Malden Parochial School: Our Church School
Up until the 1860s Old Malden was a rather sleepy little village with only a handful of residents. Those children lucky enough to afford an education were tutored in a small cottage in Church Road across from Plough Green. The Rev’d William Chetwynd-Stapylton was the Vicar of St. John’s during a time of rapid growth after the coming of the railway to Worcester Park, He was a driving force behind the effort to build a primary school for the children of the local community. Malden Parochial opened in 1864 on the site of the present school. “Parochial” means that it is of the Parish and the links between St. John’s Church and its school continue today, providing practical and pastoral support to students, staff, and families.
As a Church of England Primary school it is firmly grounded in the Christian ethos that everyone is made in the image and love of God, and that our priority as the Church is to support every child as they fulfil their God-given potential to help make our world a better, brighter place. Built for the children of the wider community, we celebrate the diversity of backgrounds represented in the School and welcome children of all faiths and none as part of our support and ministry to the School. This diversity also reflects the differences in our own families here at St. John’s. While almost a third of the annual intake of children for school places come from families who are members of St. John’s, the remaining two-thirds come from the wider community. Fr. Michael initiated recent changes to the admissions criteria that will prioritise places for children actually living in the Parish. Practically this will open up more places for children locally, but will impact those families who attend St. John’s but do not live within the parish boundaries.
Malden Parochial is an excellent school. Mrs. McMullan and her staff team work hard to provide the best educational opportunities for every child. At St. John’s we endeavour to support them in this as part of our mission and service to the community. Fr. Michael and the Ministry Team provide weekly assemblies, celebrate the Eucharist in school, facilitate church visits, and offer pastoral support as needed. Members of the congregation have and do serve as staff, school governors, members of the PTA, and volunteers in the school. So if you would like to give of your time to serve our wider Church family, please speak to Fr. Michael or a member of the Ministry Team.