De La Salle School, St Helens
De La Salle School, St Helens is an 11-16 mixed comprehensive Roman Catholic high school which is linked to the world wide La Sallian community. The school in its current form was created in 1987 after the amalgamation of several Roman Catholic high schools in the area (West Park, Notre Dame, St. Edmund Campion and Mount Carmel). Its trustees are the De La Salle Brothers, who have a house nearby.
De La Salle School, St Helens | |
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Address | |
Mill Brow , , WA10 4QH | |
Coordinates | 53.4556°N 2.7695°W |
Information | |
Type | Voluntary aided school |
Motto | "Our Vision; to pursue excellence" |
Religious affiliation(s) | Roman Catholic |
Established | 1987 |
Founder | De La Salle Brothers |
Local authority | St Helens |
Department for Education URN | 104834 Tables |
Ofsted | Reports |
Chair | Teresa Sims |
Head teacher | Andrew Rannard |
Gender | Coeducational |
Age | 11 to 16 |
Colour(s) | Year 7 - Purple, Year 8 - Yellow, Year 9 - Green, Year 10 - Red, Year 11 - Blue |
Website | http://www.delasalle.st-helens.sch.uk/ |
There are 1200 pupils, and about 140 staff. Seven associated primaries provide the majority of pupils who join, aged 11: Corpus Christi, St. Austin's, St. Bartholomew's, St. John Vianney, St. Julie's, St. Teresa's and St. Thomas of Canterbury.
History
Grammar schools
Two of the former schools were called West Park Grammar School and Notre Dame High School, which were both direct grant grammar schools.[1] The De La Salle Brothers in St Helens.
Nothing could be more modest, less pretentious, less eye-catching that that laconic first statement in the Brothers'History of the House:"September 18, 1911. The School was opened today by our Brothers. The Brothers are Brother Nilus, Brother Alphonse and Brother Francis. We commenced with 37 pupils."The words are in the handwriting of Brother Nilus, the first Brother Headmaster. They quietly proclaim the presence of the De La Salle Brothers in 'the infant venture'. Twelve years earlier in 1899 Father Hearne, the energetic and farseeing parish priest of Sacred Heart had bought a house in St Georges Road and their set up a Catholic school for boys to complement the school for girls opened by the Sisters of Notre Dame. It was recognised as a Secondary School and was receiving small grants from the St Helens Education Committee. The Education Committee's subsequently withdrawal of grants on the grounds of inadequate accommodation and insufficient teaching facilities. The agreement by which the Brothers took over Father Hearne's School in 1911 provided for his house becoming the Brothers residence with adjoining stables becoming two classrooms. In 1911 Brother Nilus opened with 37 pupils. In 1912 the numbers on the role was 100.
Campus
The school completed a large building programme in June 2013. Nearly half of the building stock was rebuilt, while almost all of the remainder was substantially remodelled.
The new buildings capture some simple principles which the school developed with contractors and St. Helens Council: each academic area is clearly defined, with its own staff base and bespoke I.C.T. provision; while there are some open learning areas, the majority of classrooms are light and airy, as well as being very well sound-proofed; there are many double learning spaces, separated by sound-proofed partitions; each of the school's year groups has its own Base, with social seating for the pupils and I.C.T. areas. There are six enclosed and secure external areas, including the spacious Founder's Quad, and Our Lady's Quad, in addition to defined learning areas for Art, Performing Arts, science and Enrichment.
Notable former pupils
- Andrew Langtree, actor[2]
- Steve Prescott, international rugby league player
- Paul Wellens, St Helens RLFC player[3]
- Emma Rigby, actress[4]
- Stephanie Davis, actress[5]
- David Tench, musician[6]
- Jason Gilchrist, footballer[7]
- Michael Parr, actor
West Park School
- Johnny Vegas, comedian
- David P. Houghton, Professor of National Security Affairs at the Naval War College
West Park Grammar School
- Prof Michael Beddow, Professor of German from 1986-98 at the University of Leeds
- Tom Brophy (rugby)
- Mick Burke (mountaineer)
- Prof John P. Burrows FRS, Professor of Physics of the Ocean and Atmosphere
- Bernie Clifton, entertainer
- Ray Connolly, screenwriter
- Frank Cottrell-Boyce, screenwriter
- Vince Gaskell, Chief Executive from 2003-09 of the Criminal Records Bureau (now part of the Disclosure and Barring Service, or DBS)
- Chris Hesketh, rugby player
- Sean Hughes, history teacher and Labour MP from 1983-90 for Knowsley South
- Ian Lenagan, businessman, and Chairman since 2016 of the English Football League
- Pete McCarthy, comedian and television presenter
- Brendan O'Neill (businessman), Chief Executive from 1999-2003 of ICI
- Andy Platt, rugby player
- Pete Postlethwaite, actor
- Kevin Simms, rugby player
Notre Dame High School
- Kathryn Mitchell, Vice-Chancellor since 2015 of the University of Derby
- Liz Twist, Labour MP since 2017 for Blaydon
- Ann Williams, Olympic athlete
See also
- Cowley International College, the former Cowley Grammar School
References
- ISBN 0 950 1036 09 Parameter error in {{ISBN}}: Invalid ISBN. Growing up in St Helens by John D Vose Memories and recollections of a glass town. Chapter 5
- "Andrew gets in shape for Corrie". St Helens Star.
- "Wello goes back to school to open new pitch". St Helens Star.
- From Hollyoaks to Hollywood for St Helens' Emma Rigby?
- "De La Salle gang rooting for Over the Rainbow's Steph". St Helens Star.
- "Saturday Mornings ~ The Saturday Show ~ Data Sheet". Archived from the original on 11 June 2011. Retrieved 6 May 2011.
- "Many happy returns for Burnley hat-trick hero Jason Gilchrist". St Helens Star. 13 December 2012. Retrieved 21 March 2015.