Whitgift Foundation

in central Croydon The Whitgift Foundation was founded in 1596 by the Archbishop of Canterbury, John Whitgift. His aims were to provide care for the elderly and education for the young. Originally three separate buildings were built, The Hospital of Holy Trinity (now known as The Almshouses), The School House and Schoolmaster's House. The latter two were demolished in 1897, leaving the Almshouses as the only remaining original building. The Whitgift Centre, a large shopping mall, now stands where the later Victorian school and surrounding buildings and sports fields were. These buildings were occupied in turn by Whitgift School, prior to its move to south Croydon in 1931, and then by Trinity School, prior to its move to Shirley Park in 1965. ==Schools==

The Whitgift Foundation runs two independent schools in Croydon: • Whitgift School, for boys aged 10–19 years, with limited boarding. • Trinity School of John Whitgift, for boys aged 10–19 years, with a co-educational sixth form The Foundation also ran Old Palace School for girls (founded 1889) from 1993 until its closure in 2025. John Whitgift Academy in Grimsby in Lincolnshire is named after John Whitgift, who was born in the town, but is not part of the Whitgift Foundation. ==References==