Specialist religious academy in Hagley, Worcs, England
Hagley Catholic High School is a coeducational school for ages 11–18 situated in the village of Hagley, Worcestershire, England. Currently a member of the Catholic Emmaus trust of schools, it was founded by the Catholic community in Worcestershire. The school holds specialist academy status, and was awarded a Grade 1 (Outstanding) in the 2011 Ofsted report.[1] The patron saint is Catholic martyr Saint Nicholas Owen, and the school is divided into six houses named after saints: Anselm, Bede, Chad, Gregory, Kenelm, and Wulstan.
Outcomes are excellent at Hagley with a GCSE Progress 8 score in 2019 of +0.35 and English literature and language, maths, science and history in the top 20% of all schools nationally for attainment. Overall attainment was in the top 20% also, as were all elements of the attainment buckets.[2]
The sixth form enjoys a high rate of success, with half of all candidates achieving grades AAB or higher. In 2020, 40% of sixth form leavers went on to study at Russell Group universities and the school often sends students to Oxbridge.[3]
History
The school was founded in 1959 after the Catholic community in Worcestershire first began collecting funds to build a school in 1942. Originally the school was to be built in Stourport-on-Severn, but land was later donated in Hagley.
A-Levels have been taught in the school since the 1960s, and the sixth form common room and adjacent teaching rooms were built in 1976.[4]
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.
In 2007, the school agreed to work in correspondence with Haybridge High School, located oppositely on Brake Lane. By doing so, both schools worked to expand the teaching of less commonly taken elective subjects. The schools have shared common ground for sporting events for some time and enjoy a healthy rivalry with each other.
An extensive collection of catalogued records relating to the history of the school can be found in the school library. A history of the school, written by former teacher Stephen Roberts, was published in 2009.[citation needed]
Governance
The school heads the Emmaus Catholic MAC, a trust of several Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Birmingham. The Board of Directors is chaired by Ms Joanna Griffin.[5]
Each school within Emmaus is governed by a Local Governing Body (LGB). Hagley's consists of six foundation governors including the Principal, two parent governors and one staff governor. The Vice Principal sits in an advisory capacity. The Local Governing Body meets half termly. The current Chair of the LGB is Mr Chris Guy and Vice-Chair is Mr Geoff Taylor-Smith.[6]
Curriculum
The school provides a caring and challenging community splitting the curriculum into three areas called the taught curriculum, the enrichment curriculum, and the Catholic curriculum.[7]
Structure
Whilst the school has a strong academic focus, an emphasis is placed on an all-round development of pupils, backed by a strong Catholic ethos. The sixth form offers 24 courses for students and may also elect to sit an Extended Project Qualification.
The school maintains its own cricket field, cricket nets, tennis courts, football pitch, and indoor sports centre. The school and sixth form field competitive teams in rugby, cricket, football, gymnastics, basketball, and netball. Extracurricular activities also include annual ski trips, performing arts club, debate club, and the culture vulture club.
The sixth form has an elected committee and is led by the head boy and head girl whose names are added to the Honours Board which is located in the Dining Hall.
Traditions
The school prayer is said at the start and the end of each day:
"Saint Nicholas Owen, make this school a safe refuge; inspire in us a love God and a love of our neighbour. Guide us in our work and play, that we may always be faithful to Christ, our Lord. Amen"
Mass is held for all students each Tuesday morning.
Upon entrance to the sixth form, all students are invited to a garden party hosted by the sixth form committee. On the last day of sixth form, it is customary for leavers to drink at The Station Inn pub in full school uniform, moving on to The Lyttleton Arms and then into the nearby town of Stourbridge later in the evening.
School bus accident
The school suffered a tragedy on 18 November 1993 when a minibus transporting 14 pupils home from a proms concert in London collided with a maintenance lorry on the M40 motorway near Warwick. 10 pupils and 35-year-old teacher Eleanor Fry (who was driving the minibus) died at the scene, two other pupils died later in hospital from their injuries. Two other pupils, both 12-year-old girls, survived and made a full recovery from their injuries.
Several memorials were put in place in the school and local area, including a stained glass window in the entrance foyer; 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 (PCVs). 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.[citation needed]
