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 worldwide 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.

There are 1200 pupils, and about 140 staff.

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. Growing up in St Helens by John D Vose Memories and recollections of a glass town. Chapter 5

The first statement in the Brothers' History of the House was: "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."

Twelve years earlier in 1899 Father Hearne, the parish priest of Sacred Heart, had bought a house in St George's Road and 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 subsequently withdrew 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 number of students 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 remodelled.

Notable former pupils

* Andrew Langtree, actor
* Steve Prescott, international rugby league player
* Paul Wellens, St Helens RLFC player
* Emma Rigby, actress
* Stephanie Davis, actress
* David Tench, musician
* Jason Gilchrist, footballer
* 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

* 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
* 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

* Prof Kathryn Mitchell, Vice-Chancellor since 2015 of the University of Derby
* Liz Twist, Labour MP since 2017 for Blaydon
* Ann Williams, Olympic athlete

References

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Secondary schools in St Helens, Merseyside
Catholic secondary schools in the Archdiocese of Liverpool
Merseyside
Voluntary aided schools in England