In 1552, the young King Edward VI responded to an impassioned sermon on the needs of London’s poor, and summoned the preacher, the Bishop of London, to talk more about these pressing needs. It was suggested that Edward should write to the Lord Mayor of London, to set in motion charitable measures to help the poor.

 

Christ’s Hospital was consequently founded in the old buildings vacated by the Grey Friars in Newgate Street and provided food, clothing, lodging and “a little learning for fatherless children and other poor men’s children”. The children were not only cared for but prepared for the job market. Money was raised by the City of London and the Church whilst businesses and householders in London were also asked for donations. Governors were elected to serve the school. In November 1552, Christ’s Hospital opened its doors to 380 pupils and within a year, the number had increased to over 500.

 

King Edward became patron and founder and a Royal Charter was signed to this effect in 1553. The decision to move the school from London to Horsham towards the end of the 19th century was monumental. Christ’s Hospital, as a charitable foundation, sought and gained the permission of the Charity Commissioners to move out of London as conditions in the City at that time were extremely poor and the environment was not a healthy one for children.

 

A 1200-acre rural estate two miles from Horsham,West Sussex, was purchased. To enable parents to visit and for pupils to travel to and from school, the then London and South Coast Railway agreed to provide a new station close to the school, known today as Christ’s Hospital Station.

 

Architects Aston Webb and Ingres Bell won the design contracts and, in May 1902, the school moved to its present location.Nevertheless, over 30% of the pupils still live in the inner city.

 

The mission of Christ’s Hospital has remained virtually unchanged for over 450 years. It continues to fulfil its original charitable aims to provide the highest calibre independent boarding education to boys and girls of families in social, financial or other need who may not otherwise have such an opportunity. Children from a great mix of backgrounds and circumstances attend the school, making the ambience very different from other boarding schools. It remains unique in England: a public school, which is genuinely open to the public. The majority of pupils are supported by the Christ’s Hospital Foundation to a greater or lesser degree: parents are means tested and currently 14% pay no fees and, in a school of over eight hundred children, only 2.8% pay full fees.

 

Places at Christ’s Hospital are funded through income from its ancient investments and property holdings, topped up by the City, fundraising initiatives, generous former pupils (Old Blues) and firms and organisations. Prospective pupils can be nominated by firms, which make a contribution to school funds, and by Old Blues.

 

Most children join Christ’s Hospital at the age of 11, though there is also an intake into the sixth form. All pupils are boarders and life at the school is always extremely full and varied. Boarding allows the pupils the time to take advantage of the school’s outstanding facilities, including a 500 seat ‘Globe’ style theatre, modern sports and social complex, acres of sports fields and extensively equipped art and music schools.

 

Boys and girls are taught together but live separately in comfortable single-sex boarding houses, which are their homes-from-home during term time. The boarding houses are happy communities with a strong sense of individual identity, small enough to offer a sense of family, but large enough to offer personal space. All the Houses are Grade II* listed and have recently been refurbished to a high standard. Full boarding does not mean pupils lose touch with their families at home: there are regular leave-weekends and plenty of contact by phone, email and letter.

 

Christ’s Hospital prides itself on maintaining traditions, which have been associated with the school from its earliest years. One of its most distinctive traits is the instantly recognisable uniform, known as ‘Housey’. The boys’ uniform, which has hardly altered since Tudor times, has a strong claim to being the oldest in existence. Today, the uniform is provided free to all the pupils.

 

The pupils eat together in the grand dining hall and the houses are led in every lunchtime (apart from Sunday) by the school band. This band is often invited to lead the Lord Mayor’s Show through the City of London and makes regular appearances for the MCC at Lord’s and the RFU at Twickenham.

 

The school has a distinguished academic record, numbering four ex-heads of Oxford colleges among its former pupils. Today it has an established pattern of excellent GCSE and A level pass rates, further strengthened by a high proportion of top grades. Nearly all pupils go on to higher education with most being awarded places at their first choice university. The academic course is compatible with the National Curriculum but not constrained by it. Emphasis is placed on encouraging each pupil to become a confident and independent learner. The normal day is a busy blend of lessons, activities, games, meals, rehearsals, tutorials, private study and social time.

 

There is an energetic programme of extracurricular activities, which pupils can follow through in the holidays as well, which is seen as an integral part of the educational provision.

 

Notable Old Blues include Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Charles Lamb, Barnes Wallis, Sir Colin Davis and Bernard Levin. Governors have always played an important role at Christ’s Hospital: it was largely through the efforts of a governor, Samuel Pepys, that Charles II granted the second Royal Charter in 1673 for the Royal Mathematical School. After the Great Fire damaged the buildings in Newgate Street in 1666, Sir Christopher Wren was appointed a governor for his assistance in restoring the school.

 

Today, the school has over 650 governors, many of whom are Old Blues who continue to play an active role ‘giving back’ to the school as mentors, career network advisors and donors.