Our Lady's Catholic High School, Stamford Hill Explained

Our Lady's Catholic High School
Coordinates:51.5744°N -0.0756°W
Motto:Nitendo Vincamus
(To strive is to conquer)
Established:1904
Type:Voluntary aided comprehensive
Religious Affiliation:Roman Catholic
Head:Andy English
Founders:Servite Sisters
Address:6-16 Amhurst Park
County:London
Country:England
Postcode:N16 5AF
Local Authority:Hackney
Ofsted:yes
Urn:100282
Dfeno:204/4641
Enrolment:700+
Gender:Girls
Lower Age:11
Upper Age:19
Website:http://www.ourladys.hackney.sch.uk/

Our Lady's Catholic High School is a Roman Catholic secondary school for girls situated in Stamford Hill, in the London Borough of Hackney, England.

History

On 11 January 1904, the Servite Sisters founded a small independent school called Our Lady's School, with Sr M. Phillipa as its first headmistress. The school later moved to 14-16 Amhurst Park during the 1930s.[1] There were 27 pupils aged 10 and over; all the staff were Servite sisters; parents paid fees of £2/10/00 per term. The rooms in the house built in the 1800s were used as classrooms. There was a grass tennis court in the garden. The school has since expanded and the premises consist of the original buildings and newer additions (the most recent in 2003). The first lay headteacher, only the sixth in the school's history, was appointed in 1994. Our Lady's is no longer directly run by the Servites but remains under their trusteeship.[2]

Current structure

Our Lady's is a Voluntary Aided Roman Catholic School, which has been awarded Specialist Status as a Language College. Permission to expand by one form of entry has meant that the school's total number is currently 780 students. The Sixth Form Centre admits boys and girls and has currently 180 students.

In 2010, the school became a split site, since as part of the Building Schools for Future (BSF), the school was to be completely remodelled and rebuilt. The lower school (years 7 and 8) remained at the old site in Stamford Hill. The upper school (years 9, 10, 11 plus sixth form) moved to Upper Clapton, occupying a building put up for the lower school of The Skinners' Company's School for Girls. The rebuilding of the school was finished in 2012. The School came together back on one site in September 2012.

Andy English became head in March 2022. Ofsted visited in March 2022 and reaffirmed the school's rating as 'Good'.

Departments of the school

There are 19 departments in the school.

Notable former pupils

Notes and References

  1. Book: Baker. T.F.T.. Hackey: Roman Catholicism, A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 10: Hackney. 1995. 128–30. Courtesy of British History Online.
  2. http://www.ourladys.hackney.sch.uk/AbouttheSchool/ThenNow.aspx "Then & Now"