God has called parents to discern and decide how to bring up their children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4). Faithful parents need to enquire of the Lord and make prayerful, godly decisions for their children, who have been entrusted to them by God.

Part of the original vision for Alcuin’s was to help Christian brothers and sisters think through education carefully from a faith perspective; we want to support all Christian families to make an informed choice rather than assume there is only the option of state schooling.

There are certainly families who choose to send their children to state schools, and take seriously God’s call to educate their children in his ways, and there are also faithful Christians working in the state system as staff. We must pray for all who feel called to this, they are part of the essential ‘salt’ sprinkled amongst those who do not yet know Christ – there is plenty to do for God’s kingdom in state schools! There are increasing numbers of parents, however, who are unhappy with the UK state school system; governed by the national curriculum and DfE guidelines which are based on an increasingly anti-Christian philosophy, it has led many parents to being concerned about the methods of teaching and the content taught. At Alcuin’s, we want to offer an alternative to this, and in doing so be a ‘light on the hilltop’ (Matthew 5:13-16) which demonstrates what a Christ-centred education can be, and witnesses to our culture who God is, through the medium of education. 

A parent’s primary mission field is our children. We are to ‘bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord’ (Deuteronomy 6). This is very similar to Jesus’ command in the Great Commission- to ‘go and make disciples… baptising them… and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you’ (Matthew 28). We must not neglect or minimise this duty to our children.

To bypass the training of our children – that is, to send them into the world to make disciples before taught how to live as a disciple themselves – is like sending a civilian into battle. Soldiers must go through rigorous training before being sent out on mission; which includes structured and controlled exposure to danger, but are given the tools, the experience, and the education they need to succeed in missions. At Alcuin’s we believe the same should be true of our children. It is up to parents to discern how God is calling them to carry out this important command in Deuteronomy 6 and we acknowledge that this calling will look varied and diverse for different families. However, at Alcuin’s, we want to support parents who prayerfully decide that a Christian school will form part of how they train and instruct their children.

If parents choose Alcuin’s, they will be encouraged to actively seek appropriate ‘training moments’ to put this learning into practice, and life will be full of them. Alcuin’s will aim to partner with parents to prepare children for these moments, supporting the discussion of the interactions you have with non-Christian friends and family, neighbours and strangers.

All education costs. Either it is the taxpayer or the family who bears this cost. The options that are open to Christian parents are for their children’s education to be funded by their neighbours as taxpayers, or by themselves through independent schools or home education.

The alternative to a low-cost privately funded school, ideally with scholarships from donations for lower-income families, is a state education or home education. ‘Free’ education is impossible; and a school that is funded by the state, through the taxpayer, is beholden to the curriculum and culture determined by those who fund it. It is not a promise of God, and in fact instead God works through his people in their roles as parents, entrepreneurs, church leaders and members, to emulate him in bringing blessings to those around them, including through education. 

We want a truly Christian education to be accessible for as many families who desire it. But this will come at a sacrificial cost. Prayer, shifting priorities, and godly financial planning and entrepreneurship will all be a part of affording the best for our children. Sometimes this may also include external support such as scholarships, bursaries, and support from family and local churches.

Many people assume that there is a divide between the ‘sacred’ and the ‘secular’, i.e., that there is a ‘sacred’ or ‘religious’ realm of reality which the church or other religious institutions cover and there is the ‘secular’ realm which education covers. But the bible is clear; there is no such divide. Almighty God is the Creator of all things, and in him all things hold together (Colossians 1:17). He created the physical laws of the universe, and the logical mathematics which describe them. He created the beauty of music, of light, of nature. He created the human body, the human mind to think and create after his example. He created relationship, communication, and language. There is nothing good or worthy to be learned which is not founded first in God. To truncate education about God to ‘spiritual’ or ‘religious’ things is to fundamentally misunderstand who God is. But to understand this and build an education upon its sure foundation is to open the door to an endless treasure trove of truth, goodness, and beauty which can be passed on to our children.

At Alcuin’s teachers will be selected both on their faith in Christ, and their expertise and excitement in teaching and education. We want Alcuin’s to have the very highest academic standards and this begins with educators who have passion for constantly improving and learning for themselves. Nothing but the very best will be acceptable, because this is what God requires for Christians in all areas of their lives, including their work.

We are also deeply committed to developing expertise in our staff on a regular basis. Within our team, we have experts in teacher professional development to ensure that we all continue to keep getting better. In this way, we live out the desire to be a ‘learning community’ where we are all learning and growing in knowledge, wisdom and virtue together.

God’s providence plays the whole part in everyone’s faith; sending your child to Alcuin’s – or any Christian school – will not make them a Christian. The aim of a Christian education is not to produce little Christians. It is to do God’s will in bringing the whole of life under his Lordship and, if he is pleased to do it, this could be part of the way in which he chooses to bring children into his kingdom.