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Information For All Applicants
Caterham School was founded in 1811 for the sons of Congregational Ministers and still has links with the United Reformed Church as it continues to give bursaries to the sons of Ministers. The School moved to its present site in 1884. For most of this century it was Direct Grant but it is now a fully independent, co-educational day and boarding school, drawing pupils from a wide range of backgrounds. The School is surrounded by its own playing fields; the 80 acre campus sits at the head of the lovely Harestone Valley, which winds up from the town to the ancient North Downs Way. The town has a regular 55-minute train service to London (Charing Cross, Waterloo East and London Bridge stations). It is two miles from the M25 (Junction 6) and four miles from the M23 motorway, thus offering easy access to Gatwick and Heathrow airports as well as the varied countryside of Surrey, Sussex and Kent. The School is divided into the Preparatory School and the Senior School, both on the same site, with 272 and 746 pupils respectively. On leaving the Preparatory School at 11, most pupils enter the Senior School and the majority stay on into the Sixth Form, currently numbering 241. Academic standards are high and the intake is selective at all ages. In the Senior School, the main intake age is 11 although pupils may also enter at 13 and Sixth Form Level. Academic Scholarships are awarded at 11+, 13+ and 16+ to pupils of high academic promise who will benefit from the opportunities that Caterham provides and who will contribute strongly to the life of the school. Music Scholarships, All Rounder Scholarships and Art Exhibitions are also available. Caterham underwent major developments in September 1995 - it became fully co-educational and the Senior School moved to an 11 – 18 teaching range. An extensive development programme provided a new teaching block with purpose-built accommodation for a number of academic departments including English, Modern Languages and Mathematics, a new Sports Centre and swimming pool and an all-weather pitch. In January 2000, a new Sixth Form wing was added to the girls' boarding house. Since then, there has been a multi-million pound refurbishment of both the boys' and girls’ boarding houses to incorporate many study-bedrooms with en-suite facilities offering a high standard of accommodation for 140 boarders. In addition improvements have been made to the Performing Arts' facilities, and a new Modern Languages laboratory was opened in February 2001. The School has up-to-date ICT facilities including 44 interactive whiteboards and over 460 fully networked PC’s in dedicated suites, departmental clusters and Tutor rooms. In Summer 2006 the new science block with 12 labs and a new refectory will open. Following that the old science block will be refurbished to accommodate the Humanities department. In the first years of the Senior School the academic curriculum is broad; all pupils follow a balanced curriculum of Arts, Humanities and Science subjects based on the National Curriculum. At GCSE, pupils study the core subjects, a Modern Language and a Humanity subject. In all, they make a choice of nine or ten GCSE subjects. In the Sixth Form pupils study four subjects to AS level and three or four subjects to A2 level. In 2005, 98% of the GSCE passes were A* - C with 56% at A or A*. The A level pass rate was 100% with 83% grades at A or B. Almost all pupils go on to university; in 2005 87% went to their first choice with 64% going to top tier universities. Extra-curricular activities play a significant role in the life of the school. The Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme is a popular option, as are Young Enterprise and the CCF. Art, Drama and Music are all very strong. The major games for boys are rugby, hockey and cricket but tennis, swimming, badminton, squash, athletics and cross-country are played competitively. Other sports are also available. The girls take part in lacrosse, netball, tennis, athletics and swimming. Staff work hard and it is not a school for those who like a '9 to 5' existence, for they are expected to help with games and/or one of the numerous clubs and societies. Caterham aims to provide an education for life in an environment that is supportive and friendly. The pastoral and academic oversight of every pupil is primarily the responsibility of his or her tutor operating within a vertical year structure. Each pupil is placed into a Tutor Group and a "House". The House system is the backbone of intramural competition. Caterham has its own salary scale, and staff belong to the Teachers' Superannuation Scheme. Caterham School is a member of the United Church Schools Trust.; seven other schools across the country, including Guildford High School and Surbiton High School, are members of the Company. Each school pursues its own character and style whilst benefiting from the strength, and membership, of the Group |
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Caterham School Information For All Applicants
A Brief Resume for Prospective Staff