Sacred Heart High School is a
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
secondary school and
sixth form
In the education systems of England, Northern Ireland, Wales, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and some other Commonwealth countries, sixth form represents the final two years of secondary education, ages 16 to 18. Pupils typically prepare for A-l ...
with
academy status for girls, located in
Hammersmith
Hammersmith is a district of West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It is the administrative centre of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, and identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.
...
, London, England.
Admissions
Sacred Heart is a popular girls' school for ages 11–18, located in
Hammersmith
Hammersmith is a district of West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It is the administrative centre of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, and identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.
...
. The former convent only accepts girls of the Catholic faith and a uniform is obligatory for all girls during the seven years at Sacred Heart. Approximately 900 girls attend the school. As of September 2022, the headteacher is Mrs. S O’Donovan.
History
Foundation
The school was founded by nuns of the
Society of the Sacred Heart
, image = RSCJnuevo.jpg,
, image_size = 150px
, caption =
, abbreviation = Post-nominal letters: RSCJ
, formation =
, founder = Saint Sr. Madeleine Sophie Barat, R.S.C.J.
...
in 1893. One of the school buildings is named after the order's founder
Madeleine Sophie Barat
Madeleine Sophie Barat, RSCJ, (12 December 1779 – 25 May 1865), was a French saint of the Catholic Church who founded the Society of the Sacred Heart, a worldwide religious institute of educators.
Early life and family
Barat was born on the ...
. It is built on an historic site with a long Catholic tradition dating back to 1609. In 1869 Archbishop Manning decided to convert the convent into a seminary but the original buildings were found to be unsuitable. By January 1876 John Francis Bentley, the architect of
Westminster Cathedral
Westminster Cathedral is the mother church of the Catholic Church in England and Wales. It is the largest Catholic church in the UK and the seat of the Archbishop of Westminster.
The site on which the cathedral stands in the City of ...
, had completed the plans for the current Tudor styled buildings. By July 1884 the seminary was complete, consisting of a chapel, library, school, refectory, common room and upwards of sixty study bedrooms for staff and students.
Grammar school
In 1948 the convent school was reorganised as a secondary
grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching Latin, but more recently an academically oriented secondary school ...
, continuing as a grammar school, the Convent of Sacred Heart High School, until 1976.
Comprehensive
The school received its first comprehensive intake in 1976, gradually becoming comprehensive one year at a time until 1981, as the London Sacred Heart High School. It had around 550 girls in 1980. In 1989, a gradual change began to dispose of the sixth form, and by 1991, it was an 11–16 school, with A-levels being taken at the new
St Charles Catholic Sixth Form College, in Kensington and Chelsea. From 1990, it was the responsibility of Hammersmith and Fulham, and from 1991 to 2014 the headteacher was Christine Carpenter, who replaced Moira Russell. Upon her retirement, she was replaced by Marian Doyle.
Apart from the twenty years as a seminary in the late nineteenth century, this site has a 330-year tradition of contributing to the education of young women. The school building was designed by
John Francis Bentley
John Francis Bentley (30 January 1839 – 2 March 1902) was an English ecclesiastical architect whose most famous work is the Westminster Cathedral in London, England, built in a style heavily influenced by Byzantine architecture.
Life
Bentle ...
, also responsible for
Westminster Cathedral
Westminster Cathedral is the mother church of the Catholic Church in England and Wales. It is the largest Catholic church in the UK and the seat of the Archbishop of Westminster.
The site on which the cathedral stands in the City of ...
. In 1993 Cardinal
Basil Hume,
Archbishop of Westminster, visited the school for a Mass to celebrate its 100th anniversary.
The school was awarded
beacon school honours, and in 2005 it became a
specialist school in Mathematics and ICT.
From September 2006, the school has improved nutrition by taking away the chocolate vending machines and not allowing girls to bring in that kind of food. Fruits and vegetables should be eaten during lunch. A new fruit juice machine has been introduced.
Both the pupils and the teachers are encouraged to take part in regular activities both within and outside the school community, and all the years contribute to raising money and awareness of political, social and economic status' around the world. The school raises large amounts of money each year for various charities around the world.
Academy
On 1 March 2012, Sacred Heart High School officially gained
academy status.
Sixth Form
From September 2013, the school has a sixth form.
Academic performance
Sacred Heart High School Hammersmith (SHHS) is recognised as one of the top 1% out of all non-selective secondary maintained schools in England. Rated ‘Outstanding’ and ‘Exceptional’ by Ofsted, the latter rating awarded to just a handful of schools in the country.
In 2019, 58% of students achieved A*-B at A Level, while GCSE grades were among the best nationally with 52% of students achieving 9-7 grades.
Notable former pupils
*
Beabadoobee
Beatrice Kristi Ilejay Laus (born 3 June 2000), known professionally as beabadoobee (; '), is a Filipino-British singer-songwriter. From 2018 to 2021, she released five extended plays under the independent label Dirty Hit: ''Lice'' (2018), ''P ...
, indie singer-songwriter
*
Pauline Collins
Pauline Collins (born 3 September 1940) is a British actress who first came to prominence portraying Sarah Moffat in '' Upstairs, Downstairs'' (1971–1973) and its spin-off, '' Thomas & Sarah'' (1979). In 1992, she published her autobiography, ...
, actress
Controversy
In July 1999 the
Press Complaints Commission
The Press Complaints Commission (PCC) was a voluntary regulatory body for British printed newspapers and magazines, consisting of representatives of the major publishers. The PCC closed on Monday 8 September 2014, and was replaced by the Inde ...
(PCC) upheld a complaint against the ''
Mail on Sunday
''The Mail on Sunday'' is a British conservative newspaper, published in a tabloid format. It is the biggest-selling Sunday newspaper in the UK and was launched in 1982 by Lord Rothermere. Its sister paper, the ''Daily Mail'', was first pub ...
'', from Prime Minister
Tony Blair
Sir Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born 6 May 1953) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007. He previously served as Leader of th ...
and his wife
Cherie Cherie is an English female given name. It comes from the French ''chérie'', meaning ''darling'' (from the past participle of the verb ''chérir'', ''to cherish'').
Notable people with the name or stage name include:
* Cherie, one of the stage ...
, who had claimed that they had improperly used their influence to secure the admission of their daughter, Kathryn, to Sacred Heart High School, some six miles from where they live, when other local girls were rejected. The PCC said: "There was no evidence to support the allegation that Kathryn Blair was unfairly admitted or had received special treatment, and the newspaper did not provide any."
"The Prime Minister and Mrs Blair"
Report 47, Press Complaints Commission
The Press Complaints Commission (PCC) was a voluntary regulatory body for British printed newspapers and magazines, consisting of representatives of the major publishers. The PCC closed on Monday 8 September 2014, and was replaced by the Inde ...
See also
* List of Schools of the Sacred Heart
The School of the Sacred Heart is an international network of private Catholic schools that are run by or affiliated with the Society of the Sacred Heart, which was founded in France by Saint Madeleine Sophie Barat. Membership of the network ex ...
References
External links
Sacred Heart High School
EduBase
{{authority control
Girls' schools in London
Training schools in England
Educational institutions established in 1893
Catholic secondary schools in the Archdiocese of Westminster
Academies in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham
Sacred Heart schools
Secondary schools in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham
1893 establishments in England
Grade II* listed buildings in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham