Dr Challoner’s Grammar School is proud to have been educating local students for 400 years, helping them to fulfil their potential and achieve their dreams. As we celebrate our anniversary, it is natural to look to the future and how we, as today's citizens, can ensure that we are able to provide the best possible pastoral care, nurturing environment and academic support for the students of tomorrow. Just as Dr Chaloner left his legacy 400 years ago, it is now time for us to leave ours.

Students come to us now, more than ever, for help, support and guidance which is not available to them elsewhere. Issues include serious mental health needs, bereavement, anxiety, eating disorders and Special Educational Needs. Whilst we have fantastic staff, the support that they are able to give our student is currently constrained by a fundamental lack of suitable space (in sufficient space, lack of dedicated spaces and pastoral support teams dispersed across the school site) in which to deliver that support. We now have an opportunity to transform our site and create a dedicated Student Support Centre on our school site that removes these constraints. Whilst much fundraising has already taken place, we now seek the remaining £250,000 to bring our plans to fruition.

The purchase of 149 Station Road, immediately opposite our site, provides a uniquely exciting opportunity. Relocating back office staff to these new premises will allow us to create a new pastoral support centre on the school site with rooms devoted to specific services such as counselling, careers guidance, confidential meetings with outside agencies and quiet spaces to support parents and families. The new space will provide approximately 40% additional space for these vital services and also allow the co-location of our pastoral support functions, increasing the efficiency of how different departments communicate and support students. The new physical spaces will be a game changer with regard to the pastoral support that can be offered to all students.

View of the Outside of the New Student Support Centre

We urgently need your support to bring these exciting plans into reality and ensure that students have new, state-of-the art facilities as soon as possible. If you would like to make a one-off gift via debit or credit card, please do so using the link above.

Donations in support of this project are made to Dr Challoner's School Educational Trust (registered charity number 298550), please do remember that if you are a UK Tax player and tick the Gift Aid Declaration, we are able to claim an extra 25p for every £1 donated from HMRC.

If you are able to make a gift please do so by clicking on the form at the top of the page. All gifts are extremely valuable to us, but regular gifts by Direct Debit are invaluable as it enables us to plan for the future and you can support us over a period of time in a way which is manageable to you.

Any gift, large or small, is hugely appreciated. If you would like any more information on donating to the school, please contact Clare Atkinson (Development Director) at clare.atkinson@challoners.org or 01494 787570.