St Anselm's College is an 11–18
boys
A boy is a young male human. The term is commonly used for a child or an adolescent. When a male human reaches adulthood, he is described as a man.
Definition, etymology, and use
According to the ''Merriam-Webster Dictionary'', a boy is "a ...
,
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
,
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 ...
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 in
Birkenhead
Birkenhead (; cy, Penbedw) is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseyside, England; historically, it was part of Cheshire until 1974. The town is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the south bank of the River Mersey, opposite Liver ...
,
Merseyside
Merseyside ( ) is a metropolitan county, metropolitan and ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in North West England, with a population of List of ceremonial counties of England, 1.38 million. It encompasses both banks of the Merse ...
, England. It was established in 1933 and is located in the
Roman Catholic Diocese of Shrewsbury. It is one of four Roman Catholic secondary schools in the
Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, and one of three
Irish Christian Brothers
The Congregation of Christian Brothers ( la, Congregatio Fratrum Christianorum; abbreviated CFC) is a worldwide religious community within the Catholic Church, founded by Blessed Edmund Rice.
Their first school was opened in Waterford, Ireland, ...
schools in the Merseyside area.
Admissions
Founded in 1933, the school was in recent years granted
Technology College
In the United Kingdom, a Technology College is a specialist school that specialises in design and technology, mathematics and science. Beginning in 1994, they were the first specialist schools that were not CTC colleges. In 2008, there were 59 ...
and then Academy status, in cooperation with
Upton Hall School
Upton Hall School FCJ is a catholic girls' grammar school with academy status located in Merseyside, England. It was founded in 1849 by the Faithful Companions of Jesus (FCJ).
Admissions
It is one of four Catholic schools in the Metropolita ...
, the local Catholic girls' school. The school used its
specialist school
Specialist schools, also known as specialised schools or specialized schools, are schools which specialise in a certain area or field of curriculum. In some countries, for example New Zealand, the term is used exclusively for schools specialis ...
status as an opportunity to improve some teaching facilities and broaden aspects of the curriculum.
History
Foundation
The college was founded as a
fee-paying school in 1933 by the trustees of the
Congregation of Christian Brothers, at the invitation of
Hugh Singleton,
Roman Catholic Bishop of Shrewsbury. In 1946 it became a
direct grant grammar school
A direct grant grammar school was a type of selective secondary school in the United Kingdom that existed between 1945 and 1976. One quarter of the places in these schools were directly funded by central government, while the remainder attracted ...
and continued as such until 1975, when the trustees opted for the school to be independent in order to continue as a
single-sex
Grant-maintained status
The Education Act 1993 gave the trustees the chance to re-enter the
maintained sector and so, once again, offer parents the choice of a Catholic Grammar School education for their sons, irrespective of their ability to pay. In 1995, the school became one of the first Independent schools to re-enter the maintained sector. The prep department retained its independent status and was previously known as
Redcourt St Anselm's
Redcourt St Anselm's was a Catholic preparatory day school for boys and girls aged 3 to 11 in the Oxton suburb of Prenton, Merseyside, England. It closed in 2019.
History
Redcourt St Anselm's began as the prep department of St. Anselm's Colle ...
; however, Redcourt closed in 2019.
In September 1999, the school became
voluntary aided
A voluntary aided school (VA school) is a state-funded school in England and Wales in which a foundation (charity), foundation or Charitable trust, trust (usually a religious organisation), contributes to building costs and has a substantial influ ...
in line with the
Education Act 1998
Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty. Vari ...
.
Specialist School status
After two unsuccessful applications, the school finally achieved joint
Technology College
In the United Kingdom, a Technology College is a specialist school that specialises in design and technology, mathematics and science. Beginning in 1994, they were the first specialist schools that were not CTC colleges. In 2008, there were 59 ...
status together with
Upton Hall School
Upton Hall School FCJ is a catholic girls' grammar school with academy status located in Merseyside, England. It was founded in 1849 by the Faithful Companions of Jesus (FCJ).
Admissions
It is one of four Catholic schools in the Metropolita ...
, another local Catholic
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 ...
, as part of the UK
specialist school
Specialist schools, also known as specialised schools or specialized schools, are schools which specialise in a certain area or field of curriculum. In some countries, for example New Zealand, the term is used exclusively for schools specialis ...
s initiative. The school had, at the time, been unable to apply for specialist
Language College
Language Colleges were introduced in 1995 as part of the specialist schools programme (SSP) in the United Kingdom. The system enabled secondary schools to specialise in certain fields, in this case, modern foreign languages. Schools that successf ...
status because,
Wirral Grammar School for Girls
("A monument more lasting than bronze", from Horace's Poem 3:30)
, established = 1931
, closed =
, type = Grammar school;Academy
, religious_affiliation =
, president ...
, another school in the Wirral
LEA had already applied for this as a first specialism.
Upon achieving the status the school further developed its programme for
A-level
The A-Level (Advanced Level) is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education, as well as a school leaving qualification offered by the educational bodies in the United Kingdom and the educational aut ...
and
GCSE
The General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) is an academic qualification in a particular subject, taken in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. State schools in Scotland use the Scottish Qualifications Certificate instead. Private sc ...
in
ICT
ICT may refer to:
Sciences and technology
* Information and communications technology
* Image Constraint Token, in video processing
* Immunochromatographic test, a rapid immunoassay used to detect diseases such as anthrax
* In-circuit test, in ...
, installed a
wireless computer network
A wireless network is a computer network that uses wireless data connections between network nodes.
Wireless networking is a method by which homes, telecommunications networks and business installations avoid the costly process of introducing c ...
in many areas of the school, increased the number of computer workstations available to students for academic work, and also made an email service and
extranet
An extranet is a controlled private network that allows access to partners, vendors and suppliers or an authorized set of customers – normally to a subset of the information accessible from an organization's intranet. An extranet is similar to a ...
available to all students and staff.
In 2006 the joint Technology College designation expired, and the school announced its intention to make an application, independently from
Upton Hall School
Upton Hall School FCJ is a catholic girls' grammar school with academy status located in Merseyside, England. It was founded in 1849 by the Faithful Companions of Jesus (FCJ).
Admissions
It is one of four Catholic schools in the Metropolita ...
to renew its status. The school also announced, because of the success of the programme, its intention to apply for a second
specialism in Languages. Both applications were successful.
In 2009 the college was invited to take up a third designation as a Leadership Partner School.
Academy
The school converted to academy status on 1 June 2011.
Links with the church
The teaching staff at this and other Christian Brothers schools have traditionally been avowed Christian Brothers, but over the decades, the responsibility for this provision has been passed down to what is now a full-time
lay
Lay may refer to:
Places
*Lay Range, a subrange of mountains in British Columbia, Canada
*Lay, Loire, a French commune
*Lay (river), France
*Lay, Iran, a village
*Lay, Kansas, United States, an unincorporated community
People
* Lay (surname)
* ...
teaching staff of 44, maintaining strong links with the
Edmund Rice Family and with the guidance of the
Roman Catholic Diocese of Shrewsbury.
Ethos and mission
Education at the school is, at its core, Roman Catholic, and inspired by the work of Blessed Edmund Rice. It is fundamentally based on the ''Eight Essentials of Christian Brothers Education'',
and the
religious studies programme at the school follows that prescribed by the
Roman Catholic Diocese of Shrewsbury.
The study of the history and ethos of the college forms a part of the Religious Studies programme at
Key Stage 3
Key Stage 3 (commonly abbreviated as KS3) is the legal term for the three years of schooling in maintained schools in England and Wales normally known as Year 7, Year 8 and Year 9, when pupils are aged between 11 and 14. In Northern Ireland the ...
, and is a common focus for the weekly assemblies. (The
Christian Brothers resident in the house that adjoins the college ensure that Sixth Form students are kept well informed about the ethos of the college by an annual programme of discourse which complements the PSHE programme.
Patron saint
Saint
Anselm of Canterbury
Anselm of Canterbury, OSB (; 1033/4–1109), also called ( it, Anselmo d'Aosta, link=no) after his birthplace and (french: Anselme du Bec, link=no) after his monastery, was an Italian Benedictine monk, abbot, philosopher and theologian of th ...
(1033 or 1034 – 21 April 1109).
Sports
The college has a reputation for sporting achievement far outstripping its size. Notable sporting achievements include winning the National Schools Cross Country Championship at Intermediate Level and winning the Northerns Schools Championship countless times, regularly attending the National Schools Athletics Final and travelling the country competing in various rugby union competitions. The school also partakes in Hockey and Cricket competitions.
Affiliations
The college had traditionally been affiliated with
Redcourt - St Anselm's, a local independent primary school, and although now independent from the secondary school, both schools are part of the
Edmund Rice Family, and share sports facilities in
Noctorum
Noctorum is a suburb of Birkenhead, Merseyside, England. Administratively it is within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral as part of Claughton Ward. Noctorum is in the north east of the Wirral Peninsula, bounded by the Beechwood estate to the ...
.
The joint-technology college status of the school with
Upton Hall School
Upton Hall School FCJ is a catholic girls' grammar school with academy status located in Merseyside, England. It was founded in 1849 by the Faithful Companions of Jesus (FCJ).
Admissions
It is one of four Catholic schools in the Metropolita ...
until Autumn 2006 gave rise to increased cooperation between the two Catholic grammar schools on the
Wirral Peninsula. Other joint activities include language talks and spiritual activities.
Notable alumni and staff
Alumni of the school are referred to as ''Old Anselmians'', or within the school as ''Old Boys'', reflecting the single-sex nature of the school. The alumni association of the college is the ''Anselmian Association''.
*
Dave Balfe
David Balfe (born 1958 in Carlisle, Cumberland) is a musician and record company executive, most notable for playing keyboards with the Teardrop Explodes, founding the Zoo and Food independent record labels, signing Blur and for being the subj ...
, keyboard player in various Liverpool bands especially
The Teardrop Explodes and manager of
Blur (band)
*
Harry Charsley
Henry William James Charsley (born 1 November 1996) is a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for club Oldham Athletic. Born in Wirral, England, Charsley represented the Republic of Ireland up to under-21 level.
Charsley came ...
, footballer with
Mansfield Town F.C., academy graduate of
Everton FC
Everton Football Club () is an English professional association football club based in Liverpool that competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. The club was a founder member of the Football League in 1888 and has compe ...
*
Peter Davenport, footballer with
Manchester United FC
Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd), or simply United, is a professional football club based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England. The club competes in the Premier League, ...
,
Middlesbrough FC
Middlesbrough Football Club ( ) is a professional football club in Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England, which competes in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium ...
,
Sunderland AFC
Sunderland Association Football Club (, ) is an English professional football club based in the city of Sunderland, Tyne and Wear. Formed in 1879, Sunderland play in the Championship, the second tier of English football. The club has won six t ...
*
Bob Fitzharris
The Ven Robert Aidan (Bob) Fitzharris (b August 1946) was the Archdeacon of Doncaster from 2001 to 2011.
Fitzharris was educated at St Anselm's College and the University of Sheffield. He was a dentist from 1971 to 1987. He studied for the pr ...
,
Archdeacon of Doncaster from 2001 to 2011
*
Christian Furr, UK artist who painted HRH
*
John Gorman (entertainer)
John Gorman (born 4 January 1936), is an English comedian, vocalist and comedy musician.
The Scaffold
After grammar school, Gorman worked as a Telecommunications Engineer. He was the founder of the comedy music group The Scaffold, best known fo ...
in ''
The Scaffold
The Scaffold were a comedy, poetry and music trio from Liverpool, England, consisting of musical performer Mike McGear (real name Peter Michael McCartney, the brother of Paul McCartney), poet Roger McGough and comic entertainer John Gorman. ...
''
*
Austin Healey
Austin Sean Healey (born 26 October 1973 in Wallasey (now part of Merseyside, formerly Cheshire), is a former English rugby union player who played as a utility back for Leicester Tigers, and represented both England and the British & Irish L ...
, former English International rugby player (
Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers (officially Leicester Football Club) are a professional rugby union club based in Leicester, England. They play in Premiership Rugby, England's top division of rugby.
The club was founded in 1880 and since 1892 plays its hom ...
)
*
Ben Johnston, English International rugby player (
England Saxons
England A is England's men's second national rugby union team. The team has previously been known by a number of names, such as England B, Emerging England and, most recently, England Saxons. England A play a key role in the development of emer ...
)
* Prof
Dennis Kavanagh
Dennis Kavanagh (born 27 March 1941) is a British political analyst and since 1996 has been Professor of Politics at the University of Liverpool, and now Emeritus Professor. He has written extensively on post-war British politics. With David Butl ...
, Professor of Politics from 1996 to 2006 at the
University of Liverpool
, mottoeng = These days of peace foster learning
, established = 1881 – University College Liverpool1884 – affiliated to the federal Victoria Universityhttp://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/2004/4 University of Manchester Act 200 ...
*
Ross MacManus
Ronald Patrick Ross McManus (20 October 1927 – 24 November 2011) was an English musician, singer and trumpet player of Irish descent. He performed with Joe Loss and his orchestra. He was the father of Elvis Costello.
Life and career
McManus ...
, UK musician; father of
Elvis Costello
Declan Patrick MacManus Order of the British Empire, OBE (born 25 August 1954), known professionally as Elvis Costello, is an English singer-songwriter and record producer. He has won multiple awards in his career, including a Grammy Award in ...
*
Chris Malkin
Christopher Gregory Malkin (born 4 June 1967) is an English former professional footballer who played as a centre-forward.
Malkin began his professional career at Tranmere Rovers, whom he joined from Stork on a free transfer in 1987. He spen ...
, former footballer with Tranmere Rovers
* Prof
Paddy Nixon
Paddy Nixon is a computer scientist and Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Canberra, in Australia. He took up office in April 2020.
From July 2015 to January 2021, he was Vice-Chancellor and President of Ulster University an ...
FBCS FRSA, Vice-Chancellor since 2015 of
Ulster University
*
Sean O'Connor (producer), Executive Producer since 2016 of ''
EastEnders
''EastEnders'' is a Television in the United Kingdom, British soap opera created by Julia Smith (producer), Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the Ea ...
'', and former Editor of ''
The Archers
''The Archers'' is a BBC radio drama on BBC Radio 4, the corporation's main spoken-word channel. Broadcast since 1951, it was famously billed as "an everyday story of country folk" and is now promoted as "a contemporary drama in a rural settin ...
'' on
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...
*
Mark Palios
Markos Palios (born 9 November 1952) is an English chartered accountant, football administrator and former professional footballer. In August 2014, it was announced that he and his wife Nicola were taking ownership of Tranmere Rovers F.C., where h ...
, former Chief executive of
The Football Association
The Football Association (also known as The FA) is the Sports governing body, governing body of association football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Bailiwick of Guernsey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. Formed in 1863, it is the ...
and owner of
Tranmere Rovers F.C.
Tranmere Rovers Football Club is a professional association football club based in Birkenhead, Merseyside, England. The team compete in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1884 as Belmont Football Club, they ado ...
*
Chris Pilgrim,
Newcastle Falcons rugby player
* Prof
Christopher J. Schofield
Christopher Joseph Schofield (also known as Chris Schofield) is the Head of Organic Chemistry at the University of Oxford and a Fellow of the Royal Society. Chris Schofield is a professor of organic chemistry at the University of Oxford, Depa ...
FRS, chemist, Head of Organic Chemistry since 2011 at the
University of Oxford
, mottoeng = The Lord is my light
, established =
, endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019)
, budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20)
, chancellor ...
and Fellow of
Hertford College, Oxford
Hertford College ( ), previously known as Magdalen Hall, is a colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. It is located on Catte Street in the centre of Oxford, directly opposite the main ga ...
*
Peter Stanford, writer and journalist, Editor from 1988 to 1992 of ''
The Catholic Herald''
*
Scott Wootton
Scott James Wootton (born 12 September 1991) is an English professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Defender (association football), defender for Wellington Phoenix FC, Wellington Phoenix in the A-League.
Wootton also gained ...
,
Leeds United F.C.
Leeds United Football Club is a professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire in England. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of England's football league system, and plays its home matches at Elland Road ...
*
Oliver Shannon, footballer with
Everton FC
Everton Football Club () is an English professional association football club based in Liverpool that competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. The club was a founder member of the Football League in 1888 and has compe ...
and
Atlanta United FC
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Anselm's College
Schools in Birkenhead
Boys' schools in Merseyside
Grammar schools in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral
Academies in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral
Congregation of Christian Brothers secondary schools
Catholic secondary schools in the Diocese of Shrewsbury
Educational institutions established in 1933
1933 establishments in England