The College traces its origins to the free school founded by Henry Strode and this School and the Almshouses (see above) were built on the same site in Egham in 1706. The original buildings were pulled down; of their replacements, built in 1828, two ranges of almshouses remain. Listed as historic buildings, they are still in use by the College. The present main College building dates from 1915.

From the time of its foundation, the Coopers' Company was the Trustee of Henry Strode's Charity which administered the School but in 1912 the Charity Commissioners drafted a new Scheme which gave the School its own Board of Governors, changed it from an elementary to a secondary school and brought it into the Surrey education system. Under further changes introduced following the 1944 Education Act, the School was granted Voluntary Controlled status as a Boys' Grammar School and the composition of its Governing Body set to include four Foundation Trustees, one of whom, at least, was to be a representative of the Company.

In 1975 Strode's School became a co-educational Sixth Form College providing a wide range of courses for 16-19 year olds and at present has a roll of some 650 students. From April 1993 the college will become a Further Education Corporation and will receive its funding from the newly created Further Education Funding Council. The Company continues to provide funds administered by the Foundation Trustees for the benefit of the College.


Strode's College Web Site