A legacy of service and courage…

Our military heritage begins right at our beginning — one of our founders fought in the Waterloo Campaign, and since then 14 Old Collegians (OCs) have been awarded the Victoria Cross.

Among them was Philip Neame, the only person ever to win both a Victoria Cross and an Olympic Gold Medal. His grandson, also Philip Neame, followed in his footsteps as an OC who served in the Falklands War.

The most recent VC was awarded to Red Ryder for his bravery during the St Nazaire Raid in the Second World War.

OCs have served in almost every major conflict since the 1850s — from the Crimean War and Boer Wars to both World Wars, Korea, Malaya, Suez, and more recently Iraq and Afghanistan.

In the 19th century, the College even had a dedicated “military side” — Big Modern — preparing boys for Sandhurst and Woolwich, while Big Classical focused on university entrants. The crossed swords on our coat of arms still reflect that proud tradition today.

And this continues today…

At Cheltenham College, the sense of service to others is deeply rooted in all we do.

Our community works together to raise money for charity, and on average pupils raise over £20,000 for their chosen charity each year. Every Wednesday, pupils volunteer through the Outreach Programme in a number of local settings: Residential Care Homes; Charity Shops; Riding for the Disabled; and local Primary Schools.

180 pupils serve in our Combined Cadet Force from the age of 13 to 18; and Community is one of the 5Cs which are fundamental to the development of College pupils.