Chets - A Brief History
Chetham's lies at the heart of medieval Manchester and features prominently in the history of the North West - it is an architectural gem with buildings dating back to 1421.

The School is named after its benefactor, Sir Humphrey Chetham, who was born in Crumpsall in 1580. Chetham was educated at Manchester Grammar School and went on to be a prosperous Manchester merchant, making his fortune in the textile business.

When Chetham died in 1653, he left money to buy and convert the medieval buildings into a school to educate ‘forty poor boys' and a library for scholars. Today, the library exists as the oldest surviving public library in England, and is famously known for Karl Marx studying there in 1845!

Incredibly, over the next 300 years, there were very few changes to the School. By the late 19 th century, numbers had increased to 100, and remarkably the entry process continued to follow the same pattern as set by Chetham – a written examination followed by an interview with the trustees.

It was in 1952 the School changed to an Independent Grammar School and began to receive financial support from the Local Education Authority. By this time, facilities for choral work and orchestra playing had earned the School a national reputation for music and, in 1969, the School became a co-educational specialist Music School, accepting young musicians purely on musical potential.

In 1980, Chetham's became part of the government's Music and Dance Scheme, ensuring all young people have the chance to attend a specialist music or dance school, regardless of their financial background. Today, Chetham's is the largest Music School in the UK with 290 students, aged 8 – 18; 90% of students are funded through the government.

Nearly 400 years ago, Sir Humphrey Chetham had a vision for his School around the idea of giving opportunity to ‘forty poor boys'. Today, Chetham's is proud to continue what its benefactor started, by providing today's young musicians with the best opportunities to develop and reach their full potential.