Cathedral Grammar School

Cathedral Grammar School
Cathedral Grammar in May 2011, after the demolition of the Statham Building
Address
2 Chester Street West, Christchurch, New Zealand
Coordinates	43°31′40″S 172°37′44″E / 43.5279°S 172.6290°E / -43.5279; 172.6290Coordinates: 43°31′40″S 172°37′44″E / 43.5279°S 172.6290°E / -43.5279; 172.6290
Information
Type	Private, Co-educational, Primary
Motto	Latin: Semper fidelis ("Always Faithful")
Established	1881
Ministry of Education Institution no.	368
Headmaster	Mr S Thelning
School roll	235(July 2016)
Socio-economic decile	10
Website	cathedralgrammar.school.nz

The Cathedral Grammar School is an independent, Anglican preparatory day school in Christchurch, New Zealand. The school is situated on a spacious inner-city site covering two blocks in the heart of Christchurch next to the Avon River and adjacent to Hagley Park, which it uses for its playing fields. It is in close proximity to Christ's College, the Canterbury Museum, the Christchurch Art Gallery and the Christchurch CBD.

The school was founded in 1881 to educate the choristers of ChristChurch Cathedral, an objective which it is still fulfilling to this day. Cathedral Grammar is a member of the Choir Schools Association whose members include the ancient cathedral choirs of the United Kingdom - Westminster Abbey, King's College Cambridge, Magdalen College, St Paul's Cathedral to name but a few. It is one of only a small number of choir schools in the Southern Hemisphere, since Christchurch Cathedral is the only Anglican cathedral in New Zealand to have an English-style male-only Cathedral choir.

Almost immediately after its establishment, admission to the school was also opened to boys who were not choristers, and girls were accepted into the school from 1988.

Unique amongst Christchurch schools as well as New Zealand primary schools, Cathedral Grammar provides single sex education to both boys and girls on the same grounds with the Girls' School opening in 1995.

The school is divided into four departments. The Pre-School is co-ed, taking boys and girls from ages three to four. The Junior School is also co-ed for pupils from Years 1-3 (ages five to seven). In the Preparatory School, a separate Girls' School and Boys' School provide largely single sex classes. Extension classes in Mathematics are the only co-ed classes at this level. The Boys' and Girls' School combine for chapel services, orchestra, assemblies, some sports events, operettas, social functions and share common playgrounds.

The Headmaster is Paul Kennedy. He is supported by Heads of Department for each of the fours areas of the school. Class sizes are a maximum of 17 in Year 1, 20 in Years 2 and 3 and 24 in Years 4 to 8.