In January 2021, we will be celebrating one hundred years since Chorleywood College for girls with little or no sight opened its doors.

Chorleywood College for girls with little or no sight was founded by the National Institute for the Blind (now the RNIB) and was located in the Cedars – a large Renaissance-style mansion in Hertfordshire which is now the site of the Cedars Retirement Village.

Miss Phyllis Monk, the first headmistress, was establishing the first secondary school for girls with a vision impairment. Many girls from Chorleywood were to be pioneers going onto the universities and into occupations including physiotherapy, engineering, education and law.

In 1987, Chorleywood College for Girls merged with Worcester College for the Blind, a boys’ school, to form the current co-educational New College Worcester!

On Thursday 21 January 2021, we will be holding a day of celebration to mark this milestone in our school’s history. We will spend a day off timetable with themed lessons, meals and celebrations and in the afternoon will be holding a virtual event open to all to help us celebrate this special day.

We would also welcome any memories of Chorleywood, and people involved with the former school may like to register to attend a virtual celebration event being held in the afternoon.

For more information about the history of the school, details of the celebratory event or to send us your memories please visit www.ncw.co.uk/chorleywood-centenary-celebration.