“The minds of children are the soil in which we plant the seeds of the future… and to teach is to be the sower.” – Sisters of the Holy Cross
Sisters of the Holy Cross
Holy Cross Preparatory School was established by the Sisters of the Holy Cross, an international teaching order founded in Switzerland in 1844 by Father Theodosius and Mother Bernarda Heimgarter.
Mother Bernarda was the first teaching Sister of the Holy Cross and, in the joyful spirit of St Francis, through channels of hope and peace sought to develop young children through education. The teaching order firmly believes that spiritual growth and academic success are achieved by stimulating children’s natural inquisitiveness, by giving them the necessary education, care, security and support. We seek to achieve this today by providing a happy learning environment in which to fully engage children, using our beautiful school grounds and facilities, as well as a wide range of innovative resources and equipment.
In February 2023 the school became its own charity run by a board of trustees, two of whom are Sisters of the Holy Cross.
Click here to read more about the Sisters of the Holy Cross.
Trustees
The school is governed by a select board of trustees, each with an established link to the school and collectively with a wide skill set to support, guide and govern school strategy and operations. The board meet regularly and once a term receive a full report from the headteacher, which covers admissions and leavers, staffing, any child protection issues, parental complaints (if any), health & safety, building maintenance, compliance, finance, in-service training, events and trips, curriculum development, sports and music reports, and any other issues that may arise.
The trustees also review policies and new initiatives. Reports are provided by the Finance committee, Buildings, Health & Safety committee and Education committee which convene in advance of the full trustee’s board meeting. There is also a committee for bursaries, which reports to the board.
- Sr Margaret Donovan Chair of Trustees (Sister of the Holy Cross)
- Sr. Ursula Eberhardt (Sister of the Holy Cross)
- Mrs Sarah Hair (Head Teacher)
- Mr Russell Hanna (Bursar)
- Mrs Beverly Brown (Business Consultant)
- Mr Christopher Daley (Chartered Surveyor)
- Mrs Kath Hayes (Former Head Teacher)
- Mr Kieron Lynch (Former Banker)
- Mr Andrew Steet (Freelance Finance Professional, auditor)
- Ms Jo Ord (Solicitor)
- Dr Io Epstein (GP)
The chair of trustees and any of the trustees can be contacted during working hours, both in term time and during the holidays, via the school bursar and clerk to the board of trustees:
Russell Hanna, Holy Cross Preparatory School, George Road, Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey KT2 7NU.