b'LONDON AND SOUTH EASTjoyful noise with the precision and skill of pro- washing up. Pupils can choose to do their own fessionals; their gigs include the Lord Mayorslaundry; some do.show, Lords cricket ground, and Whitehall on Remembrance Sunday. Ethos and heritage: Once she saw it, she wanted The art teacher enthuses about the rigoursit, said a parent about her daughter, although it of art Pre-Upupils need to be independent andwas very different from her small rural primary committed to spend a year developing a portfo- school; such diversity quite a change. Pupils lio. History of art is also available at A level, andare from a range of backgrounds, and as such, increasing numbers of pupils go on to study artwealth is not a subject of conversation; its rare after school. The current artist in residence makesto hear conversations about the latest family rugby balls, footballsin fact any ballin plaster.skiing holiday or new car. This diversity is one of He does some teaching, too, and pupils benetthe great and unusual attributes of CH, and evi-from having a real artist working alongside them. dence of a school holding fast to its founding purpose: to care for and educate those from dis-Sport: Sport is excellent, said a parent, andadvantaged backgrounds.with games every afternoon, they get plenty of practice. Sports are compulsory, but with more exibility higher up the school. At this Rainbow Flag Award school, there are mixed football andRooms for four for the first two cricket teams, and rugby 7s for both sexes. Theyears; single rooms for GCSE and Bluecoat sports centre is very swish, with mem-berships available for the public when not in useabove. Sixth form house is a release by pupils. of grip. Pupils can choose to do Boarding: Nearly all pupils are full boarders, buttheir own laundry; some dothis is less radical than it used to be: pupils go home every third weekend, leaving school atTradition is very important here; [Its] won-lunchtime on a Friday and returning on Sundayderful to be part of something so warm and evening. Two boarding houses are kept open fortimeless, glowed a parent, and there is a real those who cant or dont want to go home. sense of strength and purpose owing from the Rooms for four for the rst two years; singlepast to power the present. Pupils and parents are rooms for GCSE and above. Desks in rooms, wherein no doubt of its value: it unies. The startling pupils complete their homeworkonce they haveuniform of Tudor-style breeches, white shirts shown that they are responsible enough to do so.and bands and long housey coats levels the play-Just eight new pupils in each house each year; aing eld socially, said a parent, or as pupils put manageable number of new faces, said a parent,it, You all feel so odd. Girls have a smart tted another saying, [its a] big family. Older onesjacket for the summer months; boys wear half-relay experiences to younger ones. housey, shedding the long coats. Like joining a Phones are taken away at night in the rstvery special club, said a parent.year (known as second form), and they dontA huge green quad; Keep off the grass encourage contact at the beginning, said a parent,(although pupils recently camped on it for char-who wistfully wished she had received some vol- ity). Pupils march in to lunch military style in untary updates on how her son was settling in,houses to the music of the excellent band, and are but if you dont hear anything, its ne. Anotherjudged on who makes the best marching noises said, You can pick up the phone anytime and(shout the loudest with clearest commands, we speak to the housemastertheyll make youclaried). Pupils say, Its quite fun; they like the aware if theres a problem. way it brings houses together and structures the At weekends, pupils in year 10 and aboveday.can go into Horsham on their own. Pupils reallyBuildings of red brick add warmth to the appreciate Saturday nights; sometimes the thea- grandeur; theres a splendid dining hall and good tre turns into a cinema; there are discos, houserange of food (new kitchens are under construc-pizza, great attention to detail makes you feeltion, for kitchen staff and pupil use). CH is the youre having a good time. only school who have calmly taken this reviewer Sixth form house is a release of grip, saysto the end of the lunch queue, which says some-the head. Spacious rooms contain basin, amplething about equality at this school, and at the wardrobe, large desk and shelf. There are modernschools that dont.bathrooms, and a shared kitchenIf you dontThis is an energetic and rather loud school, clean up it gets locked, said a pupil, resignedlybut there are plenty of rules which tend towards strict, in lessons and otherwise. No loose hair 617'