Pastoral Care

The pastoral care of children is central to the work that we do here at Saint Christina’s School; we believe that when children feel happy, secure and safe, they succeed.

Nurture is a word often used in conversations about pastoral care and has become synonymous with a tender, overly sympathetic approach. At Saint Christina’s our interpretation of ‘nurture’ is different. We have redefined the term. We view nurture in a horticultural way: for a plant to prosper and flourish it needs to be tended, watered, fed and pruned. This will make it hardy and encourage growth. For us, nurture is a positive concept involving a robust and engaging process. We see nurture as the active growing of our children, so they are not just good at passing exams but are able to enjoy success in all areas of their lives.

London prep schools are often characterised as being places of intense pressure but Saint Christina’s is definitely not a place of ‘forced’ learning. Our priority is to create well-rounded children who are less likely to suffer from mental health problems as they able to enjoy their childhood while being stretched and challenged in an appropriate manner. Our approach to learning is therefore to ‘draw out’ rather than ‘force out’. Over their time at Saint Christina’, because of the ownership that the children take over their own learning, very significant progress is achieved and places secured in the most hotly contested secondary schools in London. These can be seen on the Destination of Leavers page of this website.

Each child at Saint Christina’s School is valued according to their individual differences and children are encouraged to work in partnership with the teaching team to care for their peers. Specific assemblies during the School year are aimed at ensuring that children feel secure and valued. This includes whole-School assemblies on friendship and anti-bullying which enable children to know who to talk to should they have any concerns or require additional support.

We also work hard to ensure the environment in which our pupils learn and play is safe and welcoming. We are fortunate to have plentiful outdoor space, with easy and frequent access to both Primrose Hill and Regent’s Park and a growing Forest School programme.

The legacy of the Handmaids means we are a close-knit community. Our Year 6 pupils take an active role in the lives of the younger pupils through the ‘buddy system’ and as class and school prefects and at significant School Events such as Sports Days. There is a personal rapport that is shared among children, teachers and parents. New families are warmly welcomed into our School by members of staff and our Parents’ Association.

“My son goes into School smiling and comes out smiling” (Parent)

“Our child has only been in the UK for 2 years, but her English has improved so far, and she is enjoying her time here every day because of her teachers, her classmates and St Christina's school. We are always grateful for your warm support.” (Year 4 parent)