Our Values

Mission Statement

St Chris seeks to be a continuously developing community of children and adults working together to enable all to achieve their best academically and beyond the classroom in an open atmosphere.

All are valued as individuals and encouraged to develop in curiosity, competence, judgement, kindness and courage.

St Chris aims for pupils to become both self-disciplined and self-motivated individuals; independent learners and creative thinkers able to make informed choices in a modern world with a commitment to service, informality, healthy living and self-government.

The School seeks to prepare pupils for happy and fulfilled lives in the service of others.

Independent Thinking

St Chris encourages independence. We support independent learning and critical thinking, and encourage children to be the best they can be in their friendships, interests and studies.

For more than 100 years we have been a pioneering voice in the world of education, embracing new ideas based on sound educational principles. While our methods and results are proven, we embrace a spirit of developing and researching new approaches to education where we see a need for them.

Because we are independent we are free from political constraints and able to look at the best methods for developing learning and other life skills.

Individuality

The journey that each child makes, from 3 through to 18, is important. Everybody starts somewhere, learns differently, succeeds in some areas but needs to develop in others, makes mistakes to learn from, and enjoys and experiences school in a different way based on their own personality and aspirations.

And while the destination is important, what constitutes success also varies for each person – whether that’s Oxbridge, art college, an apprenticeship or running your own business – our children leave St Chris with a zest for life and the confidence to make the choices that are right for them.

Listening

From the youngest child in our Nursery to the Chair of Governors, we respect and value every voice. We don’t always agree with each other but give space within the School for questioning and debate.

We are as committed to listening to the opinions of others as we are of forming and developing our own opinions, and learning to put them across in a considered and informed manner.

Creativity

We celebrate and encourage creativity and innovation across the curriculum and when solving problems, supporting children to develop confidence and self-belief.

We expect pupils to work hard, but we also believe that school days should be enjoyed and explored, and used as a time for development and growth, with the opportunity to make mistakes and try new things.

We value the arts, sciences and humanities equally, and our students excel across the spectrum – each finding the combination of subjects and activities that inspires them. We also recognise that inspiration also takes place outside of the classroom and we value the breadth of activities our pupils undertake.

We prepare our children for careers that haven’t yet been invented by focussing on wider life skills and teaching them tenacity and critical thinking, equipping them to embrace the future.

Trust and Respect

We promote mutual trust and respect, giving children the freedom to make responsible choices from an early age.

Democracy

The School is democratic in nature and we believe in the equality of rights. Students from the Junior and Senior Schools form the School Council which is represented by elected student officials who meet regularly with the Head to propose initiatives, discuss ideas and take forward events and activities. We believe that this focus on democracy nurtures valuable life-skills and leads to better teaching and learning.

A Global Outlook

St Chris pupils are global citizens who are well-rounded and resourceful, have a strong social conscience and moral courage and engage in the world around them. Our community is local, but it is also international and we work with partners and embrace different approaches from across the world.

If our values resonate with you, visit St Chris to find out what they look like in practice.