hall and the fabulously vaulted-ceiling church now used as the upper school library, there is a sense of history and heritage missing from many international schools.
The school uniform, another aspect introduced by Mrs Fleming in keeping with US prep schools, encourages a casual-smart vibe: khaki trousers and polo shirt. Red shirts won by prefects. Footwear (sneakers) and school bags afford more individual statements. Old uniform can be recycled in one of the brightly coloured bins in the main school, along with other clothes, books and stationery.
The school is top-heavy. For many families this is the appeal – a cosy nurturing environment in younger years, padding out as children get older and spread their wings. Social integration is noticeable across all grades, helped by the boarding community, the cross-grade teaching classes and leadership opportunities. It’s rare to see a school where friendships genuinely run throughout school levels – we saw it with our own student tour guides (one grade 11 and one grade 9) who enjoyed chatting and waved each other off with a ‘See you around campus soon’ – no social hierarchy here.
Baskets of fruit are dotted around campus (a nice touch) although we heard mixed views on the lunch menus (no packed lunches allowed here) where there’s no shortage of chips. Student café superb, with chatty, happy students enjoying delicious smoothies and sushi.
Limited overlap with the other three TASIS schools – a college counselling trip to universities in Scotland, some pen pal initiatives and annual head meetings.
Pastoral care, inclusivity and discipline
Safeguarding and the ‘amazing’ pastoral care are top of the agenda, say parents. ‘It’s a gift, I never need to worry about my child.’ One told us that ‘if we needed support we would know how to reach it, they are very good with communications’.
There’s a big emphasis on rules and regulations, say parents, with a ‘strict and respectful’ ethos. ‘There are clear lines that you don’t cross.’ Notably lateness, absences, uniform violations. Parents are delighted that there are no phones on campus during the academic day and the ‘unplugged Wednesdays’ initiative is a huge hit with families, who are encouraged to put away their phone for a few hours every Wednesday evening. We heard stories of children joining cricket clubs with the ‘free’ time and families getting out the board games again.
Parents say the active bystander approach means school catches issues earlier. School is very ‘sensitive and discreet’, they told us, ‘emotional wellbeing is prioritised’.
Middle school houses – Saxons, Vikings, Romans, Normans – foster community spirit, belonging and responsibility at a stage when children may otherwise be looking to push boundaries. In upper school we spotted ‘You’ve got this!’ temporarily painted onto classroom windows as students headed into exam season. ‘School makes you feel like they are with you on the journey at each stage.’
Pupils and parents
Over 75 nationalities. Many American dual-passport holders, plus increasing numbers of Europeans attracted by the IB diploma. Many families live locally (mainly Virginia Water and Sunningdale or out towards Weybridge and Walton; a few as far as Richmond or Englefield Green). Some inevitable transience in the international community, but many stay for the duration, and from 10th grade it tends to stabilise.
Parents describe the children as independent, friendly and charming, and we concur. ‘I love the international community, it’s a different mentality. They just want to do well, it’s cool to be clever.’
The standout parent community embraces the whole family. ‘It’s like a warm blanket,’ said one parent. Buddy families, parent group, orientation programme and seminars (eg on driving in a new country) all feature, as does annual international festival, quiz night etc. Like-minded parents quickly bond – ‘We’ve all been there before and understand’ – and are similarly in tune on the need to keep their children’s feet on the ground.
Money matters
Operated by the TASIS Foundation, a non-profit Swiss foundation, the school has a board of directors who oversee operations. The board is granted significant autonomy provided their activities align with the broad, yet specific, objectives set by the foundation.
The last word
A small, cosy and friendly international school that gets the best out of children with its placement by ability, not age, along with its nurturing environment. Parents are grateful to find a ‘home away from home’.
Special Education Needs
TASIS England has limited facilities for students with special needs but will do all that is reasonable to comply with its legal and moral responsibilities under English law (Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001) in order to accommodate the needs of applicants who have disabilities for which, with reasonable adjustments, the school can cater adequately. TASIS provides a range of support services from lower school through upper school at an additional cost to the family. Areas of support offered include: initial assessment, speech and language services, academic support, classroom guidance, and individual counseling. TASIS does not offer a full continuum of special education programmes. Admission is contingent upon a match between the student's and the family's needs and the level of services available. For that reason, the admission of any special needs student is determined on a case-by-case basis using multiple sources of information such as school records, evaluations and interviews with students, parents and teachers. 10-09
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