Charterhouse Bermondsey

The Charter School Bermondsey is a small free school with 450 pupils aged 11-16. Formerly Compass School Southwark, we opened in September 2013 to provide an outstanding education for local families.

We serve an inner-London community with a high level of need. The percentage of Pupil Premium eligible students is amongst the highest in the country at 62.2% and pupils with SEND at over 30%.

In a relatively short period, we have become the preferred choice for many families in our community. Our school has gained recognition for offering a distinctive educational experience to the children under our care which combines a rigorous academic curriculum with the development of the whole child, personally, and socially as we guide them towards happy, healthy and successful adult lives.

Our students achieve well. DfE School Performance Tables show a headline Progress 8 score of +0.29 compared to the National average of -0.03. This means our students, on average, made more than a quarter of a grade better progress across their curriculum than those with similar starting points Nationally. Ofsted rated the school “Good” in November 2022.

Some History

We moved into our fantastic new building in January 2024, and learned that the previous school on the site, Keeton’s Road School (1876-1940), which was destroyed during The Blitz, was known for its innovative curriculum with music and the arts.

Our Aim

Our goal is to be a world-class institution renowned for its exceptional academic achievements alongside creative, community and sporting opportunities. Our brilliant and dedicated staff teamwork with each child to develop a global perspective and help them achieve their ambitions.

Our core values—aspiration, integrity, exploration, and resilience – form the foundation of our approach. These values permeate all aspects of school life, including our daily routines, curriculum, and enriching experiences, ensuring a cohesive and supportive environment. Enrichment is at the heart of our curriculum. Students can experience activities ranging from journalism, to chess, debating, leatherwork and Spanish culture, all as part of the timetabled curriculum.

Music is very much in its infancy at Charter Bermondsey, and the MISST programme promises to provide a framework, resources and opportunities for our students to be inspired. Our new state-state-of the art building offers the ideal space for music to flourish with classrooms, individual and group practice rooms. We want music to take centre stage in our school, with planned and improvised performances filling the air and enthusing our community.

"Having the opportunity to be part of the Misst project is an incredible privilege, not only for our students, but also for me as a music educator; giving students a chance to experience the magic of playing an instrument and discovering the joy of making music together, is a wonderful addition to their holistic learning journey. We are super excited and cannot wait to start this new chapter in the future of the Charter School Bermondsey. This will be the beginning of great things for our music department and our school."- Head of Department