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About
Our Location Makes Us Special

Nestled at the corner of the James River and Forest Hill Park, GSES capitalizes on learning in the community.

Where Inspiration Meets Community

Our curriculum maximizes the use of our community and inspires our students to serve our neighbors and learn typical subjects in compelling and thought-provoking new ways.
Admissions
Call for a Tour
The best way to learn if GSES is the right place for your family is to visit. Please call the school at (804) 231-1452 to arrange a personal tour.

Visits
Throughout the school year, GSES will provide opportunities for prospective families to visit for group tours and information sessions. Our open houses and visit days are the perfect opportunities for prospective students to get a taste of life in a GSES classroom.
Academics
Small Classes Allow for Big Experiences

Our small size provides big opportunities for learning. With a student to teacher ratio of 8:1, students receive the personalized attention to grow at their own pace and learn about subjects that matter to them in addition to the core academic subjects.

Innovative Learning
Our supportive environment allows students to take risks in their learning. Building a catapult that doesn't work teaches far more than a catapult that does. Feeling safe to try new things, while being carefully guided through challenging subjects, encourages our students to thrive.
Programs
We LOVE the Outdoors
Our outdoor education program takes advantage of our location near the James River and Forest Hill Park. Lessons often take students on adventures such as searching for local quarry stone in the neighborhood, measuring the velocity of student-built boats as they float down the James River, or collecting native pawpaws to use in cooking.
Community
Community Cleanup
Our families show up for GSES. Each August, our students and their families help clean the school grounds in preparation for the new school year. This is just one of the many ways we work together to create a united and close community.
Support
Supporting GSES
As GSES approaches its 53rd year, families, alumni, and friends loyally provide support for the school's academic programs, as well as capital improvements to school facilities. Over the past few years, funds from generous donors have provided for library and Parish Hall renovations, as well as classroom enhancements and special programming.

In This Section

Joint Community Statement

outside of church and school

Joint Community Statement

November 6, 2023

Joint Community Statement
The Church of the Good Shepherd, Episcopal and Good Shepherd Episcopal School

November 3, 2023

In 1971, The Church of the Good Shepherd founded Good Shepherd Episcopal School with the goal of further providing a Christian education for its local community. For over 50 years, the School has shared deep and meaningful experiences with its families, and it has educated thousands of students through its operation in the Church’s space. The School is an independent school accredited by the Virginia Association of Independent Schools and recognized by the Commonwealth of Virginia and the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia.

The Church of the Good Shepherd opened in 1908 and has served multiple generations of Richmonders with its leadership in outreach and missions. Throughout its history, The Church of the Good Shepherd has maintained its identity as an Episcopal Church within the Diocese of Southern Virginia.

While the Church and the School are separate religious organizations, each is grounded in the Episcopal faith.

The School and the Church have followed a joint Usage Agreement that governs the School’s operations in the Church’s space. In June 2023, differences of opinion emerged relating to the Usage Agreement and the relationship of the parties.

In October 2023, the Church and the School formally met to discuss those differences, their relationship and the future of the School’s continued operation in the Church’s space. Coming out of that meeting, the Church and the School – collectively – are pleased to announce their renewed commitment to each other, as well as to the School’s continued operation in the Church’s space for the duration of the current Usage Agreement, with the
possibility to extend beyond.

Both the Church’s Vestry and the School’s Board of Trustees hereby express appreciation for each other, their leaders, and their shared commitment to serving each organization’s constituencies moving forward.