Experiment House

"Owing to the curious methods of teaching at Experiment House, one did not learn much French or Maths or Latin or things of that sort; but one did learn about getting away quickly when They were looking for one."

―Description of Experiment House^[src]

Experiment House was the coeducational boarding school that Eustace Scrubb and Jill Pole attended. It was a poorly managed school, whose Head believed that children should be allowed to do what they liked. This resulted in little classroom learning and an unregulated group of bullies called the Gang.

Eustace and Jill were trying to escape from the Gang when they accidentally entered Narnia through a door in the school grounds' outer wall. At the end of their adventures in Narnia, Eustace and Jill, with the assistance of Aslan and Caspian meted out some punishment to the bullies with the flats of their swords and a riding crop, causing the Head of the school to call the police and tell them of escaped convicts and circus animals. The police, however, could find no proof of this and, as a result, the Headmistress of the school was removed and the bullies were expelled. The school became a much better school because of these events.

When Professor Kirke makes his often-heard comment, "What do they teach them at these schools," this may be the sort of school he is referring to. Not much is known about Experiment House's classes, but it seems that neither the administration nor the students took academics very seriously.

Students at Experiment House[]

The Gang

The Gang's "Hangers-on and tale-bearers"

Edith Jackle
Eustace Scrubb (until 1942)

Others

Eleanor Blakiston
Spivvins
Jill Pole
Eustace Scrubb (after 1942)

Trivia[]

Experiment House was inspired by C.S Lewis's nearly always bad schooling experiences.
Experiment House is so named because the object of the school is apparently to 'experiment' with the system of education and punishment.