Motto |
Latin: Labor omnia vincit ("Work Conquers All") |
---|---|
Established | July 1841 |
Type |
Independent Day & Boarding Public school |
Religion | Church of England |
Headmaster | Dr Alex Peterken |
President | Mr W J Straker-Nesbit |
Founder | G.S. Harcourt, J.S. Iredell |
Location |
Bath Road Cheltenham Gloucestershire GL53 7LD England |
Local authority | Gloucestershire |
DfE URN | 115795 Tables |
Ofsted | Reports |
Staff | 88 |
Students | 600 |
Gender | Co-educational |
Ages | 3–18 |
Houses | 10 |
Colours | |
Former students | Old Cheltonians |
Publication | The Cheltonians |
Website | www |
Cheltenham College is a co-educational independent school, located in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England. One of the public schools of the Victorian period, it was opened in July 1841. A Church of England foundation, it is known for its classical, military and sporting traditions, and currently has 610 pupils.
Two Cheltenham residents, G.S. Harcourt and J.S. Iredell, founded Cheltenham College in 1841 to educate the sons of gentlemen. It originally opened in three houses along Bays Hill Terrace in the centre of the town.
Within two years it had moved to its present site—with Boyne House as the first College Boarding House—and soon became known simply as Cheltenham College. Taking both boarding and day boys, it was originally divided into Classical and Military sides until the mid-twentieth century. The 1893 book Great Public Schools by E. S. Skirving, S. R. James, and Henry Churchill Maxwell Lyte contained a chapter on each of what they considered England's ten greatest public schools; it included a chapter on Cheltenham College. It is now an independent fee paying school, governed by Cheltenham College Council. A few girls were admitted in 1969 and then in 1981 when the first girls' house opened, the Sixth Form became fully co educational. In 1998, girls were admitted to all other years, making the College fully co-educational.
In 1865, a Junior Department was added to the main College buildings. In 1993 it opened its doors to girls and also opened Kingfishers for 3–7-year olds.
In the First World War 675 Old Cheltonians (former pupils) were killed in the service of their country, and a further 363 died in World War II. Cheltenham's military past is recognised by the fact that it is one of only three schools in England (the others being Eton College, founded in 1440, and the Duke of York's Royal Military School, founded in 1803) to have its own military colours (last presented in 2000 by The Princess Royal). Queen Victoria School in Dunblane, Scotland, also has Colours.