The History of our School

CCHS opened in 1989 at the Westminster Children’s Hospital near Victoria, in the borough of Westminster, to teach children and young people on the hospital wards. Then we were called Westminster Children’s Hospital School. Shortly afterward the Collingham Child and Family unit opened in Collingham Gardens and we established the school on the unit for children aged 5-13. Our school opened under the leadership of Janette Steel, who continues to serve as Principal today.  

In 1993 after the closure of the Westminster Children’s Hospital we moved to the new Chelsea & Westminster Hospital, which gave us the new name of Chelsea Children's Hospital School. 

The school continued to grow with the opening of the school at The Royal Brompton Hospital and the Cheyne Unit, a provision for children with the most complex learning and health needs.

In 2002 the school expanded to teach children and young people in Kensington and Chelsea who were unable to attend school due to their medical or mental health needs. This expansion and new remit prompted us to change ‘children’ to ‘community’ making us Chelsea Community Hospital School, a school working both in and out of hospitals.  

In 2006 we stepped back into the borough of Westminster to open up the school at St Mary’s Hospital and to work with children and young people in the community. Our task was to bring the same outstanding education to the children of Westminster, as cited by Ofsted, on each of their visits to the school.  

By 2018 we had added two more provisions, The Portland Hospital and the new adolescent mental health unit at Lavender Walk.  

Though much has changed over the years, our vision remains the same. We are an inclusive school where everyone is valued. We are reflective of our place, in the heart of London, with links right across the world through our students and our professional collaborations. 

You can look back over our news archive to find more interesting school developments and details of our journey over the years. See for yourself what makes CCHS such an innovative and inspiring place to learn and work.