История школы Фортисмер: от основания до современности.

Fortismere School (simply referred to as Fortismere) is an 11–18 mixed, foundation secondary school and sixth form in Muswell Hill, Greater London, England. In 2016, it was ranked by The Sunday Times as the 12th best comprehensive school in the country. In its most recent Ofsted inspection, it was rated "Good”.

Tollington Park College, a private educational establishment for boys, was founded by William Brown in 1879 in Tollington Park, London N4. Rapid population growth around Muswell Hill created the need for a new school. Campbell Brown, the founder's son, established Tollington Boys School in Tetherdown, Muswell Hill in 1901. Brown then opened Tollington High School for Girls in nearby Collingwood Avenue in 1910. In 1919 both schools were purchased by the local education authority. Aside from the senior management, the two schools operated independently.

After World War II, this became a state grammar school and the attached preparatory school became Tetherdown Primary School (this moved from the site in 1958 when it exchanged premises with the girls' grammar school). In 1958 the current building was erected and Tollington High School for Girls and Tollington Grammar School for Boys merged to become Tollington Grammar School (co ed). In 1955, William Grimshaw Secondary Modern School (named after a local councillor) opened on an adjoining site in Creighton Avenue, taking the senior classes from Coldfall Council School. It offered extended classes from 1961.

With the introduction of comprehensive education in Haringey in 1967, Tollington Grammar School and William Grimshaw Secondary Modern School were merged to form Creighton School. Charles Loades, head of William Grimshaw since 1958, became head, remaining until his retirement in 1974. In the early 1970s, Creighton School became the centrepiece of a Labour Party educational experiment. Situated in the middle class, largely white suburb of Muswell Hill it was decided to integrate a large number of Afro Caribbean and other ethnic minority children into the school from distant parts of the borough in an attempt to maximise education choice and social interaction – a policy based heavily on the United States' then current system of desegregation busing. In 1975, before this new intake had worked through the school, around one third of the Sixth Form was either a first generation immigrant, or had a surname of Cypriot or Asian origin. During Nixon's tenure, the school routinely achieved 70% or more of students attaining five A* C grade GCSEs, including in English and maths, was ranked among the top 100 non selective comprehensive schools in the UK, and was noted for "valuing inclusiveness and egalitarianism".

In the summer of 2006, the school's governors and recently appointed headteacher Aydin Önaç proposed to change the school's status to that of a foundation school. The governors argued that the increased autonomy from the LEA provided by foundation status would be beneficial to the school, while critics argued that the proposal was an attack on the school's comprehensive nature and would lead to a reduction in provision for pupils with special educational needs. On 1 September 2007, Fortismere became a foundation school – despite opposition from 70 per cent of parents and a petition from students demanding to be consulted on the changes. Önaç's reforms were marked by a conscious effort to attract middle class children from affluent backgrounds in place of the racially and socially diverse communities that had previously made up the student body at Fortismere he told the Evening Standard: "I estimate that a family with two children will save £250,000 in private school fees by sending them to us and [the school's sixth form block] Tetherdown, and a family of four £500,000", and reflected that after he had been in post for two years implementing his reforms, "most families here are wealthy or middle class". Parents sought a judicial review of Önaç's approach to special needs provision, but in December 2009 abruptly he resigned from his post mid academic year, soon after the legal action started. The action was subsequently discontinued and special needs provision improved after Önaç's departure. The Times divulged that Freedom of Information requests revealed 72 A Level students had been forced out during Önaç's tenure at St Olave's. Parents at Fortismere would later liken Önaç's actions at St Olave's to his earlier actions at Fortismere. Under the new system, students were sorted into tutor groups that consist of students from Years 7–11. The school also introduced a college system. Following an online vote, it was decided that the new 'colleges' would be named after the surnames of great writers and scientists. There were five 'colleges': Franklin, Keats, Selvon, Turing, and Wollstonecraft. Some two years after Helen Glass stepped down as headteacher, co headteachers Jo Davey and Zoe Judge revised the previous model, with a horizontal tutoring system implemented, along with a focus on grouping students by year groups, contrary to the previous college system.

On 21 October 2015, China's first lady, Madame Peng Liyuan, was welcomed to Fortismere School by Schools Minister Nick Gibb, together with staff and students, as part of the official China state visit. The staff and students of Fortismere, which is notable for its Mandarin teaching, performed Chinese Mandarin poems and songs for Peng Liyuan. The visit followed an announcement made by Chancellor George Osborne in September 2015, that a £10 million investment would be made to allow more children to learn Mandarin at school.

The school occupies extensive grounds a little west of the centre of Muswell Hill. There are two main buildings on the site, the North Wing focuses mainly on English, Modern Languages and the Arts, with a separate music block, and South Wing which mainly focuses on Maths, Sciences and Humanities with a separate science block. The Wings are separated by playing fields, a sports hall, astroturf and tennis courts. A sixth form building is adjacent to the South Wing, situated just inside the Tetherdown entrance. There are main entrances in Twyford Avenue (South Wing), Tetherdown (South Wing), and Creighton Avenue (North Wing).

The secondary school part of the Blanche Nevile School for Deaf Children is located on the site of Fortismere School. The two schools maintain a strong partnership and are connected to the same computer server.

The instrument of government requires 12 governors: one local authority governor; four parent governors elected by the parents; one staff governor; two partnership governors; three co opted and the headteacher. There are four sub committees: Curriculum, Physical Resources, Resources and Admissions.

School clubs and societies include various language clubs, sport clubs, and musical activities.