History
Greengates School was founded by Edward Foulkes and his partner Frank Whitbourn in a house in Lomas de Chapultepec in 1951. Originally, the school had no uniform and only one school bus. Over the years, it moved several times to accommodate an increasingly larger enrolment. The school, originally meant to cater to the sons of British and Commonwealth diplomats and citizens in Mexico City, was becoming more popular with wealthy Mexicans living in Lomas de Chapultepec who sought a high standard of education for their children, which they found at Greengates.
In 1961, Foulkes left to start a new school, what would become the Edron Academy in the south-west of the city. Henry Coehlo bought his stake and began transforming the school. Soon afterwards, Andre Desouches was given Whitbourn's stake, and the Coehlo and Desouches families continue to own the majority of the school. Henry Coehlo stepped down as managing director in 2007, a post he held for over 40 years, and was replaced by Clarissa Desouches, the daughter of Andre Desouches and a PhD graduate of the Universidad Iberoamericana in Latin American Literature.
The initial parcel of land upon which the current San Mateo campus was built was bought in 1964. The project, designed by architect Innes Webster, broke ground December 1969, with the first brick laid by HE the British Ambassador, Sir Peter Hope. The final project was completed in 1971, although the school has undergone major renovation and expansion. A domed room, called 'The Dome', used as an alternate concert venue to the gymnasium due to its excellent acoustics and as the biggest examination hall, was built as a third floor on top of the science labs in 1997. In 2001, a six room expansion was made at the back of the Senior Block.
In 2010 a 3000 m2 plot of land was purchased at the end of the school to supplement the lack of green spaces. The land underwent turfing and several picnic tables where placed on the new lawn. In addition, a huge sculpture, named Moctezuma's Lion was placed to the right of the lawn and was designed to integrate a piece of art with a playground so children can climb and play on its stylized benches, steps and slides, which variously represent the arms, legs and body of the lion.
In May 2011, the school purchased after more than thirty years of offers a 0.8 ha parcel of land adjacent to the school's multi-storey parking lot. As of August 2011, the school has not announced what it plans to do with the site.
On Friday August 13, 2010, Susan Mayer MBE, the school's principal, tragically succumbed to a ten-year battle with cancer. A memorial was held and the post of principal remained vacated in her honour. The school is now run under the administration of Dr Clarissa Desouches, heir to the Desouches family's stake in the school, and the heads of school; Jonathan Robins, head of the Infant and Junior School; Kim Holmes, head of the Intermediate School, and John Hill, head of the Senior School.
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