Christ's School
Encyclopedia
Christ's School is a Church of England secondary school
in Richmond, London. It has the distinction of being the only Church of England secondary school in Richmond upon Thames. Around 600 pupils, between the ages of 11 and 16, attend the school and they are each members of four houses named after people who contributed to the school or church:
Anne [after the queen],
Bentley [after the business man who helped establish the school],
Edward [after Edward the confessor] and
Magdalene [after Mary Magdalene].
The Headteacher is Richard Burke, who is credited with the transformation of Christ's over the past few years.
Christ's is located very near Richmond Park
, one of London's largest parks.
, agreed to subscribe towards "The setting up of a Charity School in the Parish of Richmond, for teaching poor children to read, and instructing them in the knowledge and practice of Christian religion as professed and taught in the Church of England."
The original school building was located at the corner of George Street and Brewer's Lane and was attached to the local parish church of St Mary Magdalene. It was informally known as a Bluecoat school as the pupils were then provided with blue gowns – a tradition carried on with the current uniform of blue blazers.
In 1854, the school moved to a bigger building at the junction of Eton Street and Paradise road. A century later this was considered too small and ill equipped by the standards of the 1944 Education Act
, so the school moved to new buildings in 1960 and was then known as St. Mary Magdalene Church of England School.
The school had links with St Edward the Confessor RC school which had opened in 1954. The two schools ran a joint sixth form during the late 1960s but this proved to be a short lived experiment. In 1976, St Edward the Confessor RC School merged with the St Mary Magdalane School to form Christs School under the Headship of Mr Ball. This was one of the first Eucumenical (RC and C of E) maintained church schools in England.
In 1997, by mutual agreement, the Roman Catholic Church withdrew from the management arrangement and Christ's School returned to being a Church of England maintained Secondary School.
The school was re-launched in September 2000 on the old East side building (the original St Mary's site), which was considerably refurbished and expanded with art and textile rooms technical block housing science laboratories, design and technology workshops and food tech room, as well as a full size sports hall. The West side building (the original St Edward's site) was sold off and is now a gated housing development and a Primary School.
Notable students include Grammy Award winner Singer/Rapper Estelle (musician)
, three Premiership football players (Jason Roberts
, Nathan Ellington
and Jody Morris
) and Professor John Alcolado (Professor of Diabetes & Medical Education and Consultant Physician, Queen Mary University of London).
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
in Richmond, London. It has the distinction of being the only Church of England secondary school in Richmond upon Thames. Around 600 pupils, between the ages of 11 and 16, attend the school and they are each members of four houses named after people who contributed to the school or church:
Anne [after the queen],
Bentley [after the business man who helped establish the school],
Edward [after Edward the confessor] and
Magdalene [after Mary Magdalene].
The Headteacher is Richard Burke, who is credited with the transformation of Christ's over the past few years.
Christ's is located very near Richmond Park
Richmond Park
Richmond Park is a 2,360 acre park within London. It is the largest of the Royal Parks in London and Britain's second largest urban walled park after Sutton Park, Birmingham. It is close to Richmond, Ham, Kingston upon Thames, Wimbledon, Roehampton and East Sheen...
, one of London's largest parks.
History
The school's origins date back to 1658 when John Bentley, a local business man and justice of the peace, offered to build a school at his own expense. However, the school was not formally established until May 25, 1713, when a number of well-intentioned citizens of Richmond, headed by Queen AnneAnne of Great Britain
Anne ascended the thrones of England, Scotland and Ireland on 8 March 1702. On 1 May 1707, under the Act of Union, two of her realms, England and Scotland, were united as a single sovereign state, the Kingdom of Great Britain.Anne's Catholic father, James II and VII, was deposed during the...
, agreed to subscribe towards "The setting up of a Charity School in the Parish of Richmond, for teaching poor children to read, and instructing them in the knowledge and practice of Christian religion as professed and taught in the Church of England."
The original school building was located at the corner of George Street and Brewer's Lane and was attached to the local parish church of St Mary Magdalene. It was informally known as a Bluecoat school as the pupils were then provided with blue gowns – a tradition carried on with the current uniform of blue blazers.
In 1854, the school moved to a bigger building at the junction of Eton Street and Paradise road. A century later this was considered too small and ill equipped by the standards of the 1944 Education Act
Education Act 1944
The Education Act 1944 changed the education system for secondary schools in England and Wales. This Act, commonly named after the Conservative politician R.A...
, so the school moved to new buildings in 1960 and was then known as St. Mary Magdalene Church of England School.
The school had links with St Edward the Confessor RC school which had opened in 1954. The two schools ran a joint sixth form during the late 1960s but this proved to be a short lived experiment. In 1976, St Edward the Confessor RC School merged with the St Mary Magdalane School to form Christs School under the Headship of Mr Ball. This was one of the first Eucumenical (RC and C of E) maintained church schools in England.
In 1997, by mutual agreement, the Roman Catholic Church withdrew from the management arrangement and Christ's School returned to being a Church of England maintained Secondary School.
The school was re-launched in September 2000 on the old East side building (the original St Mary's site), which was considerably refurbished and expanded with art and textile rooms technical block housing science laboratories, design and technology workshops and food tech room, as well as a full size sports hall. The West side building (the original St Edward's site) was sold off and is now a gated housing development and a Primary School.
Notable students include Grammy Award winner Singer/Rapper Estelle (musician)
Estelle (musician)
Estelle Fanta Swaray commonly known as Estelle, and formerly as Est'elle, is an English R&B singer-songwriter, rapper and record producer.-Early Life:Estelle was born 18 January 1980 in Hammersmith, London, England...
, three Premiership football players (Jason Roberts
Jason Roberts (footballer)
Jason Andre Davis Roberts MBE is an English-born Grenadian footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Blackburn Rovers. Born in Park Royal, London, Roberts began playing football from an early age, and spent time in the youth academies at several professional clubs, but was not...
, Nathan Ellington
Nathan Ellington
Nathan Levi Fontaine Ellington is an English footballer who plays a striker for Championship side Ipswich Town.-Non-league and Bristol Rovers:...
and Jody Morris
Jody Morris
Jody Morris is an English football midfielder. He plays for Scottish club St. Johnstone. He has previously played for Chelsea, Leeds United, Rotherham United and Millwall.-Playing career:...
) and Professor John Alcolado (Professor of Diabetes & Medical Education and Consultant Physician, Queen Mary University of London).