The Workhouse at Bank Street
The Bank Street School building started its existence as Tonbridge's workhouse in the 1720's. The money for the purchase of the site and the erection of the building came from a fund bequeathed by Sir Andrew Judde, the founder of Tonbridge School. Bank Street used to be called Workhouse Lane because of it's principle building, the Poor House. It remained as the workhouse for over a hundred years until it became a school in the middle of the 19th century, after a new workhouse was built at Pembury.

Towards the end of 1844 the town was informed that a school for infants between the ages of 2 and 7 would be opened on Wednesday 1st January 1845. Later on in that year, the boys and girls schools moved from Waterloo Road to Bank Street.

Education was not free at this time and a fee of 'tuppence' (about 1 penny) was paid weekly by each child. It was not until 1870, when education became compulsory by law, that fees were abolished.

The school was soon to be unsuitable for the growing numbers of children on roll. In 1870 H.M. Inspector reported that the number of infants was too large for the space provided and suggested that young babies should be refused admittance.

In 1885 the number of children on roll had increased to such extent that the building was under great strain. Diseases spread quickly through the over crowded school and on some occaisions the school had to be closed due to outbreaks of disease.

The numbers on roll continued to increase and by 1907 the situation had become impossible. It was during this year that the boys were transferred to the new Slade School. This left the girls and the infants more space but again in 1910, with 250 on roll, overcrowding became again became serious. A new site had to be found.