History of our school's name

Bishop Chavasse Church of England primary School is named after a former Bishop of Rochester and one of the founding members of Bennett Memorial School in Tunbridge Wells, which is also part of the Tenax multi-academy trust.

Christopher Chavasse was born in on 9th November 1884 in Oxford.  He was a keen athlete and competed in the 1908 summer Olympics in London. He later served as a chaplain in the British Army during WWI. Christopher Chavasse was nominated to become Bishop of Rochester in March 1940 and was consecrated April of the same year.  He remained as the Bishop of Rochester until 1960.  

Bishop Chavasse Day

Every year on 9th November, we celebrate Bishop Chavasse day when we remember Bishop Chavasse, our school namesake and celebrate all that he achieved for so many in his life. 

Our foundation is built on the following Christian values which permeate every aspect of life at the school.

Every child at Bishop Chavasse, is recognised as uniquely created by God, and as staff we seek to nurture each child so that they develop in every area of their lives, from their own starting points. Our aim is that through an exciting curriculum and opportunities for enrichment, children have raised aspirations for all that they can achieve. 

We have strong links with 2 local churches: St. Stephen's Church and the church of St Peter and St Paul. We make visits to the churches throughout the year for whole school celebrations and class learning and members of the church staff regularly come into school to lead collective worship and work with our children and staff.

As a Church of England school we will receive SIAMS inspections.  The principal objective of SIAMS inspection is to evaluate the distinctiveness and effectiveness of Bishop Chavasse School as a church school.

Towards this objective, inspectors seek answers to four key questions.

• How well does the school, through its distinctive Christian character, meet the needs of all learners?
• What is the impact of collective worship on the school community?
• How effective is the Religious Education? (in VA schools and academies)
• How effective are the leadership and management of the school as a church school?

As a new school, we are continually developing how we demonstrate our distinctive Christian character and have been pleased that visitors to our school have referred to how this permeates in all that we do.