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CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS

Lessons for life

Christian schools up and down the country are suddenly in demand. NINA SKINNER finds out why more and more parents are choosing a Christian environment for their children

Three years ago the King's School Senior, a Christian secondary school between Southampton and Winchester, had 69 pupils. Now they’re up to 117 and the projected number for September this year is 130.

Planning permission has been granted for a major extension to enable the school to accommodate up to 200 pupils, improve facilities and replace some temporary classrooms.

The cost is high – around £1.5 million. The present school building was purchased 10 years ago as an act of faith, with little money and just 50 pupils. Today they are still confident that God will provide for the school's needs. I asked Head Teacher, David Greenwood, why he thought there had been so much interest in his school:

"Parents send their children here because they want a truly Christian education. The teaching is different here because all subjects are taught with the understanding that God is the Creator of everything and that includes all knowledge and understanding.

"The Word of God says that the 'Fear of God is the beginning of wisdom'. We want to see children, not just with knowledge and understanding but the wisdom to discern how to use that knowledge and understanding correctly. Another reason is the fact that we obtain such excellent results in GCSEs.

"The fees are kept to the minimum as we don't want elitist education. Neither would we turn anyone away purely on the grounds of financial ability. In fact, recently we’ve taken pupils into the school whose parents have been able to pay nothing at all. However, we do have some parents who pay well above the minimum fees because they want to support the school."

The Dolphin School, London SW11, is a primary school with four Christian nursery schools and in September 2000 started a secondary school. Pupil numbers have grown by 30% in the last five years. They are currently fund-raising because their building is now too small.

Head Teacher Sue Rogers said: "Parents are becoming wary about the pressure put on children in private academic selective schools. We teach a Christian worldview through a God-centred curriculum based on the National Curriculum. We teach the children about God and Jesus throughout the day in all situations, so that they grow up with an understanding that God is a part of all we do, not just when it suits us to involve him. The children are also nurtured in a loving and safe environment that is interested not only in the whole child, but in each child’s unique gifts and talents."

At The King’s Primary School, Southampton, numbers continue to increase each term, and sometimes weekly. In a couple of cases, parents have walked in off the street, asked about the school and found that the peaceful, harmonious atmosphere, the love, care and teaching is what their child is currently lacking from their present school.

Their emblem is a crown encircled by the words Wisdom, Favour and Stature; Head Teacher, Ken Ford, explained why these words were chosen: "In Luke’s Gospel it says of Jesus that when he was a child he grew in wisdom, favour and stature. If Jesus needed to learn and grow in these areas, so we would want to work in these areas with the children so that they are well, fit and healthy and that they are as bright as they can possibly be in achieving their goal. But also, perhaps, we would push more strongly the issue of favour – that blessed feeling, feeling good about themselves, about other people, a positive attitude to life and a sense of destiny and hope.

"We have Christians, non-Christians, people from other faiths; we’ve got compliant children and children with challenging behavioural needs. We have got some children with major health difficulties and in this environment we’re equipping them to feel good about themselves and their developing faith. To feel good about their future world which tends to give them a fairly negative and materialistic outlook to life."

But shouldn’t Christian schools be right in the midst of where there are problems like racial hatred?

"Absolutely – and the issues that cause conflict are the very issues where the Christian worldview has something to say about the value of every individual, regardless of colour or creed. I think more people will become interested in Christian schools, because anything that’s seen to make a difference in children’s lives, and work in a positive way, will be welcome.

"The whole issue that discipline is an expression of love is something we very strongly believe here and minister to the children. At times we need to exercise discipline towards them, but it is with a purpose so that they feel better, more secure and confident about themselves – so that they are able to form better relationships.

"From day one in Reception we treat the issue of handling conflict very seriously. If two children have a disagreement, we talk to them about why that happened, how they could have avoided it, how they can put it right, does somebody need to apologise? Does forgiveness need to be given? If these concepts are in them from the beginning, then later on, as more serious issues arrive, the same principles of conflict - resolving, repentance, forgiveness will be in place. This teaches them how to get through things in a way that doesn’t lead to further confrontation or violence."

Similar stories were repeated in Winchester, Oxford, Plymouth, Rochdale, Cheshire, Derbyshire and Edinburgh.

All the schools mentioned in this article are members of the Christian Schools’ Trust UK. Tel 01708 733339.

Nina Skinner is a freelance writer based in Southampton

This article first appeared in Christian Herald

© Christian Family Network
is run by CPO, supported by
Care for the Family, Marriage Resource, Positive Parenting,
Care, Women Alive, Christian Herald and many others.


		CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS Lessons for life Christian schools up and down the country are suddenly in demand. NINA SKINNER finds out why more and more parents are choosing a Christian environment for their children Three years ago the King's School Senior, a Christian secondary school between Southampton and Winchester, had 69 pupils. Now they’re up to 117 and the projected number for September this year is 130. Planning permission has been granted for a major extension to enable the school to accommodate up to 200 pupils, improve facilities and replace some temporary classrooms. The cost is high – around £1.5 million. The present school building was purchased 10 years ago as an act of faith, with little money and just 50 pupils. Today they are still confident that God will provide for the school's needs. I asked Head Teacher, David Greenwood, why he thought there had been so much interest in his school: "Parents send their children here because they want a truly Christian education. The teaching is different here because all subjects are taught with the understanding that God is the Creator of everything and that includes all knowledge and understanding. "The Word of God says that the 'Fear of God is the beginning of wisdom'. We want to see children, not just with knowledge and understanding but the wisdom to discern how to use that knowledge and understanding correctly. Another reason is the fact that we obtain such excellent results in GCSEs. "The fees are kept to the minimum as we don't want elitist education. Neither would we turn anyone away purely on the grounds of financial ability. In fact, recently we’ve taken pupils into the school whose parents have been able to pay nothing at all. However, we do have some parents who pay well above the minimum fees because they want to support the school." The Dolphin School, London SW11, is a primary school with four Christian nursery schools and in September 2000 started a secondary school. Pupil numbers have grown by 30% in the last five years. They are currently fund-raising because their building is now too small. Head Teacher Sue Rogers said: "Parents are becoming wary about the pressure put on children in private academic selective schools. We teach a Christian worldview through a God-centred curriculum based on the National Curriculum. We teach the children about God and Jesus throughout the day in all situations, so that they grow up with an understanding that God is a part of all we do, not just when it suits us to involve him. The children are also nurtured in a loving and safe environment that is interested not only in the whole child, but in each child’s unique gifts and talents." At The King’s Primary School, Southampton, numbers continue to increase each term, and sometimes weekly. In a couple of cases, parents have walked in off the street, asked about the school and found that the peaceful, harmonious atmosphere, the love, care and teaching is what their child is currently lacking from their present school. Their emblem is a crown encircled by the words Wisdom, Favour and Stature; Head Teacher, Ken Ford, explained why these words were chosen: "In Luke’s Gospel it says of Jesus that when he was a child he grew in wisdom, favour and stature. If Jesus needed to learn and grow in these areas, so we would want to work in these areas with the children so that they are well, fit and healthy and that they are as bright as they can possibly be in achieving their goal. But also, perhaps, we would push more strongly the issue of favour – that blessed feeling, feeling good about themselves, about other people, a positive attitude to life and a sense of destiny and hope. "We have Christians, non-Christians, people from other faiths; we’ve got compliant children and children with challenging behavioural needs. We have got some children with major health difficulties and in this environment we’re equipping them to feel good about themselves and their developing faith. To feel good about their future world which tends to give them a fairly negative and materialistic outlook to life." But shouldn’t Christian schools be right in the midst of where there are problems like racial hatred? "Absolutely – and the issues that cause conflict are the very issues where the Christian worldview has something to say about the value of every individual, regardless of colour or creed. I think more people will become interested in Christian schools, because anything that’s seen to make a difference in children’s lives, and work in a positive way, will be welcome. "The whole issue that discipline is an expression of love is something we very strongly believe here and minister to the children. At times we need to exercise discipline towards them, but it is with a purpose so that they feel better, more secure and confident about themselves – so that they are able to form better relationships. "From day one in Reception we treat the issue of handling conflict very seriously. If two children have a disagreement, we talk to them about why that happened, how they could have avoided it, how they can put it right, does somebody need to apologise? Does forgiveness need to be given? If these concepts are in them from the beginning, then later on, as more serious issues arrive, the same principles of conflict - resolving, repentance, forgiveness will be in place. This teaches them how to get through things in a way that doesn’t lead to further confrontation or violence." Similar stories were repeated in Winchester, Oxford, Plymouth, Rochdale, Cheshire, Derbyshire and Edinburgh. All the schools mentioned in this article are members of the Christian Schools’ Trust UK. Tel 01708 733339. Nina Skinner is a freelance writer based in Southampton This article first appeared in Christian Herald © Christian Family Network is run by CPO, supported by Care for the Family, Marriage Resource, Positive Parenting, Care, Women Alive, Christian Herald and many others.