No other independent preparatory school in Christchurch can claim a history as rich or as long as The Cathedral Grammar School.

The iconic ChristChurch Cathedral has been at the heart of Christchurch City since 1881. While the building of the Cathedral progressed so did the establishment of the Cathedral Choir and a Choir School. When the Cathedral was consecrated in November 1881, this school was already six months old and two of the dreams of the Canterbury Association were being realized.

The school opened on Monday, 16 May, 1881, on the site it occupies to this day, with a school roll of 55 boys comprising of 24 Choristers and 31 day boys.  Number one on the school roll was Harry Jacobs, son of Dean Jacobs.

The first headmaster was George “Gudge” Merton who was to remain as Headmaster for 12 years until, in 1894, the school amalgamated with Christ’s College, being known as the Christ's College Lower School.

In 1923 the Lower School at Christ’s College was closed and the school reopened in its own right. The College supported the new school by offering their highly respected  Chaplain Rev. Stephen Parr as the next Headmaster.

The school survived the Great Depression and both major wars of the 20th century. During World War 2 all boys from Standard 5 up joined the cadet unit. It was known as C Company, 1st Cadet Battalion, Canterbury region. The unit was issued with arms for target practice. The boys were also responsible for trench digging in Hagley Park.

Often at the fore front of educational initiatives The Cathedral Grammar School opened its very successful pre-school in 1973. This centre of learning consistently receives extremely positive Education Review Office reports.

In 1975 the school was gifted St Saviour’s Chapel, originally built in 1886 in Lyttleton. Although the school treasures it strong and unique relationship with the Cathedral the children enjoy the chapel on site. Today they follow in the footsteps of Captain Robert Falcon Scott and his Antarctica expedition crews who worshipped in St Saviour’s before making their polar expeditions.

In 1984 the school became the only primary or intermediate school in Christchurch with its own student computer facility. Today, this innovation continues; IT is an integral part of the learning curriculum and laptops are an everyday classroom tool.

1988 saw the most radical change in the history of the school. Girls arrived! It was decided by the Board, with the Cathedral Chapter's approval, that girls be admitted to the Junior School. This allowed a seamless transition for them between the Pre-School and their primary education.

The establishment of the Girls' Prep School was a natural progression, providing girls with the standard of educational excellence enjoyed by the boys.

Today the prep schools allow boys and girls to be taught differently to maximize their learning styles, while socially the pupils can mix in the playground – should they wish.

From the establishment of the School, successive boards and the Cathedral Chapter have employed architects to design buildings so it remains relevant to the demands of the changing world. Open sports spaces have been integrated in to the campus as the new facilities are located on the edge of the expanded site which incorporates the original space secured for the school in 1881.

Our proud school has educated All Blacks and opera singers, entrepreneurs and academics, farmers and (on one occasion) its own future headmaster.  We have a history we are immensely proud of, and a future we look forward to with confidence.