St Augustine's Priory School, is an independent Catholic girls' school in the
London Borough of Ealing
The London Borough of Ealing () is a London borough in West London. It comprises seven major towns: Acton (W3), Ealing (W5, W13, NW10), Greenford (UB6), Hanwell (W7), Northolt (UB5), Perivale (UB6) and Southall (UB1, UB2). With a population of 3 ...
, England. It was founded and staffed by nuns from the priory, though the school has been run by a lay head since 1996. The school consists of Nursery (3-4) Prep (4–7 years), Junior (7-11) and Senior (11-18) departments and welcomes girls of all faiths. In 2014, it was in the top three best performing GCSE schools in Ealing.
History
Lettice Mary Tredway
Mother Lettice Mary Tredway, C.R.L., (1595 – October 1677), courtesy title Lady Tredway, was an English canoness regular and abbess who founded a monastery for the English members of her Order in 17th-century Europe.
Life
In July 1616, Tredwa ...
, CRL, was a member of a French community of Canonesses Regular of the Lateran at the Priory of Notre-Dame-de-Beaulieu in the village of
Sin-le-Noble
Sin-le-Noble (; pcd, Sin-le-Nope) is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.
Population
Notable people
* Pierre-Jules Boulanger, born in 1885 in Sin-le-Noble: contributed in the manufacturing of the 2CV.
* Simonne Ratel (19 ...
, near
Douai
Douai (, , ,; pcd, Doï; nl, Dowaai; formerly spelled Douay or Doway in English) is a city in the Nord département in northern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department. Located on the river Scarpe some from Lille and from Arras, D ...
, in the
County of Flanders
The County of Flanders was a historic territory in the Low Countries.
From 862 onwards, the counts of Flanders were among the original twelve peers of the Kingdom of France. For centuries, their estates around the cities of Ghent, Bruges and Ypr ...
, which provided nursing care to the region. She was authorized by the religious authorities, including Bishop Richard Smith,
Vicar Apostolic
A vicar (; Latin: ''vicarius'') is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior (compare "vicarious" in the sense of "at second hand"). Linguistically, ''vicar'' is cognate with the English pref ...
for Great Britain, to found an English-speaking community of her Order. She founded the
monastery
A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer which ...
, called Notre-Dame-de-Sion, in 1631 in
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
.
Shifting from medical care, the school was opened by the community in 1634 for English pupils escaping the persecution of Catholics in their homeland. The priory remained in operation there until the canonesses were forced to flee France at the outbreak of the
French Revolution
The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...
, at which point they returned to England. Finding refuge in their native country, they re-established their religious community and the school under its current name.
The priory moved to Ealing in 1910, to Castlebar Road, and in 1915 moved to its present site in Hillcrest Road. During the campaign for women's suffrage, one of the school leaders (Headmistress and Latin tutor), Mother Mary Frances, supported this cause by chaining herself to railings and breaking windows.
The
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
was a difficult time as London was bombed during
the Blitz
The Blitz was a German bombing campaign against the United Kingdom in 1940 and 1941, during the Second World War. The term was first used by the British press and originated from the term , the German word meaning 'lightning war'.
The Germa ...
but the school continued operating. Whenever the air raid sirens sounded, canonesses would take the girls down to the cellars and continue lessons.
Although a priory by name, it now consists solely of the school, run by lay staff members, as the canonesses voted in a final meeting in 1996 of the chapter of the priory to dissolve, due to their reduced numbers and the advanced age of its members. They dispersed to join other communities of the Order. The school maintains its Catholic ethos through its pastoral careReligious and Spiritual Life and has close links with the local archdiocese and the nearby
Benedictine
, image = Medalla San Benito.PNG
, caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal
, abbreviation = OSB
, formation =
, motto = (English: 'Pray and Work')
, foun ...
Ealing Abbey
Ealing Abbey is a Catholic Benedictine monastery, monastic foundation on Castlebar Hill in Ealing. It is part of the English Benedictine Congregation. As of 2020, the Abbey had 14 monks.
History
The monastery at Ealing was founded in 1897 from ...
which hosts the school's annual Carol Concert in December.
Grounds
The school is set in of grounds, adjacent to
Hanger Lane
Hanger Lane is a major road in Ealing, London, England. The majority of the road forms the westernmost part of the A406 North Circular Road, running north from the A4020 Uxbridge Road at Ealing Common to the A40 Western Avenue at the Hanger Lan ...
, consisting of a wild flower meadow, orchard, Prep meadow, two netball courts, a rose garden, croquet lawn, a sweeping playing field and an all-weather floodlit AstroTurf.
Facilities
The priory chapel is used daily for school assemblies, masses and music recitals. The new science block provides well equipped science labs, as well as drama studio and Junior music/drama room. Many visitors to the school are envious of the Sixth Form area which has its own balcony with views towards the North Downs, and also has its own kitchen.
Notable former pupils
*
Phoebe Waller-Bridge
Phoebe Mary Waller-Bridge (born 14 July 1985) is an English actress and screenwriter. She is best known as the creator, head writer, and star of the BBC sitcom ''Fleabag'' (2016–2019), which was based on her one-woman show of the same name. S ...
(born 1985) — actress, writer, playwright and director of stage and television
*
Hannah Kendall
Hannah Kendall (born 1984 in London) is a British composer currently based in New York.
Background and career
Kendall grew up in Wembley, where her mother is the head teacher in a primary school. One of two children, her parents are originally ...
(born 1984) — composer
*
Rena Lalgie
Rena Lalgie is a British civil servant serving as Governor of Bermuda since 2020.
She is the first woman, and the first person of African-Caribbean heritage, to be appointed governor of Bermuda.School websiteProfile in the
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