The New Head of Christ’s Hospital on Change, Leadership, Ambition & Standout Moments
In September 2025, a new Head and CEO took the reins at Christ’s Hospital: Matthew Judd. Already an experienced school leader, he joined from Leighton Park School, where he had served as Head since 2018, and he previously held senior leadership positions at Haberdashers’ Boys’ School and Mander Portman Woodward.
Anyone who has spent time around Christ’s Hospital recently, whether visiting the campus, using the facilities at Bluecoat Sports or interacting with the school in other ways, will have probably noticed waves of energy and excitement drifting through the beautiful corridors and cloisters. Without doubt, there is a bit of a buzz at a school that has been offering a transformational educational experience to a wide range of students (including many from disadvantaged backgrounds) since 1552.
Sussex Exclusive was recently lucky enough to chat to Matthew Judd to find out more about Matthew the man, Matthew Judd the Head, and his vision, ambitions and early achievements for one of Sussex’s most distinctive schools.
Let’s start with CH. Why Christ’s Hospital?
It has been a lifetime ambition to lead this school. More than 30 years ago, I first came here on work experience, considering whether teaching might be the right path for me. I taught my very first lesson here. As I was leaving, the Head said to me: “Mr Judd, we should very much like you to teach here. If ever you see a job, please do apply.” I never replied until I applied for this position.
I grew up in Crawley, went to a comprehensive school there, and I always thought this was an amazing place. The fact that this school has an incredible financial endowment that can genuinely make a difference to lives, without worrying about the ability to pay for large sections of our students, is astonishing. There isn’t another headship or school like this in the UK. It’s the best job in the business.
Was there a moment in your life that shaped your belief in the power of education?
Education was my way of transforming my own life. I was the first person in my family to go to university, and that’s probably why I became a teacher. Education changes lives. But I remember being told as a child, in a conversation about Christ’s Hospital, “That’s not for people like us.”
You have more outrage when you’re young, don’t you? You think, Well, that’s not right. So, part of coming here is completing that circle. This is a school for anybody who wants to take advantage of the educational opportunities we offer.
What are your ambitions for CH and what excites you most about the future?
I want CH to mean more to Sussex and more to the local area. So, for the first time ever, Christ’s Hospital is offering fee-assisted day places to students from Crawley, Horsham and down to and along the coast; students with need, but also families with some ability to contribute.
This opens up CH to local families in a way we have never done before and it’s tremendously exciting. It’s a Rubicon crossed in Christ’s Hospital history. Within a decade, I’m confident a third of the school will be day pupils and going back to that phrase, “not for people like us”, I hope it will mean people start to think differently.
Of course, there will always be a strong boarding identity at Christ’s Hospital. We’ll always have significant numbers of London children and students from backgrounds where boarding can genuinely transform lives. But for our local community and to achieve the diversity of students we want, this is a tremendously exciting change.
Looking back over your first year, what have been your biggest achievements?
There is one large achievement that I cannot talk about yet, so watch this space. But a major change that I can talk about is that we’re ending Saturday lessons. We recognise families today increasingly protect weekends as family time. Parents work hard during the week and want to preserve weekends for time together.
I’m academically scholarly and expect the school to be scholarly. But that intensity belongs Monday to Friday and getting rid of Saturday school has been a big achievement for us.
I’ve also been working very hard with all our constituencies: Old Blues, parents, staff, everyone. All the stakeholders are important and part of our family. They need to feel valued and loved.
In a boarding school, parents can sometimes feel distant. So, I’ve started recording videos and improving communication. Parents write back and say, “It’s lovely to see you because our children come and go on trains and we don’t always physically see school life.” That might seem small, but it’s an important achievement.
Biggest challenge?
This is a very complex organisation. As Head and CEO, you’re overseeing a significant financial endowment whilst also dealing with individual students and their wellbeing. You can go from discussing half a billion pounds to a child who has lost their plimsoles. Both matter equally, so calibrating that is really important.
We’ve got 900 students but nearly 700 employees. On our wider register, we have around 1,300 people connected to the school through volunteering, contracting and other roles. When you sit at the apex of that organisation, making everyone feel heard and connected becomes enormously important.
What guides your leadership style?
That everybody must be heard. Everybody must be listened to. That doesn’t mean everybody is agreed with. But everybody should feel part of the journey. That applies to students, donors, volunteers, everyone.
What surprised you most and what are the standout moments of the last year?
Music. I expected it to be good. I expected the Band and Gospel Choir to be fantastic. But music is just everywhere. You turn every corner, and something musical is happening. The full extent of music at CH was a surprise.
In terms of standout moments, there have been so many in this first year. One extraordinary moment was the Gospel Choir being invited to sing at St Paul’s Cathedral during the confirmation of the first female Archbishop. Sitting there, watching that moment unfold, was extraordinary.
But another moment, on a very different scale, was sitting with student affinity groups. There were about 60 students in the room, all of whom are part of our many affinity groups, and they stood up and spoke passionately about everything from LGBTQ+ to different cultural issues. A great example is one student who said, “I’m leading Jewish Society, but I’m not Jewish. I just think it’s important that Jewish voices are heard.”
In a school, that’s phenomenal.
And on a personal note, having my own parents sit next to me as part of my own journey at the amazing Christmas Carol Concert last year was very special and significant.
What would you say directly to parents considering CH?
Get to know us. Choosing a school is difficult. Ask questions. But most importantly, speak to the students. Everyone can put on a good open day. But if you ask yourself, “Is this what I want my child to become at 18?”, then you’re asking the right question. Education is what remains when what has been learned is forgotten. Ultimately, that’s about character.
If you like the character of Christ’s Hospital students, then perhaps we’re right for you.
On a personal note, do you have a favourite place in Sussex?
I like Knepp Wilding. To me, it feels like a little bit of California arriving in Sussex. But at CH, I love the Chapel because it is such a special place.
On a slightly different note, I am a magistrate, and I want our students to be civic in their outlook, so I think it is very important that I model those behaviours. In the process, one thing I’ve really enjoyed since coming here has been getting to know Sussex communities through that work.
Is there any resounding message you’d like to convey about CH?
This is a place of scholarly intent. We are achieving big things, but at our core, we are about getting great results and helping to shape young people of real character. Christ’s Hospital is about helping young people travel further in life than perhaps they otherwise might have done. We’ve been doing that for 500 years, and we will carry on doing that for the 500 years too.
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