St Nicholas Catholic High School
 | |
| Motto | In Omnibus Labora (Labour in all things) |
|---|---|
| Established | 1965 |
| Type | Comprehensive, Voluntary Aided |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Headteacher | Richard Woods |
| Chair | Mr. Jonathan Reid |
| Location |
Greenbank Lane Hartford Northwich Cheshire CW8 1JW England  53°14′56″N 2°31′43″W / 53.248767°N 2.528660°WCoordinates: 53°14′56″N 2°31′43″W / 53.248767°N 2.528660°W |
| Local authority | Cheshire West and Chester |
| DfE URN | 111450 Tables |
| Ofsted | Reports |
| Students | 1,288 |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Ages | 11–18 |
| Colours | teal (blazer), Black, white, red and Gold |
| Website | School homepage |
St Nicholas Catholic High School is a mixed voluntary aided school and sixth form in Hartford, near Northwich, Cheshire for students aged 11 to 18. Since 2017, the head teacher has been Richard Woods.[1]
History
St Nicholas Catholic High School opened as a secondary modern on 6 September 1965, with Mr. Michael O'Connor as its first head teacher and Father R. Velarde, Parish Priest of St. Wilfrid's, Northwich as the first Chairman of Governors. It was the first Catholic secondary school in mid-Cheshire.
In 1972, the school became a comprehensive, and changed its name to St Nicholas High School. At the same time, a new science and languages block was built to the side of the original building. In 1979, a new sixth form block was opened by Mark Carlisle, the Secretary of State for Education. Remodelled science laboratories followed in 1989, and a music suite and additional science laboratories in 1992.
In 1995, O'Connor retired after 30 years as headmaster, and was succeeded by Gerard Boyle. In 2003, the school was awarded Business and Enterprise status. The school also holds the Eco-Schools Green Flag, Healthy Schools status and the Inclusion Quality Mark.
St Nicholas has extended and refurbished the originally standing Sports Hall with Science and Language rooms at the rear at a total cost of £11.5m, as well as a refurbished Sixth Form Centre and new Geography rooms.
Following the retirement of Gerard Boyle at the end of the 2009 term, his successor was Kieran Kelly.[2]
Ofsted
In its 2004 Ofsted inspection, the school and sixth form was rated "very good".[3] In the July 2011 inspection, it was rated "outstanding".[4]
Catchment area
As there are few Catholic high schools in Cheshire, St Nicholas' catchment area extends as far away as Helsby and Knutsford. It also includes Barnton, Davenham, Kingsmead, Middlewich, Weaverham and Winsford. The Sixth Form catchment area also includes the area of St. Thomas More Catholic High School in Crewe, which does not have its own sixth form. Buses run from all the mentioned towns and villages to and from St Nicholas, but due to recent cuts the bus service has come under threat.
Residentials and retreats
Residentials and retreats are normally organised during the month of January. Year 7 pupils usually stay at Conwy Centre in Anglesey for five days. Usually, Year 7 pupils go on a retreat day to St Josephs Catholic Primary School.Year 9 pupils usually stay and do mock SATS in residential week. Year 10 pupils have attended retreats to Savio House in Bollington, Cheshire for a number of years, more recently some have attended retreats at Brettargh Holt in Cumbria and Middleton Grange in North Yorkshire.
Former pupils
- Nicky Maynard – footballer
- David Mannix – footballer[5]
- Lucy Meggit – singer with Fast Food Rockers[6]
References
- ↑ "St Wilfrid's Parish Newsletter" (PDF). St Wilfrids Roman Catholic Church, Northwich. 2009.
- ↑ "Gerard ready for retirement". Northwich Guardian. 12 June 2009. Retrieved 11 November 2014.
- ↑ "2004 Inspection Report" (PDF).
- ↑ "2011 Inspection Report" (PDF).
- ↑ "Former Northwich footballer David Mannix banned by FA over betting charge". Chester Chronicle. 29 July 2009.
- ↑ "Fast Food Lucy's still dish of the day". Chester Chronicle. 28 April 2004.