The Church of England has been providing and supporting schools for centuries through the work of school chaplains.
School chaplains work in all kinds of schools – those set up by the Church of England or other religious bodies, and those which have no formal connection with the church at all. For many pupils, that might be their main contact with the Church.
They are there for all staff, pupils, parents, governors and the community which the school serves, regardless of the faith or belief of those groups and individuals.
Every school is different and so there is no one single model for school chaplaincy: chaplains themselves have different backgrounds, some are clergy and some are lay people, some teach and others do not, some combine their chaplaincy with another role, for instance leading a local church.
When did you start this role? I started the role September 2023
What are some of the challenges and joys of the job? It is a joy to serve in a school setting and reach students and staff in the place they come to each day. Highlights of my role include running Christian Union, taking assemblies, working one to one with students and being grilled in RE lessons about the Chistian faith! There are challenges in the role such as being an overtly Christian presence can make you feel different and there are times when chaplaincy can feel isolating.
Lastly, how does your faith influence your role as a Chaplain? My faith provides me with a well that will not run dry. I am able to always go to the Lord for comfort and refreshment even when I am tried and weary. I hold onto the Lord’s goodness and faithfulness as I try to be his light shining in the schools.
When did you start this role? I started the role in July 2025
What are some of the challenges and joys of the job? While I am very new to the role, I believe that the joy of the job will be to see students reflect and explore faith. Through this I am excited to see how I can support and equip young people to reflect and learn new coping skills for the challenges the world throws at them. I believe that while there will be many joys to the role, there will be some challenges, one in particular is that being an openly Christian presence in a non-faith school may feel isolating at times.
Lastly, how does your faith influence your role as a Chaplain? For me, my faith is everything and brings me so much joy and hope that I am very excited to bring into the role. My faith reminds me to cling to the truth of the love of the Lord and the peace He brings while I navigate this new role.