400 Facts for 400 Years

We don't know when the school started having a second 'l' in 'Challoner'. The oldest documents we have which date from the start of the 20th Century have the spelling as we know it today. The school was also known as "Amersham Grammar School" well into the 1950s as this blazer badge shows.

1576-84 Robert Chaloner served as Rector of Amersham before becoming Canon of the Twelfth Stall at St George's Chapel Windsor

Robert Chaloner was born in the village of Goldsborough near Knaresborough. His Will also left monies for the setting up of a school there which is still going strong today

The current DCGS site is within the 60 acre plot of Robert Chaloner's Rectory

The School began life in St Mary's Church until a School House was made available under the terms of Dr Chaloner's Will

In 1765 the accounts declared that "all the Trustees were dead" and "the master hacingin left in haste there was no school" Fortunately, Rev Richard Thorne, whom one of our houses is named after today stepped in to turn things around

Edward Rayner served as the first Headmaster 1624-1640. His name now lives on as one of the six school houses. The House Competition is keenly fought each year

Students in 1624 would start at the age of 8 and then matriculate at 14-15. Students were at school 6 days a week for around 12 hours a day with a two hour break for lunch

The Headmaster was responsible for the manners of pupils and to see that "they come not uncombed, unwashed, ragged or slovenly" and was to punish severely "swearing, lying, picking (pockets) stealing, quarrelling, wanton speech, unclean behaviour and such-like"

Upon joining the school Parents were instructed to find their children "sufficient paper, ink, pens, books and candles for the winter and other things requisite for their studies"

The first Cricket and football matches were played on Barn Meadow in 1895, in 2021 Hannah Davis became the first girl to play senior cricket at DCGS

Mr Wainwright was the first non-clergy Headmaster and was appointed in 1897 and stayed in post until his death in 1908. His drive and enthusiasm transformed the curriculum. He secured funding from Government for the school's first Science lab which opened in 1898 at a cost of £18. Our two brand new science labs, were completed in spring 2022

The first specialist teacher to be appointed at DCGS was a visiting Art Teacher in 1901. Art continues to thrive at the school today

In 1966 Sixth Form Prefects were dispensed with, the responsibilties to be shared amongst the Sixth Form as a whole.

Fee paying for an education at DCGS was ended by the 1944 Education Act which established a national education system. The school is proud to remain within the state sector

Alauda started in 1925; previously there had been a school publication for only 2 years (The Eagle) which had lapsed with Mr Wainwright’s death. Our current school magazine Ad Astra was first published back in 2001

The Trustees overhauled the school in 1840 and boys were expected to appear at school with "clean hands, faces and shoes"

In 1911 at a cost of £1786 the first extension to the school was made with the addition of what is now the Loarridge Centre, the Humanities rooms and the Music Department

A job advert for a new Headmaster was posted in The Guardian newspaper in January 1886. Applicants were required to be a Clergy of the Church of England and must be able to teach Greek and Latin.

On 6 February 1952 - Queen Elizabeth II started her reign. At the time, there were 157 boys at the school and 193 girls

In 2002 in a major sponsorship initiative to raise funds for an expedition to Mongolia, 30 students pulled a Boeing 737 along the runway at Luton Airport.

15th May 1900 saw the meeting of the school's first Governing Body which superceded the original twelve Trustees mentioned by Robert Chaloner. Members included the Rector of Amersham, members of Bucks CC, representatives of the Tyrwhitt-Drake family as well as representatives from Amersham and one from Chesham.

In May 1947 the Headmaster informed the governors about his idea for a swimming pool, stating that ‘the work of excavation should be started as soon as possible by the boys of the school.’ Unsurprisingly, this idea did not get very far!

In 1917, the school took in two Belgian refugees and in the same year, for the first time in its history the school had a waiting list. The school has remained over-subscribed ever since.

15th June 1920 saw the first radio set in use in the school using a crystal set which had been impounded by the government during the war and only just released

1902 saw the school referred to by the Board of Education as "School 201"; by the Country Council as "Amersham Grammar School", by the Governors as "The Free School" or "The Grammar School". But the Headmaster referred to it as "Dr Challoner's Grammar School", the name which has stuck.

One of the many fun things students at Challoner's have done includes a 30 legged 100 yards run on 2 July 1977

Science Colleges were introduced in 2002 and in July 2002 DCGS was one of the first schools in the country to be awarded Science College status.

In July 2004, staff and students walked 8.5 miles in a 'Whole School Walk', raising over £2000 for charity and for the redevelopment of the school playing fields, finishing with a picnic at Shardeloes.

1902 saw the school referred to by the Board of Education as "School 201"; by the Country Council as "Amersham Grammar School", by the Governors as "The Free School" or "The Grammar School". However, the Headmaster referred to it as "Dr Challoner's Grammar School", the name which has stuck. #400factsfor400years

The school grew in size under Mr Porter from 344 students in 1956 to 820 students in 1962. The roll is approximately 1363 today.

In September 1892 (130 yrs ago) Amersham Station was built. This had a huge impact on the local area allowing people to commute to London and allowed students to commute out to Challoner's.

In September 1962 Dr Challoner's High School opened for girls to attend with the Grammar School reverting to a boys school once more

Back in 1975, the school bought its first ever computer for £3,000. In 2022, now Year 7s are requested to provide their own iPads, if possible

Storms in January 1989 took the Hall roof off, and again on 3 January 2012 January

The new buildings on the Chesham Road opened in September 1905 and for the first time the school was mixed. The school became single sex during the 1960s, but readmitted girls into the Sixth Form in September 2016

Beijing is the only country to host both the Winter and Summer Olympic Games! Former DCGS PE teacher, Paul Dickenson, represented the UK and England as a hammer thrower at the Olympics and Commonwealth Games in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He became a commentator for the BBC and has commentated on every Olympic Games (Winter and Summer) since 1992.

On 19 March 2010 the Bucks Free Press reported that 134 students at DCGS had broken a world record for the the highest number of people to simultaneously complete a Rubik's Cube. They had clicked the cubes into shape in just 12 minutes 38 seconds

Mr Graham (Head of Year 7) was awarded the Exceptional Achievement Award for his work with UKSA over 10 years, on 25 March 2011. He had the honour of being presented the Award by HRH The Princess Royal. Our Year 7s continue to benefit from their UKSA September visits each year, dutifully managed by Mr Graham and Mrs Halpin

On 29 March 2017 the Year 10 Rugby Team competed against The Thomas Hardye School at the U15 NatWest Vase Cup final. The entire school were taken by coach to the world-renowned Twickenham Stadium to watch - no easy feat!

After the successful Perfect Pitch fundraising campaign we saw the opening of the new music block and the newly refurbished astroturf in April 2019.

Did you know that students once produced an alternative school magazine called D.O.G.S? For only 20p!

On 20 May 1998, students visited the iconic Concorde and got to go on board the plane.

On 24 May 1974, a Service of Thanksgiving was held at St Paul's Cathedral in London to celebrate the 350th anniversary of the school. Three trains were hired to transport 1500 students up to London. "I was at the school when we celebrated 350 years. The school arranged for the Founders Day service to be held at St Paul’s Cathedral instead of St Mary’s church. They hired three tube trains to transport us and the girls school to Barbican station. The girls were in the front four cars of the train and the boys were in the back four cars. We were not allowed to mix! As I was in the choir we were in the first train in to London and the third train back. It was an amazing day." Steve Boardman

In 2013 the students were excited to meet HRH Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex, who came to the school to open the new Sixth Form Centre and Milton Library

Have you heard of Heneritta Busk? She had an overriding interest in education which meant she was elected to Chair of Governors in 1928. She was a pioneer in both education and local politics. You can find out more about her in the 400 Years Anniversary book.

In September 2004 the current house names were introduced based on the names of previous Headmasters: Foxall, Holman, Newman, Pearson, Rayner and Thorne. The students at DCGS wear their relevant house tie until Sixth Form.

18 October 2011 saw the official opening of a new Performing Arts Studio at DCGS. Former Challoner’s student Rick Warden took time out of his busy acting schedule to conduct the official opening ceremony

In late October 2008 the school was covered in snow - an unusually early time of the year!

The school buildings escaped the ravages of WW2 unscathed, although there was a near miss in 1941 when a plane crashed on the school field!

In November 2011, former student, Joe Tunney aged 12 became the youngest member of the England U15 basketball squad

In 1911 an additional 66 square feet of frontage on the Chesham Road was purchased for just £200. The average cost for one square foot of property in outer London is currently priced at £572, according to Property Industry Eye

Back in 1969 the "Friends of Dr Challoner's Grammar School" came into being. Not only have they fundraised for the school improvements over the years, they have also provided social events for parents and students to meet and get to know each other better. Another plus has been the opportunities to improve relationships between staff and the school community.

John Loarridge OBE was Headmaster from 1972 until 1992 when he retired during which time Challoner's almost doubled in size.

The official opening of new buildings was presided over by Lord Birkett on 1 May 1959. Despite this, it became clear the school couldn't continne to support the growing population of Amersham, hence the decision to build a new girls' High School in Little Chalfont.

The school was open for teaching on a Saturday morning for over 300 years - a practice abandoned by Mr Harrow. Although there is no formal lessons on a Saturday now, there are often significant number of students participating in sporting fixtures

Bee keeping was in its element during WW2, although on at least one occasion, swarms had to be persuaded from entering class rooms.

24 Hour Famine was an annual charity event held by World Vision UK which started in 1986. The aim was to raise awareness and money for people stricken by famine around the world. On 25 March 1993 the Amesham Advertiser reported that 100 boys from DCGS took part by going hungry for 24 hours in a gruelling test of self-discipline. Leading by example was the then French teacher, Mrs Rubin.

Neville Harrow was Headmaster 1938-56 and enlisted in the RAF in 1941. It was later revealed that he had spent time at Bletchley Park translating secret German coded messages. Each year, DCGS organises an enrichment visit for our Year 7s to Bletchley Park.

In 1979, there was a plan for the then Headmaster, John Loarridge, to be temporarily moved into a caravan, where the Reception is now.