It was founded in , and is scheduled to close in It consists of a pre-school for pupils aged 3β4, a preparatory department for pupils aged 4β11, and a senior school for pupils aged 11β The school is operated by the Whitgift Foundation , along with Whitgift School and Trinity School of John Whitgift , and is consistently ranked as one of the top performing independent girls' schools in London.
The school was founded in by the Sisters of the Church. The " Old Palace " itself was for years the summer residence of the Archbishops of Canterbury. In the 19th century the Archbishops ended their residence at Croydon Palace and used Addington Palace , also in Croydon , instead. The Palace was sold and subsequently used as a bleaching factory, amongst other things. The building was rescued by the Duke of Newcastle in and given to the Sisters of the Church who used it for educational purposes.
In , the school became a Direct Grant Grammar School and in , became a fully independent day school for girls. The school joined the Whitgift Foundation in In September , Whitgift Foundation announced the decision to close the school permanently in August owing to financial difficulties. The senior school building was for centuries the summer palace of the Archbishops of Canterbury. It began life as the manor house, part wooden from at least the 12th century, and stone from the 14th century.
The core of today's palace was built in the 15th century. The guardroom β once a reception room, now a library β dates from the time of Archbishop Thomas Arundel β , and is one of the earliest uses of brick in Britain.
Archbishop John Stafford died built what is now one of the finest medieval great halls left in southern England. A number of monarchs from Henry VI to Elizabeth I banqueted under its high arched-brace roof, each sitting on Stafford's stone throne, part of which survives against the west wall. Elizabeth made numerous visits, and her bed, always travelling with her, was set down in what is now known as Queen Elizabeth's room, a large 15th-century first-floor space, with moulded ceiling joists.
