Our Church

As a Church of England academy school,Chiddingstone enjoys close links with the local church. The rector, who is also one of our very supportive governors, visits the school regularly to take acts of worship and to meet with the staff and has lunch with children from different year groups every week.

"Both parents and pupils value the strong sense of 'community'.  One parent referred to the bond between school and church by saying, 'It is very easy to assume that one is an extension of the other'."

Parents are invited to Friday Acts of Worship in the Church as well as Festival services, class Acts of Worship and Prayer Station activities. The children enjoy dancing, singing and drama as part of these celebrations.  

Many of our children regularly attend church with their families and are members of the very popular Sunday School. 

The parish church,dedicated to St Mary,is thought to be the  fourth built on that site.

A church has been recorded on the present day site since 1287. It was rebuilt during the 14th century by Sir Bartholomew Burghersh and the North Chapel,called ‘Bore Place Chapel’  was built by Sir Robert Rede in 1516. The roof was lowered in Tudor times.

The church was almost destroyed by a lightning fire in 1624. It did so much damage that it took five years to repair the damage. The South porch was added to the church in 1626 (the date on the sundial).