Christ’s Hospital is celebrating the completion of its new 400m, six-lane all-weather athletics track at Bluecoat Sports Health & Fitness Club, with the facility now open and available for students, Bluecoat Sports members and the wider community to enjoy throughout the summer.

The new facility provides a high-quality venue for both recreational and competitive athletics. Alongside the track, the development includes an extensive range of field event facilities and SmartTrack technology, allowing users to access real-time performance data through the Smart Run App.

A community celebration of the new facility will take place later in the year, with further details to be announced.

James Maclean, Chairman of Bluecoat Sports, said: “We are incredibly proud to have opened these outstanding new athletics facilities at Bluecoat Sports. This is more than just a track – it is a space that will bring people together, promote healthier lifestyles and create opportunities for everyone, from beginners to experienced athletes. Together with our new padel courts and future outdoor activity trail, these facilities reinforce our commitment to providing an inclusive sporting hub for the whole community.”

For more info: https://www.bluecoatsports.co.uk/

Photos by Toby Phillips.

On 30 June, the annual GE (Year 11) Careers Networking event took place. This year, more than 30 professional guests, including many Old Blues, attended to speak with the GE (Year 11) year group about potential career pathways.

More than 15 sectors were represented at the networking event, with students encouraged to visit as many industry ‘stations’ as possible for exploratory conversations and to learn about a wide range of professions. They had the opportunity to speak with professionals working in engineering, STEM, finance, medicine, marketing, technology, the armed services, government, politics, music, media, law, criminology, business, entrepreneurism and hospitality. Professionals attended from a wide range of companies within these industries including Dyson, Microsoft, Deloitte, Costain, the Army, the Royal Navy, the House of Lords, the Civil Service, the NHS and the British Museum. Students were also able to find out more about the range of apprenticeship options open to them.

Through these one-to-one conversations, students gained valuable insight into different careers, as well as advice on their academic next steps. The GE students left feeling inspired and better informed as they look ahead to beginning their A levels in September.

Students said:

‘I found the event really helpful for finding out more about a couple of industries I am currently interested in working in in the future. The professionals were all so friendly and approachable and gave me some great practical advice for how to get into those career areas.’

‘I want to be a dietitian and so being able to speak with Clare directly about this was so so helpful. There’s lots of things she told me that I wouldn’t have learnt until actually starting out in the field after university, so I felt very lucky to have been able to learn these things now from her.’

‘As I plan to do medicine at university, it was great that there were numerous medical professionals to speak with, but particularly a sports medicine doctor, as this is what I want to specialise in in the future. It was really interesting to hear about his work as both a GP and a sports medicine doctor.’

On 23 June, we were delighted to welcome back our Ambassador for Outdoor Education, Linda Blakely, who spent time with our Third Form (Year 8) students sharing stories from some of her remarkable achievements and adventures.

Linda spoke about her experiences climbing Mount Everest, rowing solo across the Atlantic Ocean and completing the Marathon des Sables – one of the world’s toughest endurance races. She encouraged students to embrace challenges, develop resilience and never underestimate what can be achieved through determination and perseverance.

Linda also shared details of her most recent feat, completed earlier this year: running seven marathons on seven continents in seven days. Impressively, she surpassed the challenge by completing it in just six days.

Students were fascinated by Linda’s stories of endurance, adventure and mental strength, and had the opportunity to ask questions about the preparation, mindset and motivation required to take on such extraordinary challenges.

We are grateful to Linda for returning to Christ’s Hospital to inspire our students

On 23 June, students at Christ’s Hospital enjoyed an exciting STEM workshop delivered by ambassadors from McLaren Racing, offering a fascinating insight into the world of Formula 1 engineering and design.

The visit included two tailored sessions. Maths and physics students in DG (Year 12) took part in a talk and practical activities exploring the engineering and problem-solving behind a leading F1 team, followed by a Q&A session. Meanwhile, Year 10 Design and Technology students enjoyed a design-focused workshop, learning about the creative process behind motorsport innovation before tackling their own team challenge and putting questions to the McLaren ambassadors.

Students also had the opportunity to admire a collection of McLaren memorabilia, including a race suit worn by Lando Norris. Working in teams, they competed to complete a design project, applying creativity, collaboration and critical thinking to develop innovative solutions.

The workshops provided a valuable opportunity for students to explore careers in STEM and gain first-hand insight into the skills, teamwork and ingenuity that drive success in one of the world’s most technologically advanced sports.

Where Young People from All Backgrounds Belong, Thrive and Succeed

ISI Recognises Christ’s Hospital’s Transformative Impact on Young People’s Lives

Christ’s Hospital is proud to share the findings of its latest Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) inspection, which recognises the transformative impact of the school’s commitment to widening opportunity, fostering belonging and improving young people’s life chances as a Significant Strength.

Under the current ISI framework, a Significant Strength represents the highest accolade available to inspectors and is awarded where an aspect of a school’s provision has a particularly strong and demonstrable impact on pupils.

Inspectors’ Recognition of Christ’s Hospital’s Impact

“The school’s inclusive practices develop pupils’ impressive self-confidence and resilience. These attributes make a substantial difference to improving pupils’ life chances. This is a significant strength of the school.”

A Message from Matthew Judd, Head & CEO

“We are delighted that Christ’s Hospital has been recognised with a Significant Strength in this inspection. Under the current ISI framework, this represents the highest accolade available and reflects the exceptional impact that our community has on the lives of young people.

“It is especially meaningful that inspectors identified as a Significant Strength the very heart of our mission: widening opportunity, fostering belonging and improving life chances for young people from all backgrounds.

“I am particularly delighted that the report recognises the strength of our inclusive community. The finding that pupils from all backgrounds are fully integrated into school life and develop a deeply embedded sense of belonging reflects something that is profoundly important to us and central to the Christ’s Hospital experience.

“This recognition belongs to our entire community. It celebrates the remarkable character, kindness, resilience and ambition of our pupils, the dedication of our staff and the support of our families, governors, alumni and donors.”

Key Highlights from the Report

Significant Strength

Christ’s Hospital’s commitment to widening opportunity, fostering belonging and improving pupils’ life chances was recognised as a Significant Strength.

Belonging

Inspectors found that pupils from all backgrounds demonstrate a deeply embedded sense of belonging.

Inclusion

Pupils from a wide range of cultures, ethnicities and life experiences are fully integrated into the community life of the school.

Transforming Lives

The report recognises Christ’s Hospital’s founding vision to transform lives through education.

Confidence and Resilience

Inspectors highlighted pupils’ impressive self-confidence and resilience.

Boarding

Boarding staff were praised for fostering a highly inclusive environment through structured induction, strong pastoral care and coordinated welfare provision.

Academic Progress

Pupils make good progress and achieve highly in public examinations at GCSE and A level.

Music, Drama, Sport and Outdoor Education

Pupils benefit from extensive opportunities in music, drama, sport, outdoor education, leadership and service.

Chair of Council and Treasurer’s Statement

Miriam McKay, Chair of Council and Treasurer, said:

“This report is a powerful affirmation of Christ’s Hospital’s founding vision and purpose.

“For almost 500 years, Christ’s Hospital has sought to transform lives through education by ensuring that talented young people from all backgrounds can access exceptional opportunities, regardless of financial circumstances. We are delighted that inspectors recognised our vision, purpose and inclusive ethos as a Significant Strength and highlighted the substantial difference Christ’s Hospital makes to improving the life chances of all our students.

“The report recognises the work of staff, governors, donors, alumni and supporters who have helped sustain our mission. It also demonstrates the enduring relevance of our work together and the difference it continues to make in the lives of young people today.”

Read the Full Report

Christ’s_Hospital – ISI Inspection

On 9 June our DG (Year 12) Medical Society students enjoyed an inspiring Surgical Skills Workshop led by Dr Judy Evans, Old Blue and Council Member.

The session provided a fascinating insight into surgical practice, with students learning to suture surgical training pads, perfect one-handed knot tying, explore effective communication when breaking bad news to patients, and experience the challenges of simulated laparoscopic surgery.

We are also grateful to the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh for providing much of the equipment used during the event and for generously gifting each student a year’s Affiliate Membership.

The workshop was an invaluable opportunity for aspiring medics to gain hands-on experience and deepen their understanding of a career in surgery.

On 4 June, we welcomed Professor Peter Lantos, who shared his remarkable life story.

Born in Hungary in 1939, Peter was deported with his family to the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp during the Holocaust. He and his mother survived, but his father and many other family members perished. After the war, he returned to Hungary before moving to Britain in 1968, where he went on to become an internationally respected neuroscientist and later a leading voice in Holocaust education.

Awarded a British Empire Medal in 2020 for his work raising Holocaust awareness, Peter spoke to students about his experiences, resilience and the importance of remembering history.

Tess, DG, described it as ‘an extremely inspirational talk and engaging from beginning to end. It showed that with resilience and hope there is always a chance for a better future, no matter the challenges you face.’

Speech Day, one of the highlights of the summer term, took place on Saturday 23 May. We were delighted to welcome the Lord Mayor Locum Tenens, Alderman Vincent Keaveny, and his civic party for the occasion. The day began with a memorable Chapel service featuring wonderful performances from the Chapel Choir and Brass Ensemble. Afterwards, the celebrations moved to the Quad, where Second Form (Year 7) students Elliot (Peele A) and Ursula (Barnes B) presented a bouquet to Mrs Keaveny outside Dining Hall. Students then proudly marched past the mayoral party accompanied by the Band. A prize-giving ceremony followed in Big School, including a moving oration from Senior Grecian Hetty and a response from the Lord Mayor Locum Tenens. The day concluded with a celebratory meal in Dining Hall.

Congratulations to all Grecians who were awarded prizes are:

On 15 May, LE (Year 9) students at Christ’s Hospital enjoyed an engaging maths lecture from visiting speaker George Watkins, a mathematician and education specialist based in London.

The talk focused on distributions, with Dr Watkins presenting examples of patterns and distributions that can be observed in the physical world. Students were challenged to predict what different distributions might look like in a range of scenarios, encouraging them to think critically and apply their mathematical understanding.

One particularly popular example explored distributions within the Premier League, which sparked plenty of discussion and proved especially engaging for the students. The lecture provided an enjoyable insight into how mathematics can be used to understand the world around us.

Students from Christ’s Hospital have achieved national success at the CanSat Finals, winning the Highest Technical Achievement award after an outstanding series of launches and data analysis.

At the finals, the team completed two additional launches of their CanSat, successfully transmitting live data to the ground station using radio waves and antennas on both occasions. Their design also featured an innovative servo-driven mechanism that exposed fresh nano tape every 100 metres during descent to collect particulate samples from different altitudes.

Following the flight day, the team analysed their results and presented their findings to judges and competing teams.

The award recognises excellence in technical complexity, mission performance, innovation and robustness. Judges praised the reliability and precision of the CanSat, with all systems performing exactly as planned across both launches.

The students were delighted with their success, capping off a highly successful competition with a national award for engineering excellence.