Charterhouse Science, Maths and Coeducation news
Founded in 1611, Charterhouse moved from London to its current site in Godalming, Surrey in 1872. As with many British boarding schools, from this historical starting point the school keeps looking to the future and we have two important developments to report.
On 22nd May, a new Science and Mathematics Centre was opened, with over 100 local dignitaries in attendance. Drawing on nearly 400 years of teaching experience, Charterhouse’s aim was to revolutionise the way Science and Mathematics are taught by creating an environment that nurtures inter-departmental collaboration. To this end, the new centre provides seven new chemistry laboratories with wet and dry teaching areas, five mathematics classrooms, two preparation rooms and a project research room.
Architects Design Engine employed some clever techniques to make the new building fit with the rest of the school. Three steeply pitched chimneys serving the chemistry labs create a sympathetic architectural link with the gothic revival and new-gothic character of the rest of the Charterhouse campus. The mix of contemporary and traditional materials also complements the existing buildings, and the Centre was shortlisted in the RIBA South East Awards 2019 as well as winning the Waverley Design Awards for Best Education Centre 2019.
The building will serve the community beyond the school itself. Charterhouse has a long-established programme of science outreach, including revision sessions for local GCSE students and a series of professional development workshops for science teachers. It is now establishing a School Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT) unit in partnership with the Institute of Physics to become a regional hub of science teacher education.
Historically a boys’ school, the second development to report is that, building on the success of its coeducational Sixth Form, Charterhouse is moving to full coeducation from the age of 13. It will welcome the first girls into Year 9 in September 2021 and there will be girls in every year group from September 2023. This move reflects the school’s belief that the best preparation for a rewarding and fulfilling life is a first-class education for boys and girls learning together as partners and equals – just as they will work together as adults to take on opportunities and tackle challenges.
If you think your son and/or daughter would benefit from a Charterhouse education or a stay at any other boarding school in England, please do contact us.
Photos by kind permission of Charterhouse.
