| Casterton School | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | |
 | |
| ,, LA6 2SG England | |
| Coordinates | 54°12′42″N2°34′30″W / 54.211667°N 2.574964°W /54.211667; -2.574964 |
| Information | |
| Type | Private day and boarding |
| Motto | Cor Unum Via Una (One Heart, One Way) |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Church of England |
| Established | 1823 |
| Founder | Rev Carus Wilson |
| Closed | 2013 (absorbed bySedbergh School) |
| Local authority | Cumbria |
| Gender | Girls; Boys (3-11) |
| Age | 3 to 18 |
| Enrolment | 300~ (2013) |
| Houses | Dobson Vincent Beale Williams Harben |
| Colour(s) | Blue |
Casterton School was an independent boarding and day school for girls aged 3 to 18 years in the village ofCasterton in ruralCumbria. In its final years it also admitted boys, up to the age of 11. The school ceased to exist in 2013, though a preparatory school remains on the site. It merged withSedbergh School, whose junior section now occupies the campus while Casterton's senior school pupils moved to the Sedbergh site.
Casterton School was founded in 1823 byRev Carus Wilson as theClergy Daughters' School inCowan Bridge to educate daughters of financially disadvantaged clergymen. It moved to its site atCasterton in 1833. Four of the Brontë sisters (Maria, Elizabeth,Charlotte andEmily) attended the formerCowan Bridge School. A stone inscription to commemorate this is present at the original site and the former school at Casterton continued to acknowledge the literary connection by naming buildings accordingly until its closure.
In 2000 boys were admitted to the junior school.[1]
Following a decline in pupil numbers, in March 2013 a merger was announced withSedbergh School, effective from September 2013. Casterton's preparatory department remained on its site as Sedbergh's junior school was moved there, under the new name "Casterton, Sedbergh Preparatory School". Some of the Senior pupils transferred to the main campus inSedbergh.[2]
The «Casterton School Song»,[3] has lyrics describing the surrounding area and a rousing chorus of 'Casterton, Casterton, Casterton, our school'. The lyrics were written by John Webster, Head of English and the music was written by Alvin Atkins, Head of Music. The song was sung at major school events such as Founder's Day and Speech Day. It was recorded in 1964, sung by the Girls of Casterton School.