Cross†Way article by Jonathan Winch

• What distinguishes a Christian ethos school? Is it simply a matter of a particular slant to daily worship and RE lessons or are others aspects of a school shaped by a Christian ethos?
• How do we account for the overwhelming popularity of schools with a Christian ethos among parents in the local community?
• Why have Christian ethos schools traditionally been associated with a strongly disciplined and highly academic environment?

Jonathan Winch, will address these and other questions in asking 'What is a Christian ethos school?'
Jonathan is Principal of Emmanuel College, Gateshead. Since it opened in 1990 Emmanuel College has been the centre of constant attention. It has been applauded for excellent examination results and criticised for daring to question Darwinian orthodoxy. At the heart of Emmanuel's success lies its distinctive Christian ethos.
A further school, King's Academy, Middlesborough, has now been opened and a third, Trinity Academy, Doncaster, is due to open soon. All three schools have predominantly inner-urban and working-class catchment areas. However what distinguishes them, and what has been at the heart of Emmanuel's success, is their distinctive Christian ethos.
Speaking in Parliament following his opening of the King's Academy the Prime Minister described it as 'one of the best examples of modern social justice that I can think of'.

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