3 minute read
School update
Top: An artist’s impression of the new Boarding Houses. Above: An artist’s impression of the new School Café
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New boarding, new dining, new green spaces
The new coeducational era at Charterhouse is ushering in wonderful enhancements to the spaces in which pupils can rest, eat and socialise
Last year, our 'A New Tomorrow' set out Charterhouse’s ambition to become the leading coeducation boarding school in the country. This programme contains several different strands that together will bring about an exciting period of transformation and innovation at the School. In this issue of The Greyhound, we focus on some of the infrastructure and organisational developments that are subtly changing the way we live at Charterhouse.
New Boarding Houses
In September 2019, we moved to a new boarding model with separate boys only and girls only Houses. This academic year sees the development of the first three girls’ Houses, moving away from the previous model of girls being members of the existing Houses, whilst sleeping in separate ‘hostels’. The first three girls’ Houses are Fletcherites, plus the creation of Chetwynd and Sutton established within Chetwynd Hall. This has been very well received within the admissions market, with demand for Sixth Form places for girls almost doubling, and a strong pipeline for girls’ places in Year Nine in 2021.
Work has also started on two new-build Houses (between Daviesites and the Ben Travers Theatre), which will be complete in 2021. These brand new Houses will be the new homes of Saunderites (boys) and Northbrook (girls) and will welcome pupils in September 2021.
In addition, this year saw the arrival of six new Housemasters and Housemistresses. After many years of wonderful service, Steve Hearn (R), Jon Tully (D), Nick Pelling (P) and Andrew Reston (G) have retired from their positions in House, but we are delighted that they are all moving to new positions at the School. They have been succeeded by Andrew Brinkley (R), Sam James (D), Paul Martin (P) and Andrew Marshall-Taylor (G), and we have also welcomed Jani Lambeth (Sutton), Rebecca Pugh (Northbrook) and Michelle Creer (Chetwynd). In Fletcherites, Housemistress Alice Brooking also steps down due to an exciting opportunity at the British School in Paris, and we are delighted that she will be succeeded by Catherine McDonald (F), current Head of History.
Social spaces
The other big change that took place in September was the transformation of the Central Dining Room (CDR) from eight individual House rooms into a large, modern and open-plan dining space. For the New Houses, this gives pupils and staff the opportunity to mix, socialise and continue conversations over lunch beyond traditional House groups. The advent of coeducation will mean that boys and girls will enjoy hashes and many co-curricular activities together, but without this change, all meals would have had to have been taken separately.
The CDR is able to provide greater choice, fresh options and involves less waste than previously – it’s now a lovely space to enjoy food together.
Alongside the changes in the CDR, a light and airy café will open in the centre of the School in September 2021, providing a shared dining space for the four Old Houses (which will include the new location of Sutton – a girls’ House within the current Saunderites building). Outside standard meal times, it will provide a central working and social space for staff and pupils alike.
The final change to the campus will be transformational in the way pupils can move about and use our open spaces. Charterhouse is rightly proud of having possibly the most beautiful campus of any school and this change will further enhance how we are able to use and enjoy it. By 2021 we will have completed the pedestrianisation of the centre of the School – removing cars from the centre and creating new green spaces for relaxation and socialising. b
