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 ...

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

. 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. 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 o ...

, 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 St Charles Catholic Sixth Form College is a Roman Catholic sixth form college located in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, in Central London, England. It was originally Henry Edward Manning, Cardinal Manning Boys School, founded in 19 ...

, 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, also responsible for

. In 1993 Cardinal

Basil Hume George Basil Hume OSB OM (2 March 1923 – 17 June 1999) was an English Catholic bishop. He was a monk and priest of the English Benedictine monastery of Ampleforth Abbey and its abbot for 13 years until his appointment as Archbishop of W ...

Archbishop of Westminster The Archbishop of Westminster heads the Roman Catholic Diocese of Westminster, in England. The incumbent is the metropolitan of the Province of Westminster, chief metropolitan of England and Wales and, as a matter of custom, is elected presid ...

, 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 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 ...

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 t ...

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,

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