History
St Christopher's School has had a range of incarnations, but throughout has provided a nurturing education in Hampstead, with a distinct emphasis on creativity.
| 1883 | School opens with a small class begun by an enthusiastic educationalist, Miss Roberts, based in her father's drawing room. This developed rapidly into a preparatory school known as the Hampstead Kindergarten and School at 13 Carlingford Road under the leadership of Miss Amy Pridham, who was soon joined by a partner, Miss E G Wells. The education offered espoused the principles of Froebel and Pestalozzi |
| 1898 | School moves to 16 Hampstead Hill Gardens |
| 1905 | School has 35 junior boys and girls |
| 1909 | Miss Pridham retires |
| 1912 | Miss Wells retires; new head is Miss Violet Wright and moves to 20 Hampstead Hill Gardens |
| 1919 | Miss Wright took over two local schools, Tremarth and Ruskin House and it was at this point that the school was named St Christopher’s . It was also in that year that 32 Belsize Lane became available; a lady called Miss Mole had run a Nursery Training College there for "the training of gentlewomen". Miss Wright applied for a lease to the freeholders, the Church Commissioners. She was not initially successful, so made a direct appeal to the bishop of London who intervened and obtained a reversal of the Commissioners' decision. By this point the school had 112 girls and boys. |
| 1924 | School was recognised and Miss Wright also opened a school of domestic science at 2 Rosslyn Hill with accommodation for 8-9 boarders. |
| 1937 | Miss Wright extended the gym to its present length and obtained the lease of 20 Lyndhurst Gardens, which became the Junior School. |
| 1950 |
Miss Wright retired and Miss Bell and Miss Manning bought the school from her. It had 19 pupils under 5, 122 aged 5 to 10, and 7 aged 11 to 15 in 1951, and later had c180 until the early 1970s. Principally a girls' preparatory school, taking a few school boys, it encouraged parents to send their daughters to day, rather than boarding, schools. The arts, especially music, were emphasised. |
| 1972 | Miss Manning retired and a parent, David Cohen, bought the property through his family trust and leased it to a board of governors. |
| 1974 | The school had 164 girls aged 4 to 12 |
| 1983 | A new block was opened containing 3 classrooms and 2 music rooms. By this point the school had 215 girls aged 5 to 11. |
