Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

St Christopher school letchworth

52 replies

Penguin143 · 21/04/2023 21:04

Does anyone have a child there? Absolutely loved it when I went to see it but any insight would be great. I’m not looking for an academic pushy school incase anyone mentions their results against other schools. Thanks x

OP posts:
muminherts · 24/04/2023 22:44

Hi there - I do. Will send you a pm

muminherts · 24/04/2023 22:45

Is it for a Year 7 place?

Pluses for us are nice quirky kids and great for music and art.

TheFormidableMrsC · 24/04/2023 22:47

I've got friends with children there. All very happy, all have done well. It's quite a relaxed vibe. Great boarding facilities too if that's what you're looking for.

Slapukas · 25/07/2023 20:08

I am considering St Chris for my son who will be in Y3 in September. He is sporty and needs support with writing and reading.

muminherts · 25/07/2023 22:41

Slapukas do you have questions you would like answered?

muminherts · 26/07/2023 21:33

@Slapukas

Slapukas · 26/07/2023 22:05

Actually, not any more :) We just received a place at St.Andrew's Primary in Hitchin. Seemed as an impossible thing to get. Looks like the stars aligned in our favour! Close to home, seems to be a good school and is free. We'll go with it.

muminherts · 26/07/2023 22:34

@Slapukas it’s supposed to be a great school! I’m sure it will be great for your dc

Wimbers · 14/09/2023 19:58

Hi I am also interested in St Chris in Letchworth for year 7 onwards. Any insight would be appreciated.

Also do you know why there has been so much change in management? School seemed great when went to look at it, but wondering if I saw the whole picture?

muminherts · 15/09/2023 17:33

I have sent you a pm @Wimbers

muminherts · 16/09/2023 09:00

For anyone else interested in change of headship at St Chris it’s not been that radical. They had a head in place for over a decade, who then retired. One of his former deputies who has been a Head at another independent in the meantime came back and took over. She has now moved on after 2-3 years and the Deputy Head at St Chris who had already been at the school (and well regarded) for over 4 years then took over as the new head.

LetchworthMum22 · 23/09/2023 09:32

This reply has been withdrawn

This message has been withdrawn at the poster's request

LetchworthMum22 · 23/09/2023 11:30

The second head left suddenly after two years of internal issues, before her deputy took over earlier this year as an internal promotion (not advertised). Major leadership posts have also changed every year for the past three, including three heads of finance. The current leadership team is yet another re-hash. Let's hope that's the end of the problems and things settle down now.

eylul12 · 16/10/2023 22:05

I would appreciate any feedback about the school, I am looking for my son who is going for y7 in 2024.

muminherts · 17/10/2023 09:04

Hi @eylul12 what would you most like to know?

muminherts · 17/10/2023 09:08

Really good school. Head leads well and is well liked and kids seem very happy. Parents a good bunch.

muminherts · 17/10/2023 09:08

What is your ds like?

eylul12 · 17/10/2023 09:46

Thank you so much for your replies. I would like to send him to a school that is both good academically with strong pastoral support. My son is a sensitive 10 year old . He is gentle kind and smart.

muminherts · 17/10/2023 16:57

@eylul12 that sounds as though he would fit in well. Lots of quirky kids there and we have found there is very little unkindness or bullying. Some parents feel the school isn’t pushy enough academically but the cohort is quite broad and includes a fair number of bright kids. They get good results at the end.

muminherts · 17/10/2023 16:58

We’ve found pastoral support to be superb as well.

Original poster
Penguin143 · 03/11/2023 13:27

i always read a lot about “quirky” kids. I wouldn’t describe my child as that. He is pretty “normal” and doesn’t particularly stand out for anything. Does it have a good mix of children. He is bright, wants to play football as much as possible and rugby and that’s it at the moment!

OP posts:
muminherts · 03/11/2023 18:37

There is a fair number of football playing kids. They all play together at lunchtimes from what I hear. The school runs an annual swim squad trip for the older primary years and secondary.

The school suits lots of different sorts of kids. Plenty who are musical, arty, into drama. A fair number are pretty quirky and lots of parents pick school for that. Plenty of more typical kids too.

So would say school wouldn’t be a fit for footballing kids who only want to hang around with footballing kids and can’t tolerate quirky kids well.

Crawlinsciences · 23/02/2024 08:22

been parent at SC for over 14 years nothing much you can tell me about the school. It has changed a lot in the last 4 years. Class sizes where small prior to an influx of London based kids and closing of St Helena class sizes are equivalent to local comp. the lack of their core ethic of treating all as individuals has largely disappeared. Kids, especially those from outside of area have less respect for what the school means in the local area. I have been back and forth to school following cases of bullying and fighting all involving out of area over privileged kids. Academically SC was never top of tree as more aligned to mutual respect and common decency, strong values. But some of the parents are worse than kids to be honest and I have seen academically the school slide well behind that of local comprehensives. If I had my choice again I would have put mine in boys/girls school or kingshott in hitchin. Too institutionalised now to move and would cause mental health issues. St Chris has most certainly chased the money and their core ethics and educational standards have dropped significantly where bullying and social ganging has increased. Was good now not so

CanteringAlong · 22/01/2025 20:51

Reviving the thread as I toured the school. I was pinning my hopes on this school for my academically able autistic child who is vulnerable to bullying. It really seemed v focused on pupil wellbeing so I hope bullying to be dealt with swiftly.

muminherts · 22/01/2025 21:29

@CanteringAlong Bullying happens in all schools as we all know, but the general view is that they don’t tolerate it. There is one 11-18 school in the immediate area which has a rep for bullying but this school definitely doesn’t have that reputation among people I know. Might be better to start your own thread if you want people to reply to your specific situation?