Chatham and Clarendon Grammar School

Chatham House was officially founded in 1797 by Dr William Humble along Chatham Street, although there is some evidence of existence prior to its formal establishment.[1] Clarendon House was founded in 1905 on the first floor of the old police station.[2]

The two Ramsgate schools, Clarendon House and Chatham House, had often partnered with each other for activities such as instrumental bands, choirs, an annual theatre production and field trips. Both were single sex until fifth form then allowed both boys and girls to enter in the sixth form. In the sixth form the two schools, actually within ten minutes' walk of each other, some AS and A level subjects were taught jointly by both schools, such as Music and Music Technology; or by one school. Drama that was taught at Clarendon but available to Chatham House students, while Sport Science was taught at Chatham House, but available to Clarendon House students. Clarendon House, however, was under-subscribed: Chatham House being over-subscribed.

The two schools federated in January 2011 to become a Converter Academy.[3] bringing greater control over admissions, site & buildings, curriculum development and much-needed additional income.[4] Then, in spring 2011, it was announced that the schools would work together as one school. Year 7, 8 and 9 pupils would be based at Chatham House and year 10 and 11 pupils would be based at the former Clarendon House. The sixth-form centre would be based on both sites with all lessons being split between them. In this intermediate stage, Year 9 was moved to the lower school while the decisions about the sites were being taken.

Virtually all maintained schools and academies follow the National Curriculum, and are inspected by Ofsted on how well they succeed in delivering a 'broad and balanced curriculum'.[5] Schools endeavour to get all students to achieve the English Baccalaureate (EBACC) qualification- this must include core subjects, a modern or ancient foreign language, and either History or Geography. Schools are obliged to publish the philosophy governing their curriculum on their website.[6]

As the two schools became one, the house systems needed to change as Clarendon House had four houses for the entire school with Chatham having four different houses in the lower and upper school.

As a result of student voting, from September 2011, the new houses consisted of Thomas-Sharman (TS), Rothschild-Pearce (RP), Mann-Somerville (MS) and Knight-Heath (KH),[8] double-barrelled amalgamations of old Chatham and Clarendon house names. It was announced that the new house colours would be Red, Silver, Gold and Blue.

House Competitions

There is an annual House Competition within the school as the four different houses compete in competitions to increase their total score. The house with the greatest score at the end of each academic year is the winning house.

Note: KH - Knight-Health, MS - Mann-Sommerville, RP - Rothschild-Pearce, TS - Thomas-Sharman

In both Schools, as a form of award, teachers may give out rewards known as Achievement Points or Commendations. Depending on the amount which a pupil has, there are various certificates which are given, and also a prize in the form of a pin badge, which students can wear on their uniform. Below are the awards which pupils may receive, and the higher the commendations needed, usually the harder it is to obtain the specific certificate.

Note that some houses repeat the commendation certificates for a second, third or possibly fourth round if pupils gain 100 commendations - which warrants a Red Certificate No. 2. However, not all houses do this and some just keep to the standard seven certificates.

Alumni of Chatham House are known as Old Ruymians.

• Iain Aitch - author and journalist
• Herbert William Allingham, surgeon to the Household of King Edward VII, and surgeon in ordinary to the Prince of Wales (later King George V)[13]
• Allan Butler, Ambassador to Mongolia from 1984 to 1987
• Maj-Gen Patrick Crawford GM, Commandant from 1989 to 1993 of the Royal Army Medical College
• Jamie Davies - racing driver
• Matt Dunn - romantic comedy novelist
• Marc Gascoigne - fantasy writer
• Prof Peter Gregory (academic),[14] Director since 2005 of the Scottish Crop Research Institute at Invergowrie near Dundee, and Professor of Soil Science from 1994–2005 at the University of Reading
• Geoffrey Colin Guy CMG CVO OBE, Governor of Saint Helena from 1976 to 1981, and Commissioner of the Turks and Caicos Islands from 1958 to 1959 and 1959–1965

Former prime minister Edward Heath was an Old Ruymian

• Sir Edward Heath - Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1970 to 1974[15]
• Stewart Jackson - Conservative MP for Peterborough from 2005 to 2017
• Sean Kerly - Olympic field hockey player
• Lieutenant Marc Lawrence,[16] Sea King observer of 849 Naval Air Squadron, killed on 21 March 2003 in a crash in Kuwait
• Ali Marchant, radio DJ
• John Marek Labour MP for Wrexham from 1983–2001
• Frank Muir - humourist[17]
• Rev Dr Edward Norman, gave the BBC Reith Lecture in 1978
• John Ovenden, Labour MP for Gravesend from 1974 to 1979 and Leader of Kent County Council from 1994 to 1997
• Geoff Parsons - Olympic high jumper
• Charles Robson (1859–1943), Middlesex and Hampshire wicket-keeper, and secretary (manager) of Southampton Football Club[18]
• Prof Robert Tavernor, emeritus professor of architecture and urban design at the London School of Economics (LSE)
• Air Chief Marshal Sir Peter Terry, station commander from 1968 to 1970 of RAF El Adem (in Libya), Governor of Gibraltar from 1985 to 1989, and targeted by the IRA on 18 September 1990 which severely injured him
• Air Vice-Marshal Henry Thornton CBE
• Nik Turner - founder of the space rock band Hawkwind
• Most Rev Gregory James Venables, Archbishop of South America since 2001
• Air Chief Marshal Sir Bill Wratten CBE CB - Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of RAF Strike Command during the first Gulf War, station commander from 1980 to 1982 of RAF Coningsby

• Chatham & Clarendon Grammar School Home Page