A History of Christ’s Hospital

King Edward VI founded Christ’s Hospital in 1552 to take the poor children from the streets of London and provide shelter and education for them. Throughout over 450 years of social and economic change, Christ’s Hospital has remained true to its founding principles. It now provides high quality boarding education for children who, but for Christ's Hospital, would not have the chance in life that their potential deserves.

Of the 840 pupils currently enrolled at CH, half are boys and half girls and all but a handful of staff children are boarders. The main intake of 120 new pupils is at Year Seven (11 years of age) and about 35 new pupils join the Sixth Form each year. A balanced pupil population is a feature of the School, and children are admitted from a wide range of backgrounds. Selection is based on academic ability, talent in some combination of music, art, drama and sport and the potential to benefit from a first class boarding education. However, the over-riding principle of the admissions procedure is to help those with need, whether that need be financial, familial or educational.

The School offers a traditional academic education and expectations on pupils are high. On the whole, exceptional standards are achieved, with virtually all pupils achieving places at university and eight to twelve pupils gaining places at Oxbridge each year.

Our pupils are selected on academic ability. You will work with pupils in Years 9, 10, 11 and 12. The pupils learn French in Years 7, then French and German in Year 8. In Year 9 they choose to continue with French or German, or to begin Spanish. Students must continue to take one language in years 10 and 11 up to GCSE level and some carry on with two. There are A level groups in French, German and Spanish in the Sixth Form (years 12 and 13).