School History and Tradition

Caterham School was founded in 1811 by The Revd. John Townsend in Lewisham to provide a boarding school for the sons of Congregational ministers. In 1884, 114 boys and their teaching staff moved to the present site at Caterham and by 1900 the school accepted the sons of laymen and day boys. Today we welcome pupils from all backgrounds and continue to give foundation bursaries to the children of ministers of the United Reformed Church.

The Preparatory School opened in 1935 when the Shirley Goss building was adapted as a teaching block. At the same time Mottrams was purchased by the Old Caterhamians in memory of Mr Mottram (Headteacher from 1910-34) to become a junior boarding house.

In 1994 the merger with the junior department of Eothen School introduced co-education and enabled us to convert Mottrams into a Pre-Preparatory department as an integral part of Caterham Preparatory School.