Charterhouse

Two Routes Through the Sixth Form

Charterhouse offers students a genuine choice at Sixth Form (Years 12–13): they may pursue A-Levels or the IB Diploma. This is a relatively uncommon arrangement among leading UK independent schools and gives Charterhouse a distinctive academic profile, particularly attractive to internationally mobile families.

Below Sixth Form, all pupils follow the GCSE/IGCSE programme in Year 10–11 before choosing their Sixth Form pathway.

Examination Performance

Based on available data from 2020 (the most recently published figures in the research):

• IGCSE/GCSE: 79% of grades were 9–7 (equivalent to A*/A), reflecting consistently strong performance across subjects.
• A-Level: 61% of grades were A*–A, placing Charterhouse comfortably above the national average for independent schools.
• IB Diploma: Average score of 36/45, significantly above the global IB average of approximately 30.

These results underpin the school's claim that graduates are well-placed to access top UK and international universities.

The FutureU Programme

At the heart of Charterhouse's academic culture is the FutureU Programme, which aims to integrate traditional academic rigour with future-relevant skills — entrepreneurship (via a partnership with MIT Launch), critical thinking, digital literacy, and leadership. Students are encouraged to pursue 130+ co-curricular activities alongside their academic studies, reflecting the school's belief in whole-person education.

Languages and Subjects

The curriculum includes a wide range of modern and classical languages:

• Modern languages: French, Spanish, German, Chinese, Japanese
• Classical: Latin
• Sciences, Humanities, Arts: Full suite of GCSE and A-Level/IB subjects

University Destinations

The school notes that graduates regularly proceed to "top universities worldwide," including Oxbridge and leading US institutions. While specific placement data is not publicly detailed, the combination of strong examination results and the dual A-Level/IB offer positions Charterhouse graduates competitively for both the UK UCAS process and international university applications.

The House as Home

At Charterhouse, the house system is the defining feature of daily life. All 996 pupils — whether boarding full-time or attending as day pupils — belong to one of 14 houses, each with its own resident housemaster or housemistress providing 24-hour pastoral care and guidance.

Approximately 900 pupils board (around 90% of the school), making Charterhouse primarily a boarding community. Day pupils are fully integrated into the house structure, attending evening activities and participating in house events alongside their boarding peers.

Pastoral Architecture

Each house is designed to provide a genuine home-away-from-home experience:

• Single and shared rooms with common rooms and kitchen facilities
• Resident housemaster/mistress and support staff
• Multimedia and recreation rooms within each house
• Close-knit communities of approximately 60–70 pupils per house

The Hunt Health Centre provides dedicated medical support with registered nurses on duty, sitting alongside the house system as a key pillar of pupil wellbeing.

Values in Action

Charterhouse describes itself as a "Safeguarding Centre of Excellence", and the school's stated values — Kindness, Perseverance, Responsibility, Moral Courage, and Open-Mindedness — are actively promoted through house life, assemblies, chapel, and the tutorial system.

The school's EDI (Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion) policy, "We Belong," upholds statutory duties against discrimination and harassment across all protected characteristics, signalling that the traditional public school culture has been deliberately modernised.

Day and Boarding Integration

Day pupils at Charterhouse are not a separate category — they are woven into house life from morning until evening. The school's published materials emphasise the "diverse and enriching cultural environment" created by boarders from the UK and internationally living alongside each other, with day pupils adding local community connection.

This integration means that even day pupils experience the rhythms of boarding school life — communal meals, evening activities, house competitions — making Charterhouse's pastoral culture genuinely pervasive rather than reserved for boarders alone.

Origins in Tudor London

Charterhouse traces its roots to 1611, when Sir Thomas Sutton — described as the wealthiest commoner in England — used his fortune to found a school for 40 poor boys on the site of a former Carthusian monastery in the City of London. Alongside the school, Sutton established an almshouse for 80 elderly men, giving the institution its dual charitable identity from the outset. The school's name, ethos, and traditions all derive directly from this original foundation.

Relocation to Surrey

For more than two and a half centuries, Charterhouse occupied its London site. In 1872, the school made the momentous decision to relocate to Godalming in Surrey, acquiring the expansive grounds that today form its 250-acre campus. The move allowed the school to build the sports pitches, boarding houses, and specialist facilities that would come to define the Charterhouse experience.

Becoming Co-Educational

For most of its history, Charterhouse was a boys' school in the traditional English public school mould. A significant step change came in 1971, when girls were first admitted to the Sixth Form (Years 12–13), making Charterhouse one of the earlier major public schools to open its doors to female students at the upper level. Full co-education across all year groups was finally introduced in 2021, marking a complete transformation of the school's identity and community.

Key Milestones at a Glance

• 1611 — Founded by Sir Thomas Sutton in London
• 1872 — Relocated to Godalming, Surrey
• 1971 — Girls admitted to Sixth Form
• 2010 — Became an IB World School
• 2021 — Full co-education introduced across all year groups

A Living Heritage

Today Charterhouse balances its 400-year heritage with a forward-looking educational philosophy. The school explicitly markets itself as "progressive and forward-thinking," and its FutureU programme reflects a deliberate effort to modernise the curriculum while preserving the pastoral traditions — the house system, chapel, and sense of community — that have defined the school for generations.

Entry Points

Charterhouse accepts pupils at two main entry points:

• Year 9 (13+): The primary entry point, with approximately 125 places per year. This is the most competitive route and requires the most preparation.
• Sixth Form (16+): Entry based on GCSE/IGCSE predicted and actual grades, plus interview. Fewer places available.

The Assessment Process for 13+ Entry

The 13+ admissions process at Charterhouse follows a structured timeline:

1. Registration — £420 fee (VAT inclusive) paid at the point of registration, typically 2–3 years before entry.
2. ISEB Common Pre-Test — Taken in Year 6 (age 10–11), covering English, Mathematics, Verbal Reasoning, and Non-Verbal Reasoning. Results are assessed relative to other candidates.
3. School-set assessments — Written tests in English and Mathematics administered at Charterhouse itself.
4. Interview — Individual interview with teaching staff, assessing intellectual curiosity, character, and personal suitability.
5. School report — Current school's confidential reference.

Conditional offers are typically made in the Spring Term of Year 6, confirmed subject to Common Entrance or scholarship examinations.

English Language Requirements

As all teaching at Charterhouse is in English, a strong level of English proficiency is required. Non-native English speakers may be required to take an EAL (English as an Additional Language) assessment as part of the admissions process. No specific standardised test score threshold is published, but the school's instruction medium and academic demands effectively require advanced English.

What Charterhouse Looks For

Beyond examination scores, Charterhouse explicitly seeks pupils who demonstrate:

• Genuine intellectual curiosity
• Personal qualities aligned with the school's values (Kindness, Responsibility, Moral Courage)
• Potential to contribute to the school community across academics, arts, and sport

This holistic approach means that a candidate who excels in one area but has a slightly lower test score may still be considered, while very high scores alone do not guarantee a place.

Practical Advice for International Applicants

For families applying from outside the UK, the ISEB Pre-Test can be sat at registered test centres internationally. The school's Director of Admissions, Mrs Iona Hutchinson, is the primary contact for international enquiries at [email protected].

A Campus Built for Broad Education

Charterhouse occupies a 250-acre campus in Godalming, Surrey — one of the most generously-sized school grounds in the UK. The campus provides the physical infrastructure for a genuinely broad education, with facilities spanning elite sport, performing arts, STEM, and the creative arts.

Sports Facilities

• 17 grass pitches for football and rugby
• 3 all-weather astroturf pitches
• 24 hard tennis courts
• 9-hole golf course
• Olympic-standard athletics track
• 25m indoor swimming pool
• 3 indoor basketball/netball courts (Sports Centre)
• Climbing wall
• Fitness gym
• Equestrian facilities

The school claims to have "one of the best" sports facilities of any school in the country.

Arts and Performance

• Dedicated music school with individual practice rooms, ensemble rehearsal spaces, and a full recording suite
• Theatre for drama and performance with full production capabilities
• Art studios across multiple media
• Dance and Performing Arts studio
• Ensembles including orchestra, chamber groups, brass band, and multiple choirs

Academic and STEM Facilities

• Specialist STEM laboratories and a Making/Design Lab
• Media centre and computer rooms
• Resource Centre (library) with digital and physical collections
• VR and 3D printing equipment
• Dedicated design technology workshops

Co-Curricular Programme

Charterhouse offers 130+ clubs and activities, organised across every term. Highlights include:

• MIT Launch entrepreneurship programme
• Duke of Edinburgh's Award (all levels)
• Model UK Parliament
• Robotics, chess, astronomy, photography, e-sports
• Sustainability and environmental clubs
• Creative writing workshops and school newspaper

The breadth of activities reflects the school's conviction that education extends well beyond the classroom, and that pupils who engage deeply with co-curricular life develop the leadership, resilience, and character that define the Charterhouse graduate.