Coloma Convent Girls' School

Coloma Convent Girls' School is a Roman Catholic school in a semi-rural location in Shirley, on the outskirts of Croydon, South London, England.[1] Coloma is a comprehensive school, so does not select its pupils: it has a history of selection, having been a grammar school for much of its history, and a grant-maintained school in 1994–1999.

Coloma Convent Girls' School
Address
Upper Shirley Road

Shirley, Croydon
,
Greater London
,
CR9 5AS

England
Coordinates51°22′10″N 0°03′10″W
Information
Typefrom 1999 Comprehensive, 1994-1999 Selective School 1965-1978 Grammar School
MottoLaborare Est Orare (To Work is to Pray)
Religious affiliation(s)Roman Catholic
Established1869
FounderThe Very Reverend Canon Van Crombrugghe
Local authorityCroydon
Department for Education URN101823 Tables
OfstedReports
HeadteacherMrs S Collins
GenderGirls
Age11 to 18
Colour(s)Navy blue   Light blue   White  
Websitecoloma.croydon.sch.uk

The school selects a number of pupils at 11+ or 16+ for music scholarships; all other girls are admitted using a religious-based points system.

From September 2010 until late 2018 The Quest Academy was part of the separate Coloma Trust, an academy trust that later also included the Archbishop Lanfranc school.[2]

History

The school regards its founder as being the Very Reverend Canon Constant Van Crombrugghe, who founded the Congregation of the Daughters of Mary and Joseph in Belgium in 1817. There is a bronze bust of Van Crombrugghe in the Main Hall and a painting of him in their Performing Arts Centre.

The school opened on 2 August 1869, with one pupil. In 1871, property was found in Tavistock Road, Croydon, and named Coloma. The school remained there until its move in 1965 to the present site. At the start of its history, the school's motto was Timpore in Silvam (in time a forest) but after it became an established place of learning they changed it to Laborare est Orare (to work is to pray).

Admissions policy

Girls wanting to attend the school are admitted using a religious observation points system, which is intended to give priority to candidates who are seen as the most devout, and to families who are most active in the church. The school is one of a small group of Catholic comprehensives to have adopted this system, along with the London Oratory School, Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School and the John Fisher School. Prior to the year 2000 most of these schools admitted a percentage of their pupils based on ability, aptitude or through an interview process. The points system is seen by some as a way for these schools to protect the Catholicity of their intake.

Academic Reputation

The school gets results comparable to that of a rural grammar school with A*-C GCSE pass rates consistently in the high 80s-low 90s.

In 2010, the school was placed 6th of all comprehensive schools, with 98.1% of girls achieving 5 A* to B grades.

House System

Each pupil attending the school is a member of a house; each year group contains six houses: St. Barbara's (red) St. Bernadette's (green), Edith's (yellow), St. Margaret's (light blue), St. Theresa's (purple) and St. Winifred's (dark blue). The house a pupil is sorted into will be the same as any other family member who may have attended the school. Inter-house competitions and events take place throughout the year, culminating at the annual summer Sports Day.

Combined Cadet Force

While the school does not have their own Combined Cadet Force (CCF), a few of the girls per year get to attend CCF training at Royal Russell School enabling them to experience the Army or the RAF.[3]

Headteachers
  • Madame Helene, 1875 - 1892
  • Madame Elitrude, 1892 - 1919
  • Mother Winefride, M.A., 1919 - 1945
  • Mother Marie Winefride, M.A., 1945 - 31 Aug 1948
  • Interregnum 1 Sept - 31 Dec 1948
  • Sister Mary Cuthbert, 1 Jan 1949 - Apr 1980
  • Sister Mary Gabriel, 21 Apr 1980 – 1989
  • Miss M Dolan, 1 Jan 1990 – Nov 1994
  • Sister Sheila (Acting), 1 Sep 1994 – 31 July 1995
  • Mrs M Martin, 1 Aug 1995–2017
  • Mrs J Johnson, 2017 -31 Aug 2019
  • Mrs S Collins, 2019–present

Alumni

Grammar school

References
  1. "Education | League Tables | Performance results for Coloma Convent Girls' School". BBC News. 13 January 2010. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  2. "AFTER 40 years of teaching, Selsdon High School shut its doors for the last time on Wednesday. | This is Croydon". Thisiscroydontoday.co.uk. 23 July 2010. Archived from the original on 23 July 2013. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  3. http://www.coloma.croydon.sch.uk/Combined-Cadet-Force-
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