Charterhouse School

Founded by Thomas Sutton in 1611 on the site of the old Carthusian monastery in Charterhouse Square, Smithfield, London, it educates over 1000 pupils, aged 13 to 18 years.

He acquired a fortune by the discovery of coal on two estates which he had leased near Newcastle upon Tyne, and afterwards, removing to London, he carried on a commercial career.

He died on 12 December, and subsequently the will was hotly contested but upheld in court, and the foundation was finally constituted to afford a home for eighty male pensioners (gentlemen by descent and in poverty, soldiers that have borne arms by sea or land, merchants decayed by piracy or shipwreck, or servants in household to the King or Queen), and to educate forty boys.

Charterhouse established a reputation for excellence in hospital care and treatment, thanks in part to Henry Levett, an Oxford graduate who joined the school as a physician in 1712.

[6][7] The school was moved to its present site in 1872 by the then headmaster, William Haig Brown – a decision influenced by the findings of the Clarendon Commission of 1864.

Further land was bought to the north and west, increasing the grounds to over 200 acres (81 ha), and a new school chapel was designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott (perhaps best known for designing the red telephone box) and consecrated in 1927 to commemorate almost 700 pupils who died in the First World War, making it the largest war memorial in England.

In 2007, a £3m Modern Languages building was completed.The school has a top 60 placing in the A level league tables, and in 2011 over 80% of pupils are awarded an A* or A grade at GCSE.

[citation needed] In 2009, the school announced its decision to switch from A Levels to the International Baccalaureate and Cambridge Pre-U.

[14] In 2007, Roy Hattersley, former Deputy Leader of the Labour Party and minister, reported on a visit to Charterhouse in the Guardian newspaper.

After describing his impression that "[The chapel]'s geometric spires and minarets proclaim complete confidence that Charterhouse educates men who are destined to rule the universe", he said: "Academically and pastorally, it is near to beyond criticism.

The 2009 Ofsted Social Care Inspection Report noted that 'The provision for "Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do" is rated as outstanding.'

They attain extremely high standards in external examinations and make exceptional progress in their learning because of their positive attitudes to study, dedicated and often inspiring teaching, and an academically challenging curriculum that is adapted to suit all needs.

Pupils' successes in external competitions, in academic distinctions and in sport, music and the creative and aesthetic arts are exceptional.

[44] By 1867 the Football Association had chosen in favour of the Charterhouse and Westminster game and adopted a "loose" off-side rule that permitted forward passing.

[46] The cricket ground has held a single List-A match, which was played between Surrey and Warwickshire in the 1972 John Player League.

The scope of the collections is mainly the British Isles, although some plants are from Europe, South Africa and eastern North America.

Samuel Titmas (first curator of Charterhouse Museum), Frederick Yorke Brocas, Andrew Bloxam, William Gardiner, James Buckman and John Drew Salmon.

She wrote to John Vickers, the director-general of the Office of Fair Trading saying: "They are not a group of businessmen meeting behind closed doors to fix the price of their products to the disadvantage of the consumer.

"[60] In August 2010, former English footballer Gary Lineker publicly accused Charterhouse of failing his son, George, in his bid for a place at university.

[64] John Witheridge, then headmaster, defended the choice of the Pre-U as being more academically rigorous and educationally valid than the current A-Level standard in an article in The Spectator in August 2010.

[66] In April 2013, a physics teacher, Dean Johnson, resigned after allegations of an 'inappropriate relationship' with a former teenage girl pupil led to a police investigation.

A police investigation followed, and resulted in a conviction after trial by a jury for the teacher who was found to be in possession of extreme pornography, which depicted a woman being hanged, in 2015; he was given an eight-month prison sentence, suspended for two years.

[67] A professional misconduct panel later found: As a result, in 2017, Johnson was made the subject of a prohibition order, prohibiting him from teaching in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation or children's home in England; the order was made with no provision for him to apply for any future restoration of his eligibility to teach.

Other ex-pupils told The Times about experiences including a humiliating initiation ceremony at the school and flashing and groping incidents.

It has previously been used in The Boys are Back, Jupiter Ascending, St Trinian’s 2: The Legend of Fritton’s Gold, The Mystery of Edwin Drood (an adaptation of a Charles Dickens novel), Foyle's War, An Ideal Husband, and Vampire Academy.

Statue of Thomas Sutton on Founder's Court
Brooke Hall at Charterhouse
Charterhouse students playing Cricket in 2006
South African Cloisters