Motto | Honour All Men, Love the Brotherhood, Fear God, Honour the King. |
---|---|
Established | 1552 |
Type | Independent boarding school |
Religion | Church of England |
President | Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester |
Headmaster | John Franklin |
Deputy Head | Marlene Fleming and Jon Perriss |
Chairman of the Council of Almoners | Garry Johnson |
Founder | Edward VI |
Location |
Horsham West Sussex RH13 0YP United Kingdom Coordinates: 51°02′39″N 0°21′47″W / 51.044167°N 0.363056°W |
DfE URN | 126107 Tables |
Students | 870: 435 girls & 435 boys (2015) |
Gender | Coeducational |
Ages | 11–18 |
Houses | 18 Boarding Houses |
Colours |
Blue & Yellow |
Publications |
Housey! The Blue The Broadie |
Patron | Elizabeth II |
Former pupils | Old Blues |
School Song |
Votum The Foundation Hymn |
Website | www |
Blue & Yellow
Christ's Hospital, also called the Bluecoat School, Housey and CH, is an English coeducational independent day and boarding school with Royal Charter located in the Sussex countryside just south of Horsham in West Sussex, that follows much of public schools tradition. It is a charity school, giving children from poorer backgrounds the chance to have a better education. The school was founded in the 16th century in Greyfriars, London and Ware, with the school moving in 1902 to its present location in West Sussex. A girls school was founded in Hertford which then merged with the boys school in the 1980s.
In 2006 19% of children accepting places were assessed as being in "very high" need, 64% in "medium to high" need and 17% in "low" need.
The trustees of the foundation are the Council of Almoners, chaired by the Treasurer of Christ's Hospital, who govern the foundation according to a Scheme of Administration granted by the Charity Commission. The historic Court of Governors survives as a formal institution consisting of over 650 benefactors but its powers have since the 19th century been largely transferred to the smaller Council of Almoners.
In 2007 Christ's Hospital was separated into two related registered charities: Christ's Hospital Foundation and Christ's Hospital School.
Admission of pupils is either by open competitive examination or by "show of skills" — in either case the suitability of candidates is judged according to criteria of need and parental income. Some of the means of entry are denoted on the uniform by a round metal plate (varying in design according to type of presentation) sewn on the breast of the housey coat.
The school's Tudor uniform consists of belted, long blue coats with knee-breeches, yellow socks, and bands at the neck. The uniform has been in place since 1552. The nickname "Blue-coat School" comes from the blue coats worn by the students – however, the nickname used within the school community itself is "Housey" and the long coat is called a "housey coat".