St Christopher School A GSG School

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All-through school (for example 3-18 years). - An all-through school covers junior and senior education. It may start at 3 or 4, or later, and continue through to 16 or 18. Some all-through schools set exams at 11 or 13 that pupils must pass to move on.

What The Good Schools Guide says

Head

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 teacher, he ‘did what any self-respecting teenager does and completely ignored it’. Instead, he left his comprehensive school in Portishead, near Bristol, to study history and theatre at Leicester and worked in film for 13 years. Finally tiring of it and realising his childhood mentors were right, he joined Bede’s in 2013 as a history and film studies teacher, later running their largest boarding house.

Chose St Chris for its alternative approach and intimate setting. Not one to beat around the bush, he admits he found the school ‘less dynamic than I’d hoped’ and that he realised ‘it’s too easy to call a school progressive then rest on your laurels’ (‘the lack of school uniform and calling teachers by their first names, for example, was drifting towards window dressing’). Hence his decision to ‘dig deep into what progressive education in the 21st century should look like’, along with a wholesale review of SEN, tightening up of school processes and bringing together juniors and seniors (‘too separate at the moment,’ agree parents). ‘This is not the finished article,’ he says. Parents approve, saying they also hope he’ll improve comms (‘It’s all over the place!’).

We couldn’t take our eyes off all the accomplished wood and metal work filling the shelves of his office – all done by the students, of course (the offcuts, apparently, though you’d never guess). Two stood out – a beautiful little wooden house (the student is now studying architecture at Cambridge) and a carving of a shark’s mouth (‘because they know I love Jaws!’). Easy-going and quick-witted, he tells us his spare time was once all about the rugby field, but a reconstructed knee has led to a new passion for long-distance swimming. ‘My staff say they always know when I haven’t had my morning swim!’

Entrance

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. Head (or head of junior school) meets all parents and interviews every child, and from year 6 there’s an age-related cognitive ability assessment.

Around 20 join the sixth form, when candidates need at least five grade 5s at GCSE to study A levels (including 6s in the subjects to be studied), with some flexibility to study BTECs.

Exit

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 very good state provision, especially in Cambridgeshire).

Almost all sixth formers to university, around a third to Russell Group. Bristol, Bath, Exeter, Newcastle, Royal Central School of Drama and Arts University Bournemouth perennial favourites. Around a quarter study art, some told they can skip a foundation year on the back of the excellent preparation at St Chris. Engineering, science and maths courses also popular, with occasional medics. One to Oxbridge in 2024. Students say careers advice is ‘really tailored’.

Latest results

In 2024, 82 per cent 9-7 at GCSE; 34 per cent A*/A at A level (56 per cent A*-B).

Teaching and learning

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 on exploration, creativity and opening minds. But this is also the north London bubble, and they still want the exam results. A hippy-dippy walk in the park this is not.

The first thing you notice, walking round the classrooms, is the focus on self-directed learning. Students informally collaborating with each other and asking the teacher questions to come to their own conclusions. All backed up with positivity and praise: ‘Great question!’ ‘Brilliant analysis!’ Much debating too. Students studying Noughts and Crosses explored the question, ‘Are parents responsible for their children’s behaviour?’ English classes also involve role play, drama, filming and journalism work. We spotted several students working on own projects and exploring ideas beyond their learning – and teachers go off on tangents too.

Setting in maths from year 7, English from year 8 and science from year 9. French is taught from nursery and Spanish from year 7. We loved seeing the beret-wearing native-speaking French teacher teaching his main class in one room, with a smaller classroom for those who get embarrassed by their pronunciation and a third where a girl (already fluent in French) was perfecting her Spanish instead. Classes are capped at 22, though most are under 15 (and 10 for A levels).

The nursery is attached to the junior school, with direct access to an outside classroom. Historically Montessori, so lots of practical learning, playing and making, but now following the EYFS curriculum with more formal phonic learning and number work. From year 1, topic-based learning kicks in – stretching the topic to music and maths, not just in humanities. One girl showed her jewel-packed necklace to her class for their Egypt project. Lovely big, airy classrooms where one class was doing cosmic yoga. Another class had been running around outside to explore lung capacity. There’s an early introduction to democracy with class rules and ethos very much child instigated. As in the senior school, the junior library is stimulating, comfy and well stocked.

In senior school, subjects including 3D design, and food and nutrition; environmental studies and critical thinking are added, and sciences are separated from year 9. Most take eight or nine GCSEs – some more, some fewer. Art and 3D design soar in the popularity stakes and, along with sciences, get best results. History and geography popular, and increasingly IT (robotics is huge here – some students went to Texas for a robotics competition). At A level, most take three from mainly trad options including politics and philosophy. Again, 3D and art hugely popular, with stunning results. Around 15 students take the EPQ, and there are extension classes for Oxbridge candidates. Recent introduction of BTECs in drama and food and nutrition.

Some students would like more exam preparation: ‘They’re good with subject support but they’re always telling us not to worry, then you get to the exams and wish you’d worried.’

Learning support and SEN

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 students are on the SEN register, mostly for dyslexia, followed by autism (including undiagnosed) and then ADHD – but school also has experience in eg DLD and speech and language issues.

Other recent changes include the department (also staffed by three LSAs and three specialist tutors) moving to a more central office. Plus, there’s been a shift away from one-to-one support (although some the six students with EHCPs still get this, and some other students too for stints here and there – all included in fees) in favour of more in-class support, with more upskilling of teachers to support this. School is also introducing individual learning plans for all students (with or without SEN) to ‘ensure the learning needs of each student are met in line with school’s ethos’.

Many parents say the small school and classes, along with the inclusive culture and lack of school uniform (‘brilliant for my child with sensory issues’), have made a huge difference to their children with SEN. In every classroom, you see students using laptops and with headphones on, and it’s great to see students confidently advocating for themselves as well as giving talks on eg neurodiversity. Parents also praise the extra support on school trips and in every department, eg children with SEN tend to thrive in the performing arts here. School is good on finer details too, most recently looking into changing lighting across the whole school to address sensory issues.

The arts and extracurricular

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 machines are put through their paces for the much-anticipated recycled fashion show (‘It helps that some of the parents are in fashion world,’ admitted a student), while the pottery studio churns out some beautiful pieces. There’s also a printing room, a multi-media studio, fine art spaces and more – all in full use. A whole room is dedicated to displays – we’d have hung any of it on our walls at home. From year 6, juniors are taught in these treasured spaces; before that, they use their classrooms.

Your senses tingle watching young performers work the stage, direct plays or do the lights or make-up – and yes, they do it all in the school’s professional theatre. ‘My son does stage management and he absolutely loves it.’ Juniors and seniors have respective annual productions, the latter running for five nights. Shrek the Musical up next. One student was belting out a Coldplay song on the grand piano during our visit, and we also caught a band practice in action. Jazz popular, and some play in jazz clubs. In juniors, the hall was filled with students practising for Young Voices at the O2, with staff dancing in the aisles. Over 40 per cent of students learn a musical instrument or have a vocal lesson in school.

Every Thursday afternoon, students do enrichment, choosing from the likes of film making, football, mindfulness, jewellery making, care home companions, car mechanics, Minecraft and animal care (the school has al pacas, pygmy goats, guinea pigs, rabbits, ducks and more). ‘The animals are the best bit about the school,’ reckoned one student. Plenty of lunchtime and after-school clubs too including orchestra, swim squad, pottery, British sign language, table tennis and a daily homework club.

Recognising that for some children the classic outward-bound trip can be hell on earth, the school provides a range of options in the last week of the summer term, including a swimming trip to Cornwall (with the head) and a Yorkshire trip, where students liked that they ‘weren’t forced to do the abseiling or caving if we didn’t want to’. Trips too to Morocco and Spain, and some history students had just returned from the battlefields. Ski trip gets booked up over a year in advance, and everyone loves the New York film studies trip. World Challenge opportunities too, eg to Borneo. ‘But we are mindful to balance parents’ purse strings,’ the head added quickly.

Sport

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, tennis, cricket and basketball – and there’s a 25-metre indoor swimming pool used by all for swimming lessons, fun swim, squad training and lifeguard skills. Clubs expand the range, with eg rambling, cross-country, cycling, jogging, dance, canoeing, trampolining, athletics, golf and fitness training. School field is large enough for five football games at once. As you’d expect, main emphasis is on everyone having a go.

Boarders

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. Two boarding areas – younger ones head straight up the main staircase from reception to their cosy, traditional single or double rooms, while sixth formers all get single rooms in the more modern extension oozing blond wood and light. Only two have en-suites, but most the bath/shower rooms are more like those you’d find in a family home than institutionalised. Plenty of space to hang out in well-decorated common rooms, games room and kitchens, though all meals are served in the main dining room (boarding food trumps the lunches apparently, ‘and you can have meat too’). Students get use of school grounds and facilities after prep and they go out on a day trip every Saturday – we saw notices for roller disco and Thorpe Park. Lots of movie nights, cookery and games nights etc. A ‘real family atmosphere,’ said a student.

Ethos and heritage

Liberal parents will shriek with delight. The school was founded in 1915 with the aims of treating children as individuals, being non-judgemental and encouraging independence – and it stands true to all three today. Hence no uniforms (we saw all manner of hairstyles and make-up too) and calling teachers by their first names (‘which makes me feel like my teacher is my friend,’ said a student). Lots of input on how the school is run too, with self-government (a way of introducing democracy and ensuring students are totally engaged in the school) an important feature of St Chris. Indeed, it was the students who voted for school animals, a climbing wall, skate park and cookery centre, among other things.

Set on a residential road in Letchworth, the main house is Arts and Crafts, with a ramshackle group of variously aged buildings added since. The result is quaint and village-like, with a lack of hierarchy among staff and between staff and students. Parents of more sensitive types should bear in mind it’s quite a loud school, but there are dedicated quiet spaces, no school bells and the spacious grounds are used for the 10-minute decompression time between lessons. Some of the junior teachers need ‘a bit of work to get fully on board with the St Chris ethos’.

Juniors were keen to show us their forest school, which is gloriously muddy, wooded and well used. They also have specific ‘climbing trees’, an outside climbing wall, vegetable patch and apple trees from which they pick and juice the fruit, then take it home.

School’s own jargon can take some getting used to – forms are ‘companies’, tutors are ‘company advisers’ and assemblies are ‘morning talks’. The latter includes a period of silence, reflecting the Quaker origins of one of the first heads. This happens at lunchtime too – a lively affair, when we enjoyed the vegetarian-only offerings, although some students say the menu is repetitive.

Pastoral care, inclusivity and discipline

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. Students meet their advisers daily, which means relevant information is fed back to relevant parties. The pastoral hub, called the Mulberry Centre, is a welcoming, calm space off the main library, staffed by an SEMH pastoral assistant.

We’d say it feels relaxed on discipline; school says ‘restorative justice rather than top-down discipline for discipline’s sake’. The students’ take is that they like being given responsibility for their own behaviour, as well as the restorative approach when things go wrong, eg with coaching, mentoring and student agency. But a few feel things needing tightening up around vaping, bullying and homework – ‘People have got away with not doing homework for over a year in my maths class,’ said one. School says, ‘Students are not always aware of actions taken to address these concerns.’

Parents conclude the school is best suited to youngsters who more naturally make good choices. ‘For some, it feels too free and they do wind up leaving,’ said one. Still, they dish out some detentions, along with two or three suspensions a year and even the odd exclusion – and there’s a no-nonsense approach to mobile phones (must go in pouches all day from January 2025).

Inclusivity is at the heart of St Chris, so we weren’t surprised to find they celebrate their ethnic diversity, although reflecting this in the staff cohort is work in progress. Lots of outside speakers too, most recently Solutions not Sides to talk about the Palestine/Israel conflict (this being north London, there are lots of Jewish students). There’s a Pride Group and tons of work around neurodiversity.

Pupils and parents

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 positive, confidence-building environment a godsend for many who had difficulty integrating into a more mainstream establishment. But this is not the whole story, and many families simply choose the school for its more progressive approach, delighting in finding friends with others who share similar world views (although some would like a stronger PTA).

Students are plain-spoken, unguarded and clearly used to having a strong say in both their home and educational lives – a far cry from the more biddable, polished youngsters we meet in some independent schools. Here, you feel you’re getting to see their real selves, no warm-up required, although we wonder if some newcomers may find this disconcerting at first. Many commute from north London thanks to trains from Finsbury Park and school buses. Also some from Cambridge, and more who are either local (as are junior school students) or moved to be near the school.

The stereotype of the St Chris dad being an investment banker and the mum being a yoga teacher holds some truth, although the latest influx are the techy families from the Cambridge area and there are also, as you might expect, lots of London creatives. The extreme wealth of some families is balanced by the large contingent of first-time buyers.

Money matters

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

The last word

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. They take responsibility for their own behaviour and see no hierarchy between themselves and their teachers. Liberating, confidence-building and a real haven for a self-motivated child who is hungry to learn, but it won’t suit everyone, including those who benefit from tighter boundaries. We will be watching with interest how it adapts under its latest headship – so far, so impressive.

Special Education Needs

Our strengths lie in supporting pupils with dyslexia and dyspraxia, though not severe. Occasionally we incorporate successfully a few pupils with Asperger’s Syndrome.

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