James shares his memories and thoughts on his time at St Chris
Being a student at St Chris
I joined St Chris when I was in Year 5 (E Group), so I was just 9 years old at the time, and I remained at the school through to Sixth Form and completing my A Levels.
It's not your traditional independent school and I think what makes it so special is a cumulation of lots of small things. There's no uniform which from a young age helps you form your identity and sense of self. Calling teachers by first names established a mutual respect and it is a school that is always looking at things from a different perspective. This has stuck with me and means even now I question the status quo and find myself looking at things from a different angle.
The whole ethos of the school taught me a sense of independence and self-belief from a young age. I quickly learned that if you worked at something and put in the right effort you could achieve it.
My life now
I now run an Audio/Visual and Stage Lighting Company (primeaudiovisual.co.uk) - specialising in bespoke theatre equipment installations and other interesting projects.
After leaving St Chris, I studied Business & Accounting at university as I thought I'd go into finance but found that the hands-on experience and problem solving that I'd learned at school would be better utilised away from a desk job! We are a small company, but we still look after 50+ entertainment venues each year with their annual inspections/compliance as well as upgrades etc.
I know my time working with the theatre technical team at St Chris 'The Wombles' helped steer my career, alongside my time studying CDT which gave me an eye for design and engineering.
I really feel St Chris has enabled me to become someone who was willing to take risks, learn new skills and think outside of the box.
For me, the experience I had at school has paid back in dividends!