St Benedict's Catholic High School, Hensingham
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| St Benedict's Catholic High School | |
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| Address | |
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Campus Whitehaven, Red Lonning Hensingham , , CA28 8UG England | |
| Coordinates | 54°32′43″N 3°33′28″W / 54.545223°N 3.557713°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Voluntary aided school |
| Motto | "A Sense of Faith" |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Roman Catholic |
| Established | 1971 |
| Local authority | Cumberland Council |
| Department for Education URN | 112398 Tables |
| Ofsted | Reports |
| Headteacher | Emma Jackson |
| Gender | Coeducational |
| Age | 11 to 18 |
| Enrolment | ~1408 |
| Website | st-benedicts |
St Benedict's Catholic High School is a co-educational 11–18 comprehensive school on the edge of Whitehaven, Cumbria, England. It is located between the Western Lake District and the sea. St Benedict's is a larger than average Catholic high school, which serves a wide catchment area in West Cumbria. The proportion of students entitled to free school meals is just below average. The proportion of students with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is just above average,[citation needed] and an average number have a statement of special educational needs.[citation needed]
History
[edit]The school was awarded specialist engineering college status in 2002.[citation needed] It has the Healthy Schools Award, and is a Fairtrade School. It became one of only ten schools nationally to achieve advanced status in study support and also achieved the International Schools Award.[citation needed]
In July 2018 staff balloted for strike action amid claims of a "toxic" atmosphere. An indicative ballot revealed 96 per cent of members, from a 92 per cent turnout, were in favour of striking. A survey carried out by the union revealed concerns were widespread among its 66 members. The concerns included a "toxic atmosphere" in the school, with worries over "a culture of fear and intimidation".[1]
In January 2019 the school was co-located with Mayfield Special School as part of Campus Whitehaven, a £33m investment in the local area.[2]
Sports
[edit]On the school campus there are four tennis courts, an all-weather football pitch, a rugby pitch, a cricket pitch, a mile-long Cross country running track, and two indoor gymnasiums.[3]
West Cumbria Catholic Sixth Form Centre
[edit]St Benedict's has the region's only Catholic sixth form centre, West Cumbria Catholic Sixth Form Centre. Courses offered at the sixth form include sociology, history, philosophy and ethics, and the sciences.[4] In the school's most recent[when?] inspection the Sixth Form achieved praise for its pastoral support and teaching standard due to achieving high pass rates, such as 100% pass rate in German studies.[citation needed] The Sixth form achieves a high percentage[quantify] of students moving on to universities.[citation needed]
Notable former pupils
[edit] | This article's list of alumni may not follow Wikipedia's verifiability policy. (November 2022) |
- Kyle Amor, rugby league footballer, currently playing for St. Helens
- Thomas Docherty (politician), politician, former MP for Dunfermline and West Fife
- Dean Henderson, Manchester United goalkeeper
- Brad Kavanagh, actor and musician, known for his role in House of Anubis
References
[edit]- ^ "Teachers' strike ballot over 'toxic' allegations". Whitehaven News.
- ^ "Headteacher's Welcome – St. Benedict's School".
- ^ School Prospectus 2013/2014, 2012
- ^ St Benedict's website, Sixth Form 2012
