"Pope Francis embodied humility not just in word but in every gesture of his papacy. From the moment he stepped onto the balcony in simple white robes, declining the ornate vestments of his predecessors, he signalled a different kind of leadership—one grounded in service, not status. He chose to stand among his cardinals rather than sit upon the papal throne, rode the bus back with them instead of the papal limousine, and often flew economy class. He wore the black of a parish priest more often than the regal red or purple, and he made his home not in the Apostolic Palace but in the modest guesthouse next door. Even in death, he asked for simplicity—no grand tomb in St. Peter’s, just a plain stone in Santa Maria Maggiore with the name ‘Francis.’ He was a shepherd who truly smelled of his sheep, washing the feet of migrants and embracing the forgotten. His voice was always for the voiceless, his heart always with the poor. He didn’t just lead the Church—he walked with it, and here at Salesian we will miss his spiritual guidance"

Paul Gower,
22.4.25

Enlightening minds, uplifting hearts

Welcome to Salesian, our happy and thriving Catholic school and college community, a place where young people are nurtured to go out into the world and achieve great things!

Central to our mission is the belief that every child and student has God-given potential to make our world a better place and that the education and experiences they receive at Salesian, helps to provide the key to unlocking that potential.

Our mission here is characterised by the philosophy of the Salesian founder, St John Bosco. He stressed high educational standards but insisted on a friendly atmosphere in his schools where the idea of community could be fostered. Good relationships between all members of our community are key to everything we do. Our motto – ‘Enlightening minds, uplifting hearts’ – is taken from the writings of Don Bosco. We strive to ensure that every student feels genuinely loved at Salesian, in order that they develop into confident, capable young people who are determined to go out and make our world a better place; we call this “Building the Kingdom”.

We achieve these aspirations through strong pastoral support, excellent teaching and an extensive range of sporting, cultural, physical and social co-curricular activities. All this is delivered by an exceptional group of teachers and support staff who are totally committed to doing everything we can to ensure every child receives the best possible education.

Salesian has built a reputation for excellence that has been established since we were founded here in Chertsey over 100 years ago. Today, we are a mixed, comprehensive school meeting the needs of children of all abilities from 11-18 years. We provide for over 1800 students, including around 400 in our Sixth Form College, which is on its own specialised site. We are an academy and part of the Xavier Catholic Education Trust.

Our aspiration is to improve education for all and as part of the Xavier Teaching School Hub, we are dedicated to first class learning and teaching, professional development and supporting schools in difficulty. We also, through Xavier, play a key role in Teach SouthEast, the leading centre for initial teacher training in the region.

If you are interested in finding out more about learning, working, or training to teach at Salesian then please get in touch; we look forward to meeting you.

God bless,

Paul Gower
Headteacher