St Christopher School

Since March 2023, Rich Jones, previously deputy head and before that head of the senior school and head of boarding. Lives on site with wife, Jamie, and their two children, both at the school.

Having spent his youth being told he’d be a great

Main entry points are 2+ into nursery, then years 5 and 6 in junior school and years 7, 9 and 12 in senior school. Years 5 and 6 are generally full and the senior school is oversubscribed, but it’s always worth asking for places in any year group.

Most move from nursery to juniors, and from juniors to seniors – rare exceptions due to SEN. Up to half leave after GCSEs – usually as London students get tired of the commute or fancy a change, usually to a sixth form or technical college (there’s

In 2025, 43 per cent 9-7 at GCSE; 33 per cent A*/A at A level (58 per cent A*-B).

Your typical St Chris parent wants to have their cake and eat it. Most scorn the rigidity and narrowness of the Victorian model of education seen in more traditional schools, eagerly swapping it for this more inquiry-based learning model that focuses

Full-time SENCo, who works across both junior and senior school, promises more clarity around what the school can and can’t cope with – a significant move as, in the past, some parents have felt the school ‘overpromised’. Over half (53 per cent) of

We’re used to being wowed by art and DT departments, but our chins hit the floor here. Metal and wood work of particularly high quality, and the fantastically resourced workspaces made us want to pull up a chair and get stuck in ourselves. The sewing

Sportier than it was. ‘We have more fixtures, we just don’t win!’ laughed some students. Would they like it to be more sporty? To win more? ‘Depends who you ask,’ shrugged one. ‘I don’t think most of us do.’ Core sports are netball, rugby, football,

From year 7. Most are flexi boarders, but some kip over every Sunday evening to Friday, and there are around 13 full-timers (mostly older and international). There’s ‘day boarding’ too, where students have breakfast, supper and supervised homework.

The small size and high staff-to-student ratio means staff know every student. ‘It’s like a family,’ felt one student. There’s a dedicated head of pastoral, school counsellor, two nurses and peer mentors who have training in mental health first aid.

A clear mobile phone policy is a really important part of modern schooling. This school has provided us with their policy.

St Chris has a bit of a reputation for taking in children with special needs or those who have not been able to fit in elsewhere. ‘I felt different at my last school, I don’t here,’ said one, showing that, to some extent, this is true – with the

Bursaries up to 100 per cent. Academic and art scholarships in years 7, 9 and 12.

All schools say they offer child-centred learning; this one really does. The students help develop their own curriculum, the direction they want to take and how they work best. They help decide how their school is run and what changes will happen.