Inclusive Community For All Faiths
Although we are a Christian School, students and staff from all faiths, or none, are welcome.
The Chaplaincy and the Chapel are situated at the very heart of the School and provide a space where we can take time in the midst of a busy week to reflect upon our lives.
Each week, our regular Chapel services provide an opportunity for such reflection and during these important times together we seek to deepen our understanding of the nature of what it means to be human and allow space for us to recognise the spiritual dimension of life.
Meet the Chaplain
Brentwood School’s Chaplain is an integral part of the School community, where a strong, caring Christian ethos is threaded throughout.
The Chaplain of Brentwood School is the Revd Dr Adrian McConnaughie.
It is a privilege to be the Chaplain of a busy community and to play a part in helping each of us grow as individuals in the image of God.
Chapel Worship
Each year group in the Senior School attends Chapel on a fortnightly basis and we gather for weekly Chapel in the Prep school every Thursday.
Worship for All Faiths
Brentwood School is a diverse and inclusive community.
Whilst the Chapel remains a central part of School life, we seek to ensure that suitable opportunities for worship are available to people of all faiths and have a designated Prayer Space for our Muslim staff and students.
Please contact the Chaplain if you would like further details of this provision.
Worship for the Wider Community
There is an emerging community, Called2B, that meets once a month on a Sunday for a service which usually starts at 10am. These services are open to the wider Brentwood School community and are suitable for all ages.
These services are generally less formal in style and feature a blend of music, scripture, poetry, and art to help us listen to God’s call on our lives and create a safe space to support one another on our journey of faith.
Over the last year or so we have grown and have nurtured one another as a new community. Services have typically coincided with key moments in the Christian year such as Harvest, Advent, Christmas, Easter and Mothering Sunday. These services have also involved our Junior Choir (Year 3 and 4) who have led us musically on occasions.
If you are interested in being part of our community, please contact the Chaplain below.
Special Services and Celebrations
In addition to our monthly Sunday services throughout the year, we gather in the Chapel at a variety of moments throughout the year.
There are regular services of Choral Evensong and members of the Brentwood community gather in the Chapel for baptisms, weddings, funerals and memorial services.
Please contact the Chaplain if you would like more details or if you would like to enquire about the use of the Chapel for such services.
History of the Chapel
For the first 300 years, the School used the local South Weald Church for worship. In the 19th century, Headmaster Dr West was keen to have a dedicated School Chapel built in order to house the expanding number of students.
It was in 1868 that the Brentwood School Chapel was completed to serve its students and it still sits at the very heart of the School site.
In the period after the First World War, the School increased again in numbers. The Chapel couldn’t house the whole of the School in one sitting, so half of the boys attended Chapel and the other half had assembly each day.
In 1925, expansion work was undertaken to include two aisles as memorials to the Great War of 1914-1918.
The beautiful stained-glass east window, above the altar, is an illustration of the ancient Christian hymn Te Deum. Of the other two stained-glass windows which look in on this tranquil setting, one – Faith, Hope and Charity – was given to the School by St Mary’s, Great Warley, a nearby church, and the other features striking depictions of the prophets Moses and Elijah.
Today, even though it can accommodate 320 worshippers, the Chapel cannot house the entire School, so the six Year Groups of the Senior School take turns attending a short Chapel assembly once a fortnight.
Brentwood in numbers
