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Charterhouse A GSG School

Charterhouse
  • Charterhouse
    Admissions Office
    Godalming
    Surrey
    GU7 2DX
  • Head: Dr Alex Peterken
  • T 01483 291501
  • F 01483 291507
  • E admissions@charterhouse.org.uk
  • W www.charterhouse.org.uk
  • Charterhouse is an English independent day and boarding school in Godalming, Surrey. It educates boys and girls from 13-18. It was founded in 1611 on the site of the old Carthusian monastery in Charterhouse Square, London.
  • Boarding: Yes
  • Local authority: Surrey
  • Pupils: 947; sixth formers: 390
  • Religion: Anglican
  • Fees: Day £40,017; Boarding £50,148 pa (last updated on 02/07/2024)
  • Open days: Check school website
  • Review: View The Good Schools Guide Review
  • Ofsted report: View the Ofsted report
  • ISI report: View the ISI report

What says..

Pupils will try anything. One had discovered an unlikely hobby in reeling (‘I’d never even heard of kilts before I came to Charterhouse’); another was keen on dissection society, despite the fact that ‘the rat smelled'. Beautiful new entrepreneurship hub enables collaboration: chairs on wheels; interactive whiteboards everywhere; Macbooks strewn across the conference room table. Pupils who thrive here really are those that give back, though – this is no place for a teenager who wants to sit in the library with their books all day, or...

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What the school says...

Founded in 1611, Charterhouse is one of the UK’s leading co-educational independent schools, with a prestigious global reputation. Surrounded by a world of opportunity and connected by a feeling of belonging, each pupil is educated to embrace life’s full potential, and empowered to carry this into their future.

Our pioneering FutureU Programme is a central element of our education and provides every young person with the opportunity to develop the skills, professional knowledge and mindset that will enable them to thrive in our fast-changing world. Every pupil accesses FutureU content throughout their time at the school via a dedicated programme led by the school’s Futures Team, as well as elements being delivered within the academic curriculum, co-curricular and PSHE programmes.

The intangible sense of community and togetherness are often the starting point when describing the Charterhouse experience.

‘When you come to Charterhouse, you come because of the magnificent grounds, the academics, sport and arts – which are all fantastic – but what you stay for is the true sense of belonging, being a part of something beyond yourself and the continuous personal growth you gain during your time here,’ says Theo, a year 12 pupil.

The school is academically ambitious for all pupils, with each strand of a Charterhouse education combining to ensure that they are ‘future-ready’. The curriculum is all about choice for the individual and is firmly rooted in academic rigour, intellectual curiosity and independent learning. Everyone has the opportunity to play to their strengths and interests, as well as having the flexibility and choices to discover new passions. This philosophy starts when a pupil joins Charterhouse and continues into our GCSE programmes. Having completed their GCSEs, pupils benefit from the dual offer available in the sixth form: A levels with an Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) or the breadth of the IB Diploma Programme. A wonderful range of additional academic electives are also on offer, including the groundbreaking Charterhouse Entrepreneurship Diploma (accredited by the Institute of Enterprise and Entrepreneurs) and the Ivy House Leadership Award.

From an outstanding and varied academic education to the raft of co-curricular options, opportunities abound at Charterhouse. Our co-curricular activities are an essential strand of a Charterhouse education, combining opportunities for leadership development, creativity, exercise and teamwork. They are also great fun. The timetable enables all pupils to regularly enjoy a wide range of activities, making use of the school’s impressive facilities. More than 80 different sports and activities are on offer, including outdoor pursuits, music, drama and other creative opportunities.

Charterhouse is set in a beautiful 250-acre campus located on the edge of the attractive market town of Godalming, in the southeast of England. Conveniently close to London and within 50 minutes of both Heathrow and Gatwick airports, the campus provides an environment that is safe, rich in heritage and an inspiring setting for the whole community to live and work together. ...Read more

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Curricula

International Baccalaureate: diploma - the diploma is the familiar A-level equivalent.

Sports

Unusual sports

Equestrian centre or equestrian team - school has own equestrian centre or an equestrian team.

Fencing

Shooting

Sailing

What The Good Schools Guide says

Headmaster

Since 2018, Dr Alex Peterken. Previously head of Cheltenham College; before that, a housemaster here for 12 years. PhD in school leadership from Surrey. Got an early taste of what was to come as head boy and head chorister at the Prebendal School, Chichester; thence to Eton as a music exhibitioner and Durham, with a choral scholarship, to read theology. Not nearly as establishment as the narrative suggests, though. Now with six children of his own, Dr Peterken has been there, done that and we enjoyed his relaxed, open manner, the sense that he is one of us: ‘Often schools underestimate how blooming difficult being a parent of a teenager is.’ Modern and normal, not trying too hard to be trendy: always a tie, sometimes a touch of stubble.

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Please note: Independent schools frequently offer IGCSEs or other qualifications alongside or as an alternative to GCSE. The DfE does not record performance data for these exams so independent school GCSE data is frequently misleading; parents should check the results with the schools.

Who came from where

Who goes where

Special Education Needs

As the current Code of Practice requires, we are ready to take all necessary steps to ensure full access to our curriculum for students with any type of disability. We do not, however, specialise in any particular area of SEN. Whilst our entrance exams do not discriminate on SEN grounds alone, it should be remembered that we are a selective school.

Condition Provision for in school
ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder
Might cover/be referred to as;
ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Aspergers, Autism, High functioning autism, Neurodivergent, Neurodiversity, Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA), PDA , Social skills, Sensory processing disorder
Y
HI - Hearing Impairment
Might cover/be referred to as;
Hearing Impairment, HI - Hearing Impairment
MLD - Moderate Learning Difficulty
Might cover/be referred to as;
Learning needs, MLD - Moderate Learning Difficulty
MSI - Multi-Sensory Impairment
Might cover/be referred to as;
MSI - Multi-Sensory Impairment, Sensory processing
OTH - Other Difficulty/Disability
Might cover/be referred to as;
Downs Syndrome, Epilepsy, Genetic , OTH - Other Difficulty/Disability, Tics, Tourettes
PD - Physical Disability
Might cover/be referred to as;
PD - Physical Disability
PMLD - Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty
Might cover/be referred to as;
Complex needs, Global delay, Global developmental delay, PMLD - Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty
SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health
Might cover/be referred to as;
Anxiety , Complex needs, Emotionally based school avoidance (EBSA), Mental Health, SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health, Trauma
SLCN - Speech, Language and Communication
Might cover/be referred to as;
DLD - Developmental Language Disorder, Selective mutism, SLCN - Speech, Language and Communication
SLD - Severe Learning Difficulty
Might cover/be referred to as;
Complex needs, SLD - Severe Learning Difficulty, Cerebral Palsy (CP)
SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty
Might cover/be referred to as;
ADHD, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Auditory Processing, DCD, Developmental Co-ordination Difficulties (DCD), Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Handwriting, Other specific learning difficulty, SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty, Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)
Y
VI - Visual Impairment
Might cover/be referred to as;
Special facilities for Visually Impaired, VI - Visual Impairment

Who came from where

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