St Christopher's School, Hove

St Christopher's School in Hove, East Sussex, is an independent preparatory school for 240 girls and boys aged 4 to 13 and a member of the Brighton College family of schools. The Headmaster is Mr Ian McIntyre, MA, and the School Motto is "Altiora Peto" ( We Seek Higher Things).

St Christopher's School was established in Sackville Road in Hove in 1927 and moved to New Church Road and its current site in 1944. By the 1950s, the School began to expand its numbers from 70 to 120, at which time its reputation for academic and sporting excellence became established. In 1961, St Christopher's pupils won every one of the ten scholarships awarded by Brighton College.

Maurice Saunders (Old Sir) joined the staff of the School in 1945 and succeeded Mr Gilbert Beall as Headmaster in 1956. Roger Saunders (Young Sir), who had been a boy at the School in the 1950s, joined his father at St Christopher's in 1973, succeeding him as Headmaster in 1978. By the mid-1980s, the excellence of the school's academic reputation was confirmed. The School became co-educational in 1999. The Roger Saunders Building, housing the ICT Suite, was opened by its namesake in 2007.

After thirty years at the School, twenty-five as Headmaster, Roger Saunders retired in 2003 and transferred ownership of St Christopher's to Brighton College, his old public school. A Board of Governors was established and St Christopher's became a member of the Brighton College family of schools under the leadership of Mrs Heather Beeby.

Ian McIntyre became Headmaster in September 2006 at the age of 36, having previously been Head of Forest Preparatory School in London. He is a Member of IAPS (the Independent Association of Prep Schools).

Today, St Christopher's continues to enjoy its reputation for academic excellence and first-rate sport, whilst offering its pupils a rich diet of the creative arts and a wide range of extracurricular activities. Over the past two years, 40 scholarships and exhibitions have been awarded to Year 8 pupils. In 2007, the School celebrated its 80th Anniversary.

External links

* [http://www.stchristophershove.org.uk School web site]