Charterhouse
11+ Admissions Guide 2026

Charterhouse is an independent boarding and day school for boys aged 13 to 18 and girls from age 16 to 18, set near Guildford. The school has a long and storied history, having been founded near Smithfields in London in 1611 before moving to its current home in 1872. Girls have been welcomed into the sixth form since 1971. The school aims to be academically focused whilst nurturing the whole person. It seeks to encourage independent thinking and intellectual curiosity, enrich spiritual awareness, develop physical fitness alongside a love of the arts, and foster a sense of individuality, duty, and commitment to others. Sixth formers have the choice of studying the International Baccalaureate diploma as an alternative to other sixth form qualifications, and Mandarin is offered to pupils across all year groups. Pupils come from a range of professional backgrounds, predominantly from British families, with boarders drawn mainly from the South East of England as well as from many countries overseas. The school provides support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and offers specialist help for those who speak English as an additional language. Extension programmes are also in place to stretch and challenge the most able pupils.

Year 9 and 10 pupils are not permitted smartphones but may have basic 'brick phones' to enable communication with their parents. Devices are school-purchased and restricted, while mobile phones are only allowed at certain times of the day, depending on age and stage.