Who we are

Welcome to SchoolsworkUK

SchoolsworkUK is the schools work arm of Youthscape, designed to support and equip Christians who work in and visit schools across the UK.

We realise that this looks so broad and different for so many of us, whether we’re chaplains, working with NEET young people, mentoring and working with emotional wellbeing or engaging in spirituality with students, we are passionate about making a difference in the lives of children and young people in school through creativity, innovation and curiosity.

We aim to encourage the wider church to be engaging in their local school community, to foster a new vision for the church’s contribution to education and to navigate the current landscape with a new and dynamic response.

SchoolsworkUK launched in November 2007, but the real story began several years earlier. A group of youth and schools workers met for a conference in 2006 organised by Youthscape (formerly The Luton Churches Education Trust). From that conference, it became clear that not only were there a lot of Christian visiting schools, but that we shared a lot of the same challenges as well as opportunities. An idea began to form to find a way to connect us all, and to continue this conversation. Schools work has always been at the heart of what Youthscape does locally in Luton and this project is the wider schools work arm of the organisation.

Meet our team

The project is run by schools workers, based in Luton.

David Walford joined the SchoolsworkUK team in April 2018 as the Christian Schools Work Specialist. David has spent a number of years in church youth work and graduated from St Mellitus College with a degree in Youth Ministry and Theology. He is helping to deliver Christian schools work on the ground in Luton and developing new approaches and resources for Christian schools work nationally. You can email David here.

Chris Curtis was the pioneer behind schoolsworkUK and helps oversee the running of the project. Chris has been working with young people over the last three decades through work in schools and is CEO of Youthscape, the organisation that SchoolsworkUK belongs to. Youthscape also comprises Headstrong, Alumina, the local Youthscape work in Luton and runs the National Youth Ministry Weekend.