Charitable school wins annual awards
CHRIST’S HOSPITAL, near Horsham, in West Sussex, has been named Independent School of the Year 2024 by the Independent School Parent magazine and the Telegraph Media Group. It was chosen from greater than 700 nominations of independent schools within the UK. It also won the performing-arts category. At the awards ceremony in London on Tuesday, the judges praised the varsity, “which embodies accessibility, sensitivity, and responsiveness to pupil need, and an unremitting determination to supply to all of the type of education that each child deserves”. The school was founded within the City of London in 1552 by King Edward VI, having been inspired by a sermon by the Bishop of London, Nicholas Ridley. It has since had several locations, including Ware and Hertford, and has been situated in West Sussex since 1902. A co-educational school, it accepts boarders and day-pupils. “More than 75 per cent of CH students are supported by our unique bursary programme — with an overall value of £23 million per 12 months,” the top teacher, Simon Reid, said. The awards were chaired by Dr Helen Wright, international education adviser and past vice-chair of the Independent Schools Commission, supported by a panel of judges from the education sector.
Church Commissioners’ CEO to step down
THE chief executive of the Church Commissioners, Gareth Mostyn, is to depart in early 2025 after five years in his post. He joined the Church’s national institutions in 2018 as chief financial and operating officer and was promoted to chief executive in 2020. “It has been an honour to serve the Church in these fascinating roles through such difficult times,” he said. An announcement from the Commissioners last week said that Mr Mostyn planned “to give attention to his non-executive profession, having been appointed to a latest non-executive director role at an NHS foundation trust, alongside his non-executive director role at Sovereign Network Group”, a housing association. His successor might be identified through an open recruitment process.
New trail to explore Caribbean links at St Paul’s
Pantheons – Sculpture at St Paul’s Cathedral (c.1796-1916) (york.ac.uk)One of the monuments on the St Paul’s trailA NEW digital trail at St Paul’s Cathedral is to explore the history of the cathedral’s monuments to 10 individuals who were involved within the French Revolutionary Wars within the Caribbean. It has been created in partnership with SV2G, a Caribbean arts and heritage organisation. During the late 18th and early nineteenth centuries, Britain engaged in an intensive series of military campaigns against France for control over the Windward Islands within the Caribbean Sea. The Dean of St Paul’s, the Very Revd Andrew Tremlett, said that the cathedral was, “by its nature, the host for contemplative reflection. It is due to this fact of the utmost importance for the cathedral to create a forum for conversation and reflection around stories equivalent to these.” An identical trail of 15 monuments to people connected to the East India Company was announced this 12 months (News, 26 April). Both projects are being funded by the Esmée Fairbairn Collections Fund — delivered by the Museums Association — and project-managed by Dr Renie Chow Choy. They include research from the tutorial project “Pantheons: Sculpture at St Paul’s Cathedral, c.1796-1916”, hosted by the Department of History of Art on the University of York.
Sing your carols outdoors, urges Shine Your Light
CHURCHES across the UK are being encouraged to take their carol services and nativities outdoors this Christmas as a way of inviting the general public in. In response to the decline in church attendance, the cross-denominational initiative Shine Your Light was piloted last 12 months, involving 700 churches of 68 denominations. It was re-launched on Tuesday with a latest aim of involving 1000 churches and 100,000 Christians to succeed in an extra a million people, each UK residents and tourists. Partners include the Church of England, Churches Together in Britain and Ireland, the Evangelical Alliance, the Methodist Church, the Salvation Army, and the United Reformed Church. Locations equivalent to shopping centres, village greens, and community centres are suggested. shineyourlight.org.uk
Warm spaces needed greater than ever, says Brown
THE whole UK population must have access to a Warm Welcome Space inside walking distance, the previous Prime Minister Gordon Brown has said. He is a founding member of the Warm Welcome Campaign, which arrange two years ago in response to the cost-of-living crisis, particularly to handle rising energy bills (News, 14 June), but in addition loneliness. Hundreds of churches are among the many heated spaces which were offered as a part of the winter scheme. In a video message released this week, Mr Brown said: “Today almost two out of each three persons are inside half-hour of a Warm Welcome Space of their community. But that’s not adequate: we’ve got set ourselves a latest mission for the subsequent 12 months to be certain that 100 per cent of the population has access to a Warm Welcome Space inside walking distance.”
Methodist college to maneuver to latest Cambridge site
THE Methodist theological college Wesley House is to maneuver from Jesus Lane, Cambridge, where it has existed for 100 years, to a latest site near the Cambridge Theological Federation. An announcement last week from the Board of Trustees said that the brand new premises would proceed to accommodate its offices, library, and teaching spaces, but that the Federation’s partner institutions would supply overnight accommodation for visiting students and students. “We are finding that the demand is for college kids, particularly at Master’s and doctoral level, to review part-time alongside their work and family commitments and of their home contexts,” the Board said. Both the pandemic and advances in IT had accelerated this transformation of context. The chair, Christine Elliott, said: “Whilst we might be sad to depart the Jesus Lane site, the prize might be a sustainable future for our work and the flexibleness to adapt to developing educational needs internationally.”
