CH Values – A Letter from the Head and CEO

Dear Members of the Christ’s Hospital Community,

Earlier this year, we invited members of the Christ’s Hospital community to help shape the future of the School by contributing to a consultation regarding our core values.  We were keen to ensure that the values at the heart of Christ’s Hospital genuinely reflected the character, aspirations and shared life of our community.

At CH, we believe that everyone – students, staff, parents, Old Blues, residents, donors, governors and friends of the School – plays a vital role in shaping who we are.  Our values matter because they underpin the way in which we learn, work and live together.  They help define our culture, guide our decision-making and support the School’s all-important mission and purpose.

As part of this process, the leadership team developed an initial shortlist of values and invited the community to help refine and prioritise them.  We received hundreds of thoughtful responses, alongside valuable conversations with students, staff, governors, Old Blues and many others connected with the School.  I would like sincerely to thank everyone who took the time to engage with this process.  Your contributions have made a genuine difference.

Following that consultation, and after careful reflection and discernment, we have decided that the three values which will sit at the centre of life at Christ’s Hospital are:

Kindness, Aspiration and Integrity.

These values emerged consistently and powerfully throughout the consultation process.  They reflect not only what our community believes Christ’s Hospital already embodies at its best, but also the qualities to which we aspire in the years ahead.

Kindness reminds us that we are a community built upon care for one another – a place where empathy, generosity, inclusion and compassion matter deeply, and where every individual should feel known, valued and supported.

Aspiration speaks to the transformative nature of a Christ’s Hospital education.  We want every young person here to aspire boldly, to discover and develop their talents fully, and to recognise that education can change lives.  Aspiration at CH is not simply about individual achievement, but about becoming the very best version of ourselves and using our gifts and opportunities to contribute positively to the lives of others.

Integrity calls us to act with honesty, fairness and moral courage.  It reflects our commitment to responsibility, inclusion and respect for others, and to conducting ourselves honourably in all aspects of school life.

Together, these values will shape the way in which we interact with one another, the way in which the School operates, and the way in which we conduct ourselves as a community.

The next stage of this work is to consider carefully how these values can be embedded further and meaningfully in everyday school life – through our relationships, our curriculum, our co-curricular activities, our decision-making and the wider culture of the School.  I am very grateful to Father Anthony, who has kindly agreed to lead a working group to help ensure that these values are launched thoughtfully and in a way that genuinely reflects the spirit and traditions of Christ’s Hospital.

Finally, may I once again thank all those who contributed to this process.  The strength of engagement from across the community has been heartening and speaks volumes about the care people feel for this remarkable School.  Your voices have helped shape something important, and I am deeply grateful for your support.

With all good wishes

Matthew L S Judd

Head & CEO