Sussex House School

Sussex House School (commonly known as Sussex House), is a boys’ preparatory school located in Chelsea, London. Founded in 1952, the school occupies a house designed by Norman Shaw at 68 Cadogan Square, and since 1994 has operated as an independent charitable trust. It typically has a roll of between 180 and 190 pupils. Affiliated to the Church of England, pupils use nearby St Simon Zelotes as the school chapel. Sussex House offers a variety of sports but is known in particular for its success in fencing. The headmaster maintains links with Eton, KCS Wimbledon, St Paul's, Westminster School, and Winchester College; in any given year around 80 per cent of leavers depart for one of these institutions. Former pupils are known as Old Cadogans and include actor Daniel Radcliffe, author Edward St Aubyn, gerontologist Aubrey de Grey, politician Thomas Galbraith, 2nd Baron Strathclyde, and filmmaker Matthew Vaughn. History Sussex House School was founded in 1952 by educator Vernon Davies and was named after a school he had run in Sussex Place that was destroyed in The Blitz. It received charitable status when it separated from the Vernon Trust in 1994 at the initiative of new headmaster Nicholas Kaye. Headmasters Marquis Geoffrey de la Condamine de Sèvres Denys Roberts Philip Hall John Whittaker 1970s-1994 Nicholas Kaye 1994- Nicholas Kaye, a graduate of Magdalene College, Cambridge is the current headmaster and was appointed to this role in early January 1994, having been deputy since 1986. He holds a Master of Arts and a Diploma in Religious Education and is a Freedom of the City of London and a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Bakers. Profile As of October 2019, the school had 184 pupils enrolled. Of these, 28 spoke English as an additional language and 39 were identified as being very academically gifted, for whom the curriculum is modified. A report by the Independent Schools Inspectorate noted that most pupils come from families with professional and business backgrounds who live within a five-mile (eight-kilometre) radius of the school; the ability of the pupils is above the national average. It has a full-time staff of 21, supplemented by visiting sports and music staff. There is a variety of student activities, including an architecture club, whose members go on walking tours of Chelsea, and coding club. Although a number of sports are on offer, such as cricket and football, Sussex House has been especially successful in fencing, and has produced more national champions than any other school in Britain. A board of trustees is responsible for all aspects of running the school, supported by a team of advisory governors. The headmaster is one of the trustees. Admissions The admissions process comprises an interview and a written exam; the latter is taken in January each year and features questions on English, Maths and verbal reasoning. A report from the previous school is also taken into consideration. In total, 36 boys are admitted each academic year. The main pre-prep feeders are reportedly Garden House School, Eaton House Belgravia, Redcliffe School, Norland Place School, both Wetherby Kensington and Notting Hill Schools and Hawkesdown House. Fees School fees are charged termly and are payable on or before the first day of each term. There are no compulsory extras on the fees, but extras including extracurricular activities and trips & travel are charged. If a boy is withdrawn or expelled from the school either a full term’s notice or a payment of a term’s fees in lieu of notice must be given. The fee was £11,100 per term, for a total of £33,300 over the three-term academic year during the 2024-5 academic year, but rose to its current amount of £11,544 per term, £34, 632 per year. Trustees, governing body and officers Trustees Xavier B. F. Mayer (Chairman) Mrs. Jennifer Marie Elias M. A. J. Goedhuis Nicholas Paul Kaye Richard Thomas G. Winter Governors J. A. Crewe (Chairman) Mrs. Jennifer Marie Elias Julian Dominique Gallant H. D. Grayson P. D. Hargreaves R. T. G. Winter CBE FCA Forbes Secretaries was nominated to be Secretary on 5 January 1994, but the nomination was withdrawn on 13 January 1994, eight days later. The company secretary was headmaster Nicholas Kaye from 13 January 1994 to 11 November 2025, when Lucy Anne Maunder, the school bursar, became secretary. The position is not to be confused with School Secretary. There are no registered persons with significant responsibility (PSRs). Notable former pupils Former pupils are known as Old Cadogans, named after the square on which the school is located (Cadogan Square). Parents include the politicians Jeremy Hunt, Rory Stewart, Sir Tam Galbraith, KBE MP, Karan Bilimoria, Baron Bilimoria, Charles Cadogan, 8th Earl Cadogan, KBE, and Mark Cubitt, 5th Baron Ashcombe, the royals Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, Katharine, Duchess of Kent, Alexander Windsor, Earl of Ulster, Claire, Countess of Ulster, Lord Nicholas Windsor, and Lady Nicholas Windsor, and the aristocrats the Dowager Duchess of St Albans and Randal Alexander McDonnell, 10th Earl of Antrim, and the sailor Francis Chichester. References External links Official website Profile at the Independent Schools Council website