Our History

The school’s address, St Germans Place, is named after the Earls of St Germans whose land extended over a wide area around Blackheath. 

Rev. F.W Aveling, a Congregational minister, was a popular Principal and held the role from 1892 until 1913. He has been described as the second Founder of the school and is credited with making major changes to the school, including renaming it Christ’s College.

Rev. Aveling was responsible for the school motto ‘Nihil sine Deo’ – Nothing without God – which remained the school’s maxim until 2021. 

The school rugby team 1896-7  

The school’s chemistry laboratory circa 1920  

A school dormitory which housed the boarders, now one of the school’s administration offices  

Two former pupils funded the distinctive stained-glass windows in the chapel, now our library. They depict King Arthur flanked by Sir Galahad and Sir Percival. Their faces were closely modelled on former school Principals. During WWII, the windows were restored after being badly damaged by a nearby bomb blast. 

A photograph of a fifth form classroom taken between the wars. This space now houses our Nursery with its beautifully high timbered ceiling.  

On the eve of the outbreak of WWII, 65 pupils and masters at Christ’s College participated in a mass evacuation of school children from London. A temporary school was found in Treverven, Cornwall. The conditions for pupils were basic and they endured a school without electricity, mains gas or water. 

Blackheath Village suffered heavy bombing during WWII and in 1944 the school building was badly damaged by a bomb falling close by, destroying the roof, windows and doors. Despite the extensive damage, pupils moved back into the school in less than hospitable conditions on 26 September 1945. 

In 1958, Montague Eliot, 8th Earl of St Germans, controversially sold the school building at auction to Messrs Wates, a property developer who intended to build council housing on the site. On the advice of a parent, the school applied for the building to be designated as one of architectural interest and thereby preserved the Georgian façade of our school building today. 

The school has had many long-serving members of staff throughout its history. Ada Cooper was one of the longest-serving, working at the school for 68 years from 1909–1977.  

In 1996, Jenny Wedgeworth opened the school’s first nursery. Two years later in 1998, after 175 years as a boys’ boarding school, Christ’s College finally closed its doors. 

In 2021, the school was officially renamed Blackheath Prep. It also rebranded, taking inspiration from the school’s distinctive red door and a contemporary reworking of the griffin which featured in the original crest of Christ’s College. 

In 2023 Blackheath Prep celebrated 200 years of a school on its current site with a year-long programme of special events.