Frequently Asked Questions
Still have questions left unanswered? We’ve compiled our most frequently asked admissions questions below.
| If you are a non-selective school, why do you have an Assessment Morning for Senior School? |
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St Chris is an academically inclusive, non-selective school and pupils have a broad range of abilities. Our admissions process is designed to identify Applicants for the Senior School are invited to an Assessment Morning in the school year before they start which either takes place in February each The purpose of the Assessment Morning is for the School to benchmark and determine an applicants current academic level for when they arrive at St Chris and to ensure that they are able to access our curriculum. The Assessment Morning also gauges their attitude to learning and their willingness to During the Assessment Morning, students take part in small group activities to give them a taste of life at St Chris, undretake an online Cognitive Ability Test (CAT) and meet with a senior member of staff for an informal conversation. The aim of the morning is to give students the chance to show as wide side of themselves as possible and for staff to see how they work in a classroom setting and with other students. We aim to make the morning as informal and enjoyable as possible and to give applicants the chance to experience the learning atmosphere at St Chris. We use Assessment Morning as part of our admissions process but also take into consideration a student's school report and reference. |
| How do you track student progress? |
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In the Nursery, student progress through the EYFS is tracked regularly and we share information with parents via Tapestry, an online learning journal, as well as through regular communication with the Nursery team. When students join the Junior School, we informally assess their abilities as a benchmark and encourage them to engage in exciting topics to further expand their knowledge. We also value and track wider areas of a student's school life and place equal importance on their achievements outside of the classroom. Through regular review, small classes, and positive relationships with parents and students we are able to ensure students are on route to achieving their full potential. Regular parents' evenings and school reports as well as ongoing communication between class teachers and home enables this to happen fluidly. In the Senior School students undertake a Cognitive Ability Test (CAT) as part of the admissions process with CAT scores used to benchmark a student's learning level on their arrival. Teachers complete their own in-class assessments to identify any gaps in learning and provide support and stretch where appropriate. We also make use of standardised assessments to gain insights into areas of relative strength and potential academically. These are:
These objective, adaptive assessments are used in conjunction with the professional judgement of our staff to identify 'hidden' potential as well as to develop the most appropriate, proactive strategies to support our students throughout school. These assessments provide an indicator of likely performance at GCSE and A Level which we use as a general indicator rather than an upper limit on attainment. As part of keeping parents and carers informed about their child’s progress at school, we hold regular Parents’ Consultations and send academic reports, with the calendar of dates for these sent to parents at the start of the Autumn Term. In Sixth Form, the dedicated Sixth Form team support students at every step of the way. Students receive regular feedback and guidance about their progress from subject teachers. Each student is also involved in regularly reviewing their progress with their Personal Tutor. Regular academic reports and Parents' Consultations with subject teachers and Personal Tutors, as well as one-to-one meetings, builds an open flow of communication between home and school. |
| There is no school uniform and students refer to the teachers on a first-name basis. How do you manage behaviour? |
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| We find that by removing these barriers it actually improves students' behaviour. Staff don’t have to spend time telling students to tuck their shirts in, make sure they are wearing their tie, blazer etc. Students come into the lessons and they are ready to learn. By calling the staff by their first name we establish a collaborative learning environment where every voice is important and students feel that we are in this journey together. It also helps to set them up for the working world. |
| What makes St Chris different? |
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St Chris is a progressive school and we have been since the School was founded in 1915. We believe in a simple but powerful idea: In being open to doing things differently if - and only if - it makes things better for our students. We are inclusive and focus on the individual child and how best we can support them to stretch and develop where needed. We want our students to have opportunities that will prepare them for life. As well as achieving academically, we want them to have experiences in other areas so they can excel and develop a range of skills. We have a huge range of extracurricular activities and we offer opportunities in the arts, science and sports. There is a strong student voice in the School; we listen to the views and opinions of the students and there are many examples around the school of things that the students have asked for and developed including a skate park, climbing wall and some alpaccas! We are a diverse community of kind individuals who support each other's successes, celebrate our differences, and encourage each other to remain resilient. Once you have visited us, you will see, hear, and know what we mean! |
| You are well known for the work that you do with children with additional needs. How do you manage to support the needs of all children? |
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We are an inclusive mainstream independent school with a small capacity for additional support. We manage this carefully. As part of the admissions process, our Individual Needs team look at all the applications for children with Special Educational Needs (SEND) to see if we are able to support them with our current levels of staffing and resources. We are not able to accept all children and for some we are unable to meet their needs at our School. We pride ourselves on being able to support students with a wide range of abilities and interests and to consider each of them individually. For further information for applicants with SEND click here. |
| What are your fees and what do they include? |
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St Chris fees are as inclusive as possible and reviewed each year. The day fee includes tuition, most activities at school, games, textbook loan, and additional support provided by our Individual Needs department and EAL support. Lunch is also included for children from Nursery (Monte) to Year 2. Full boarding fees aim to be inclusive and include all tuition, accommodation, meals on campus, the majority of evening and weekend activities and EAL laundry, wi-fi and study books. Late Summer Programme is a compulsory school trip for all students from Year 3 to Year 9 which is an obligatory extra. For day students lunch is optional and chargeable, and there are additional charges for Wrap Around Care in the Junior School or Day Boarding in the Senior School. An up-to-date schedule of fees can be found here. |
| Do you offer scholarships or fee assistance? |
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St Chris offers a range of scholarships and fee assistance. Scholarships are merit-based and involve an assessment such as an entrance exam or an interview and portfolio assessment. We offer both art and academic scholarships for entrants to the Senior School in Year 7, Year 9 and Year 12. Find out more about scholarships Fee assistance is available, through our bursary scheme, to those families with children joining St Chris who have need of it. Bursaries are means-tested awards for financial assistance and are made at the School’s discretion. All bursary awards are based on an assessment of how much a child will be able to benefit from attending St Chris, their family’s financial circumstances and the degree of assistance required. |
| Is there a school bus service? |
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A network of St Chris school buses run from North London (Highgate or Cockfosters), St Albans and Harpenden, Welwyn Garden City and Hadley Wood with several stops en route. There is also a bus from Hitchin railway station to school to meet trains from London, Cambridge and Peterborough. Children are welcome to take the school bus from Year 5 in the Junior School and upwards. For more information about bus routes and prices, or to find out more about booking a place, please visit the website of our school transport provider, Zeelo. For more information about bus routes and prices, or to book a place on a bus, please visit the website of our school transport provider:
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