Chard School

Chard Prep School is a coeducational private school for children ages 4 to 11 located in the town of Chard in the English county of Somerset.
The school is located on the site of the former Chard Grammar School.

History

The school was originally a private residence, built for John Symes of Poundsford in 1583. Later in 1671, his son, William Symes, handed the property over to twelve trustees for conversion into a grammar school. It later became a public boarding school in 1890.
The current independent preparatory school, known as Chard School, was established in 1972, and still incorporates the original grammar school building. The 16th-century building has been Grade II* listed since 1950. It is also on Historic England's Heritage at Risk Register, where it is described as being in poor condition.

Architecture

The two-storey flint building has hamstone dressings, a tiled roof and brick chimney stacks. The front of the building has a three-room range and a projecting three-storey porch. Many of the rooms have fireplaces, panelling and decorations from the 16th to 19th centuries. In the 18th century a staircase was added giving access to the adjacent Monmouth House which was built between 1770 and 1790.