School chaplains work in all kinds of schools – those set up by the Church of England or other religious bodies, and those which have no formal connection with the church at all. For many pupils, that might be their main contact with the Church.
They are there for all staff, pupils, parents, governors and the community which the school serves, regardless of the faith or belief of those groups and individuals.
Every school is different and so there is no one single model for school chaplaincy – chaplains themselves have different backgrounds, some are clergy and some are lay people, some teach and others do not, some combine their chaplaincy with another role, for instance leading a local church.
Learn more about school chaplaincy on the Church of England’s website.