Richmond - Christ's

[schoolywooly]

My DS is probably going to Christ's in Richmond next year due to where we live.

What's it like? Does anyone have a child there or work there?

Thank you.

Lots of children in my child's class are going to Christ's. I know several parents with older children who are happy with it. Have you looked round? I did in the autumn and found it to be a really friendly environment. It's quite religious which isn't my thing but it seemed like a really happy school with happy children.

Thanks Glaciferous.

Religious in which ways, do you know?

I liked it at the open evening, I had mixed feelings when I toured one morning, it's so hard to tell what it's like to go there though as a visitor isn't it!

Well, there are lots of posters about Jesus on the walls and there was quite a lot of mention about God/Jesus in the talk by the headteacher when we looked round. It put me off to be honest. DD said she felt like a minority (we are atheists).

But honestly, everyone I know who has a child already there is happy with it. And if that's where we had ended up, I would have been OK with it even though I prefer a secular environment. I really liked the music provision and I loved the idea of reframing 'gifted and talented' as 'able and ambitious' because anyone can be ambitious and I thought it was really inclusive and a kind way to approach it. Kind is really a good thing in a school and that really resonated with me.

PS go to the Richmond Local board. I am sure there are parents there who can give you better info than me!

Thank you. I massively prefer secular too although the head did say in her talk something along the lines of 'while we are a Christian school we welcome children of a faiths and none'. Although thinking about it, 'welcome' does maybe imply an otherness...

I really like that it's smaller than the other local schools, school gate chat does favour other schools and I wonder if that's historical or still relevant?

I don't think it was othering exactly. I think they are genuinely welcoming and inclusive as a school. I did think there was too much emphasis on it. You can operate a Christian ethos without having to constantly refer to it.