Caterham School

Caterham School
The front of Caterham consists of the first original building of 1884 by E. C. Robins, the tower having been now removed.
Location
Harestone Valley Road Caterham , Surrey , CR3 6YA England
Coordinates	51°16′21″N 0°05′12″W / 51.2726°N 0.086651°W / 51.2726; -0.086651
Information
Type	Private schools in the United Kingdom Private day and boarding school (UK) Private school
Motto	Latin: veritas sine timore (Truth without Fear)
Religious affiliation	Protestant (United Reformed Church)
Established	1811; 214 years ago (1811)
Founder	John Townsend
Department for Education URN	125427 Tables
Chair	Ms Monisha Shah
Headmaster	Ceri Jones
Staff	~200
Gender	Co-educational (3-18)
Age	3 to 18
Enrolment	~1100
Campus	200-acre (0.8km2)
Houses	9 (3 boarding)
Colours	Black & Yellow
Publication	'The Caterhamian' 'Omnia' 'Cat Among the Pigeons' 'Quantum Ultimatum' 'Preview'
Affiliation	HMC Caterham Prep Copthorne Preparatory School The Hawthorns School
Alumni	Old Caterhamians
Website	Caterham School
"Caterham School, registered charity no. 1109508". Charity Commission for England and Wales.

Caterham School is a private co-educational day and boarding school located in Caterham, Surrey and a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference.

Caterham's campus is on the edge of its estate which extends to around 200 acres (81 hectares). It is set within Harestone Valley, and a large part of the estate consists of Oldpark Wood. The school owns the large 'Hare stone' that named the valley, which was first recorded in 1605 but is believed to be older.

E.C. Robins' 1884 building now no longer houses any academic departments except Geography, instead being the administrative centre of Caterham. The foundation stone for the building was laid in 1883 by Samuel Morley. Located off the cloisters is the Wilberforce Hall - Caterham's former formal dining hall - now named after the abolitionist William Wilberforce who was a founding governor of Caterham in 1811. The Wilberforce is notable for its illumination by seven Arts-and-Crafts stained glass windows between both sides. It is now a space for lectures, concerts (choirs, piano recitals or small instrumental groups), fashion shows, museum exhibitions and formal luncheons, teas or dinners.

School photographs for groups such as sports teams are taken in front of the tall door surround for the entrance of the building, a tradition since the late-19th century. Whole school and house photographs are taken on Home Field.

Adjoining the Old School is Headmaster's House which was, traditionally, the residence of the Headmaster of Caterham. In the 1940s it was the home of the historian D.G.E. Hall. To the front of it is the Headmaster's Garden, which was Caterham's formal garden. It is now much reduced.

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  The herbaceous border in the Headmaster's Garden, when D.G.E. Hall lived in the house in the 1940s.
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  Sir Geoffrey Howe (then Deputy Prime Minister under Margaret Thatcher) and Lady Elspeth Howe in the Headmaster's Garden with headmaster Stephen Smith, the Head Boy and Sixth Form Prefects on Speech Day at Caterham in 1982.

Caterham's library is housed in its Memorial Hall, built in 1925 to commemorate the Old Caterhamians killed in the First World War. It was designed by the architect Walter Monckton Keesey OBE OC and opened in July 1925 by the Chair of Caterham, William Hulme Lever, 2nd Viscount Leverhulme DL. Albert P. Maggs OC of the London antiquarian booksellers Maggs Bros later contributed to the building's conversion into the Maggs Library.

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  The Memorial Hall at Caterham

Caterham's performing arts centre was designed by Miller Bourne, finished in 2015 and opened by Simon Callow CBE.

On the ground floor is a studio for dance and orchestral rehearsals, on the first floor is an open concourse, the Deayton Theatre of 67 seats and the Liu Recording Studio and on the first and second floors the building incorporates the older Humphreys Theatre of 338 seats. It also houses the Department of Drama and connects it with that of Music.

Both the Humphreys and Deayton theatres have retractable seating which enables black-box and theatre-in-the-round arrangements. In 2024, Caterham's production of a dramatisation of George Orwell's 'Nineteen Eighty-Four' made use of theatre-in-the-round in the Humphreys to reflect the telescreen surveillance by building a Panopticon-style structure.

Outside, at the front of the centre is a small amphitheatre and to the side of it is the Orchard Theatre of 72 seats, located on the site of Caterham's orchard.

The centre opens to the wider community on occasions, such as for the school's History Festival in November, visiting productions or for events for local primary schools. In 2021, Caterham hosted a TEDx event which took place in the Humphreys. Poet, broadcaster and former Children's Laureate Michael Rosen hosted an event at the centre for pupils from local primary schools in Caterham's East Surrey Learning Partnership on literacy skills.

The Davey Building was opened in 2007 by Lord Carey of Clifton, the 103rd Archbishop of Canterbury and named to mark the end of Mr. Rob Davey's tenure as Headmaster. On the ground floor is the Refectory which replaced the school's Victorian dining hall (now the Wilberforce Hall). On the first floor is the Department of Physics, on the second is Chemistry and on the third is Biology. Each department has five laboratories.

Caterham's main sports field for cricket, rugby and lacrosse is Home Field which has been in use since the late-19th century. The Leathem Pavilion overlooks it on the bank, and was built as a second war memorial for Old Caterhamians who died in the Second World War after the Memorial Hall for the First World War. The pavilion housing a bar and balcony terrace was redeveloped by Miller Bourne in 2012 to include a complex of modern classrooms and fine art and dance studios. The complex was opened by HRH Prince Edward, Duke of Kent in February 2012.

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  Cricket being played on Home in c.1945
• 
  Sir Keith Joseph (then Secretary of State for Education under Margaret Thatcher) walking past Home with headmaster Stephen Smith on Speech Day in 1984
• 
  Rugby being played on Home in 2006

See also the Headmasters of Caterham

Caterham today is the product of a co-ed merger between the Congregational School (formally renamed 'Caterham' in the mid-1920s) for boys and Eothen School for girls.

Rev. John Townsend, the minister of the Jamaica Row Chapel at Bermondsey, founded the Congregational School in 1811 at 29 West Square, in Newington, London. The year before he had written to "ministers, officers and all other members and friends" of Congregationalist churches in England to share his concerns about the inadequate standard of education available to their sons. The abolitionist politician and philanthropist William Wilberforce was an early governor of the school until his death in 1833.

In 1815, the school moved to a country house in Lewisham, then a rural village on the outskirts of London. Rev. William J. Hope, the Headmaster from 1823 to 1852, was a close lifelong friend of the historian and philosopher Thomas Carlyle. Hope met Carlyle when they were at school together at Annan Academy before both going to the University of Edinburgh. Though it is possible that Carlyle visited Hope at the school, it would only have been on an informal basis and so there is no record. Carlyle was greatly upset by Hope's death in 1853, which he described as a "mournful complexity of ill news".

One of the earliest school photographs dates to around 1865 and depicts pupils at Lewisham with cricket bats.

The school was at Lewisham for nearly seventy years, during which time it gained prominence. Samuel Morley, an abolitionist political radical and MP for Bristol was made Treasurer of the school from 1868. William Ewart Gladstone distributed Speech Day prizes to pupils of the school in 1875, the year after his first term as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

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  Rev. John Townsend (1757-1826), the founder of Caterham.
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  William Wilberforce (1759-1833) as depicted in Sir Thomas Lawrence's unfinished portrait in 1828, when Wilberforce was a governor of the school. The original is at the National Portrait Gallery but a copy hangs in the Wilberforce Hall at Caterham.
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  Georgian terraces at West Square, Newington. Caterham was first founded at No.29 in 1811. 'Newington' is now a school house at Caterham.
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  The Congregational School at Lewisham in 1869 after the move there in 1815. 'Lewisham' is also a school house at Caterham today.

By 1884, the school had outgrown its premises, and the 114 boys along with their teaching staff moved to the present site in the North Downs in Surrey. In 1890, Caterham School opened its doors to the sons of laymen and to day boys.

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  E.C. Robins design for Caterham, an original engraving of which is held within the Wellcome Collection. Headmaster's House is on the far left.
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  Samuel Morley MP (1809–1886), the political radical and abolitionist illustrated satirically here in Vanity Fair, was once the Chair of Caterham. He laid the foundation stone for E.C. Robins' building on 23 October 1883.
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  Sir James Whitehead, 1st Baronet (1834-1917), Lord Mayor or London, opened the swimming bath at Caterham in 1889, the same year of this caricature from Vanity Fair.

Notably, the British historian D.G.E. Hall was Headmaster of Caterham from 1934 until 1949.

In 1995, after 184 years as a boys' day and boarding school, it merged with Eothen School for girls (founded by the Misses Pye in 1892) to become a co-educational school. Girls had been admitted to the sixth form education since 1981, but the merger integrated the schools and enabled co-education to be offered to pupils aged 3 years and upward. Upon merger, the school adopted the motto of Eothen School - prior to this merger, the motto was "Omnia Vinces Perseverando" ("Thou shalt overcome everything through perseverance").

In February 2012, HRH Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, visited Caterham to meet the Headmaster Julian Thomas and Head Boy and Head Girl. He opened the school's redeveloped Leathem Pavilion and reviewed the CCF.

In 2023, Caterham was awarded 'Best Independent School of the Year' in the United Kingdom by the Times Educational Supplement. In the same year, it was the first and only school in the UK to receive three 'Key Areas of Strength' in its latest ISI inspection. It is also an 'Apple Distinguished School'.

In August 2025, The Times reported that Caterham achieved the highest percentage of GCSE grade 9s across all co-ed private schools in Surrey and Kent, placing it sixth in the UK.

In September 2025, Caterham was shortlisted for the 2026 'Tatler Schools Guide', along with Eton, Brighton, Canford and Gresham's, as one of the five best public schools in the country.

As of 2025, Caterham's fees for day pupils from First Form to Upper Sixth Form are £9,210 per term, with the exception of entry to the Sixth Form, which is £9,610 per term. This places it above the average for HMC schools which £5,299 per term for day pupils. The full boarding fee at Caterham can reach at most £20,145 per term which is similarly above the HMC schools average of £12, 816 per term for boarding pupils.

The school may award a scholarship if the applicant performs exceptionally well on the entrance exam tests. The scholarships can be for academics, art, design, innovation, music, sport, performing arts, or all-rounder. The academic scholarships are up to 30% off the school fees. The school also has a bursaries scheme for children of United Reformed Church ministers, for families in the armed forces or those on a low income.

Caterham produces a number of in-house publications. The earliest of these date back to January 1888 with the 'Magazine of the Congregational School, Caterham Valley' which continues to this day with the annual review named 'The Caterhamian'. 'Omnia' (the first word of the original motto) is the magazine for Old Caterhamians.

There are three longstanding, annual student-led publications. 'Cat Among the Pigeons' is the magazine for the arts and humanities which named after a Speech Day prize established by Geoffrey Pidgeon OC, an MI6 officer and later author. 'Quantum Ultimatum' is Caterham's academic journal for the science and the magazine of its Moncrieff-Jones Society, named after Sir Alan Moncrieff CBE OC, who established the first premature-baby unit in 1947. 'Preview' is Caterham's magazine for politics. The 2010 issue of Preview was launched at the Palace of Westminster with the Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow giving a speech. That year, MPs David Laws (Liberal Democrats), Michael Fallon (Conservative) and Nigel Farage (UKIP) contributed articles to the magazine.

Since 2023, the Department of History at Caterham organises the annual History Festival in November, held in Caterham's Performing Arts Centre. It is open to the wider educational community, with students from all schools admitted by ticket for free. The day-long event involves lectures from or interviews with renowned historians and then signings of their books.

There are 9 school houses at Caterham, 6 mixed for day pupils, 2 for boarding boys and 1 for boarding girls. All are named after notable places associated with the school except for the boys boarding houses, named after two people associated with the school.

 Aldercombe  

 Beech Hanger  

 Harestone  

 Lewisham  

 Newington  

 Ridgefield  

 Townsend  

 Underwood  

 Viney  

Ceri Jones is the fourteenth Headmaster of Caterham (or once called 'The Congregational School').

Notable headmasters include Rev. William Hope who was a close lifelong friend of Thomas Carlyle, Allan Mottram who had also been an Old Caterhamian, the historian D.G.E. Hall who went on to become a Professor Emeritus at the University of London and Lt Col Terrence Leathem who was involved in leading intelligence operations at Bletchley Park during the Second World War.

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  Allan Percival Mottram, Headmaster from 1910 until 1934 and Old Caterhamian.
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  D.G.E. Hall, prominent historian of Southeast Asia and the East India Company. Headmaster from 1934 until 1949.

Caterham aims to run and develop programmes to contribute its resources to the local community. It founded the 'East Surrey Learning Partnership' (ESLP), providing curriculum support to eight local primary schools. It also runs the 'Saturday Plus' programme each weekend which focuses on providing resources to prepare local primary school children for academically selective independent or grammar schools. Sixth Form pupils also volunteer to regularly host Clifton Hill School, a local primary for children with learning difficulties.

Since 2006, Caterham has supported Lerang' wa School in Tanzania.

In 2012, Caterham along with Eton, Brighton College and five other independent schools supported the founding of the London Academy of Excellence (LAE) in Stratford. One of LAE's school houses was therefore named 'Caterham'. LAE pupils are supported by Caterham's careers and university mentoring and 'CaterhamConnected' network.

In 2023, Caterham founded the 'Caterham Family of Schools' which encompassed its own prep school, Caterham Prep and Copthorne Prep. In December 2024, The Hawthorns School joined. Copthorne and Hawthorns maintain their own independent management whilst benefitting from an established connection to facilitate the admission process to Caterham. The group also aims to collaborate on developing digital learning in their curriculums.

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  Shirley Goss House, which now houses Caterham Prep.
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  The Foxburrow estate, which now houses Caterham Pre-Prep.
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  The Hawthorns School, a member of the Caterham Family of Schools. It is housed at Pendell Court.

The school operates 'CaterhamConnected', its own professional and social media network for alumni, staff, parents and Sixth Form pupils from Caterham and its partnership schools. As well as the digital platform, CaterhamConnected runs 'Insight' events for the community, which take place globally.

Alumni of Caterham are titled 'Old Caterhamians' (O.C.), often colloquially clipped to 'Old Cats'.

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  Sir John Richard Robinson (1828-1903), editor of the The Daily News and member of a circle of journalists and editors at the Reform Club on Pall Mall.
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  William Pickford (1861-1938), sportsman and President of the Football Association
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  Sir Paul Dukes KBE (1889-1967), or 'The Man with a Hundred Faces'. MI6 spy posted by Mansfield Smith-Cumming in St. Petersburg during the 1905 Revolution.
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  George Morgan Trefgarne, 1st Baron Trefgarne (1894 –1960).
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  Imogen Holst CBE (1907-1984). Composer and arranger, also the daughter of Gustav Holst who wrote 'The Planets' suite.
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  W. David McIntyre OBE (1932-2022). Historian of the British Empire and Commonwealth.
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  Professor Emeritus Roger Griffin (1935-2021), astronomer and research fellow at St John's College, Cambridge.
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  Geoffrey Kemp (born 1939), writer on international relations and former Special Assistant to Ronald Reagan.
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  Angus Deayton (born 1956), actor, writer and comedian.
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  Dr. Nigel Spivey (born 1958), classicist and senior lecturer at Emmanuel College, Cambridge.
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  Alistair Duncan Brown (born 1970) or 'Lordy', cricketer.
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  Chukwudi Iwuji (born 1975), former Head Boy and actor of the Royal Shakespeare Company and Marvel Cinematic Universe films.

• James Benning (born 1983), cricketer
• Ali Brown (born 1970), cricketer
• Sir John Butterfill (born 1941), politician
• Ann Conolly (1917-2010), botanist
• Rosie Clarke (born 1991), athlete
• Angus Deayton (born 1956), actor and television presenter
• Cuthbert Dukes (1890–1977), pathologist and author
• Sir Paul Dukes (1889–1967), journalist and MI6 officer
• Jon Finch (1941–2012), film and television actor (1970–2005)
• George Morgan Garro-Jones (1894-1960), politician
• Jon Gilbert (born 1972), writer, bibliographer of Ian Fleming
• Roger Griffin (1935-2021), astronomer
• Chukwudi Iwuji (born 1975), actor
• Walter Monckton Keesey, O.B.E (1887–1970), architect and artist
• Geoffrey Kemp (born 1939), writer on international relations.
• Harry McInley (born 1993), cricketer
• W. David McIntyre, O.B.E (1932 - 2022), New Zealand historian and professor emeritus, University of Canterbury
• Sir Alex Harley, Master Gunner, St. James's Park, 2001–2008
• Philip Henman (1899–1986), chairman, General Lighterage Company, 1939–1969
• Imogen Holst (1907-1984), composer, and daughter of Gustav Holst
• Sir Arthur James (1916–1976), Judge of the Court of Appeal
• Edward Jones, football manager who coached Egypt
• Harold Marks (1914–2005), educator
• Denis Mitchell (1911–1990), television and radio producer
• John Morgan (1876–1955), barrister and professor of constitutional law, University College London, 1915–1941
• Harrison Osterfield (born 1996), actor
• Clement Price Thomas (1893–1973), pioneering surgeon
• Pam Royds (1924-2016), publisher and children's book editor
• David Sales (born 1977), cricketer
• Eric Thiman (1900-1975), composer, conductor and organist
• Claudia Williams (born 1933), artist

• 'A History of Caterham School' by Hugh Stafford (1945)
• 'A Century at Caterham: 1884-1984' by Ernest de C. Blomfield (1983)
• 'Independent Spirit: Two hundred years of Caterham School' by Nigel Watson (2011)