Hagley Roman Catholic High School

Hagley Catholic High School
Mottoes Semper Fidelis
Established 1959
Type Academy
Religion Roman Catholic
Headteacher Suzanne Horan
Chair Elaine Yates (2006)
Location Brake Lane
Hagley
Worcs
DY8 2XL
England
52°25′25″N 2°08′56″W / 52.423485°N 2.14875°W / 52.423485; -2.14875Coordinates: 52°25′25″N 2°08′56″W / 52.423485°N 2.14875°W / 52.423485; -2.14875
Local authority Worcestershire
DfE URN 141414 Tables
Ofsted Reports Pre-academy reports
Students 1025 (2006)
Gender Mixed
Ages 11–18
Houses Anselm, Bede, Chad, Gregory, Kenelm and Wulstan
Colours               
Website www.hagleyrc.com

Hagley Catholic High School is a mixed 11-18 school in Hagley, Worcestershire, England. The school holds specialist academy status, and was awarded a Grade 1 (Outstanding) in the 2011 Ofsted report.[1] The school caters for students studying for Key Stage 3, GCSE, AS and A-level examinations.

The chosen patron saint is Catholic martyr Saint Nicholas Owen, and the school is divided into houses named after saints: Anselm, Bede, Chad, Gregory, Kenelm, and Wulstan.

In 2007, the school agreed to work in correspondence with Haybridge High School, located over the road, to share teaching in the less commonly chosen subjects by students. The schools have shared common ground for sporting events for some time.

Hagley Catholic High School obtains impressive examination results for its pupils. According to BBC league tables, the school has the 6th highest performance rate of the 20 or so state schools in the county, based on GCSE results, with 73% of students in 2010 gaining 5+ GCSEs A* to C including Maths and English.[2]

History

The Catholic community in Worcestershire first began collecting funds to build a secondary school in 1942. Hagley Roman Catholic Secondary School was opened in 1959 (the current name was adopted when the school became comprehensive in 1974). Originally the school was to be built in Stourport-on-Severn, but land was donated in Hagley.

In 1969, in the building which would later become Lab 5, a full-scale replica of a Bristol Scout aeroplane was built by five pupils and their history teacher. The aeroplane could only be removed when the window frames were removed.

Though A-Levels had been taught in the school since the 1960s, they became an important part of the curriculum in the 1970s. A sixth form common room and adjacent teaching rooms were built in 1976, and pupils began regularly to go on to university.[3]

An extensive collection of catalogued records relating to the history of the school can be found in the library. A history of the school, written by teacher Stephen Roberts, was published in 2009.

Notable former pupils

  • Vince Bartram, footballer and current goalkeeping coach at Southampton F.C.
  • Claire Cashmore, Paralympic gold medalist swimmer; awarded an MBE in 2017; distributed prizes at the annual presentation evening
  • James Cooper, left school in 2000; now senior lecturer in history at Oxford Brookes University; author of two books on recent American political history
  • Stephen Roberts, taught history and law at the school, 1982-2012; author or editor of a large number of books on Victorian Britain, most of them relating to the Chartist Movement
  • Lee Sharpe, footballer for Torquay United and left-winger for Manchester United; attended Hagley 1982-1987; opened the newly constructed sports centre and distributed prizes at the annual presentation evening[4]
  • Darren Wassall, footballer and current head coach at Derby County

School bus accident

The school became known for a tragic M40 minibus crash that occurred on November 18, 1993 in which twelve children and a teacher died. Several memorials were put in place, including a stained glass window in the entrance foyer, and several charities were also formed. One of the consequences of the crash was the launch of a national campaign to improve safety and driving standards for Passenger Carrying Vehicles (PCV). The huge number of letters which were sent to the school in the weeks after this event were placed for safekeeping in the care of Worcestershire County Archives in 2012.

References

  1. ↑ enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk, Ofsted Communications Team. (5 November 2010). "Find an inspection report". www.ofsted.gov.uk. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
  2. ↑ "BBC News - School league tables". BBC News. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
  3. ↑ Hagley RC High School web site Retrieved 15 June 2009
  4. ↑ Hagley RC High School website Retrieved 12 July 2009
  • Stephen Roberts This Wonderful School: Fifty Years of Hagley Catholic High School, 1959-2009 (2009).
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