Cheam School is a mixed preparatory school located in Headley, in the civil parish of Ashford Hill with Headley in Hampshire. Originally a boys school, Cheam was founded in 1645 by George Aldrich.
History The school started in Cheam, Surrey.
In the 19th century, the school was strictly for the sons of gentlemen only. One boy had to leave when his father was found to be a tradesman, with a shop in London selling cutlery.Arthur A. Adrian, Mark Lemon: First Editor of 'Punch' (1966), p. 8
In 1934 the school moved to its present site on the borders of Hampshire and Berkshire, previously a country house known as Beenham Court, when its part of Surrey was developing from a quiet village into a busy suburb. The school has occupied its present home, with nearly of grounds, since then.
Just before the move, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh was a pupil there. His son, the future King Charles III, was later a pupil at the school.
Present day
There are four houses (known as divisions): Aldrich (yellow), Beck (green), Gilpin (red), and Tabor (blue). The school colours are red and blue.
Cheam educates both boys and girls between the ages of three and thirteen and takes day-pupils as well as boarders.
Headmasters 1645–1685: George Aldrich 1685–1701: Henry Day 1701–1711: Robert LLoyd 1711–1739: Daniel Sanxay 1739–1752 James Sanxay 1752–1777: William Gilpin 1777–1805: William Gilpin (1757-1848) 1805– ?: Joseph Wilson 1826–1846: Charles Mayo 1856–1890: Robert Tabor 1891–1920: Arthur Tabor 1921–1947: Harold Taylor 1947–1963: Peter Beck"PETER BECK Headmaster who caned Prince Charles — twice" (obituary) in The Times dated 4 June 2002, p. 27, from The Times Digital Archive, accessed 16 September 2013 1963–1971: Michael Stannard 1972–1985: Michael Wheeler 1985–1998: Christopher Evers 1998–2016: Mark Johnson 2016–2021: Martin Harris 2021–2022: Tom Haigh (acting) 2022–2024: William Phelps 2024– : Nick Milbank
Notable alumni In alphabetical order:
Henry Addington, 1st Viscount Sidmouth, Prime Minister, 1801–1804 Charles Bathurst, 1st Viscount Bledisloe Lord Berners, painter and composer Ivo Bligh, 8th Earl of Darnley, England's first Ashes winning captain Christopher Bulstrode, Orthopedic surgeon and author Charles III, King of the United Kingdom and head of the Commonwealth.Anthony Holden, Prince Charles (1979), p. 119 Hugh Childers, Chancellor of the Exchequer, 1882–1885 Randolph Churchill, minister and father of Winston Churchill Robert S. de Ropp researcher and writer Digby Mackworth Dolben, poet Reginald Drax, admiral Henry Carey Druce, British army officer, SAS William Fletcher rower William Gilpin (priest), headmaster, 1752–1777 Douglas Hogg, 1st Viscount Hailsham, Lord Chancellor Yeshwantrao Holkar II, the last Maharaja of Indore, 1926-1947 Aubrey Hopwood, lyricist and novelist Ronald Hopwood, British naval officer and poet Arthur Kinnaird, 11th Lord Kinnaird, footballer and banker Mark Lemon (1809–1870), founding editor of Punch and The Field Leonora MacKinnon, fencer for team Canada in the 2012 London Olympics Clements Robert Markham, explorer and Royal Geographical Society president Jake Meyer, Seven Summits mountaineer John Michell, writer and esotericist John MacLeod of MacLeod, 29th Chief of Clan MacLeod Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, consort of Elizabeth II Sukhumbhand Paribatra, 15th Governor of Bangkok Edward Plunkett, 18th Baron Dunsany, writer Harry Prendergast, Victoria Cross recipient Charles Younger, Scottish cricketer
See also List of the oldest schools in the United Kingdom
Notes
External links Cheam School official website