Sion Manning Roman Catholic Girls' School

Sion–Manning Roman Catholic Girls' School
Motto Pax Deo
(Peace of God)
Established 1958
Type Voluntary aided comprehensive
Religion Roman Catholic
Headteacher Mrs CM Leach
Chair of Governors Mr. J. O'Donnell
Location 75 St Charles Square
Ladbroke Grove
West London
W10 6EL
England Coordinates: 51°31′12″N 0°12′54″W / 51.520°N 0.215°W
Local authority Kensington & Chelsea
DfE number 207/4801
DfE URN 100503 Tables
Ofsted Reports
Staff 55~
Students 560~
Gender Girls
Ages 11–16
Colours Purple     

Sion–Manning Roman Catholic Girls' School is a Roman Catholic school situated in Ladbroke Grove, London. It is part of a cluster of Catholic institutions located at St Charles Square which includes St Charles Catholic Primary School,[1] St Charles Catholic Sixth Form College, St Pius X Church,[2] various community centres and the Carmelite Monastery of the Most Holy Trinity.[3]

The school educates girls aged between 11 - 16, and has no sixth form.

History

Cardinal Manning had the vision to expand Catholic education in London but distrusted the Jesuits, who had already successfully established schools in Northern England. He acquired a plot of land North Kensington for St Charles College for Boys, a boarding which had been founded by the Oblates of St Charles Borromeo (see Ambrosians) in 1863, and it relocated there in 1874.[4] The college was intended to prepare young men for the priesthood. The short-lived Kensington University College, also founded by Manning, was merged into the school as its "higher department".[5] It closed in 1905 after 42 years in operation.[6] Inspired by Charles Borromeo, Manning named the local parish St Charles, which covers present-day St Charles Square. The old buildings were taken over by the Sisters of the Sacred Heart who opened St Charles Teacher Training College and St Charles Demonstration School.

The training college was evacuated to Dorchester following the outbreak of World War II. The college buildings had been so badly damaged during the Blitz that the Sisters decided to move on to Roehampton where they were already running Digby Stuart College.[7] The Archdiocese of Westminster took over the buildings in 1946 for redevelopment. St Charles Primary opened in 1954, followed by secondary moderns Cardinal Manning Boys School in 1955 and Cardinal Manning Girls School in 1958.[8]

During the 1960s, Cardinal Manning Girls merged with a convent school founded by the Sisters of Sion at Chepstow Villas, Bayswater to form the present-day Sion-Manning School.[9] Following a reorganisation of the Catholic education system within the Archdiocese in 1990, Cardinal Manning Boys became St Charles Catholic Sixth Form College but remained on its site.[10]

Curriculum

It is particularly known for its "Specialist Status" in the visual arts and also has "Beacon Status" in the performing arts. Sion-Manning also supplies early entry GCSEs for those who show extra talents in subjects. But this is only in certain subjects e.g. Religious Education, ICT, MFL (Modern Foreign Languages), Science, Maths and English.

Scholarship

The scholarship is a programme currently running in Sion-Manning. Ten girls from various subjects including art, music, English, maths and science could be chosen if they show exceptional talent. It was introduced in 2011 which art and music the only categories available. Scholars will receive a special gold badge, and benefits from that subject. For example free music lessons, free art kit and trips. [citation needed]

Notable former pupils

References

  1. ↑ St Charles Catholic Primary School Archived October 30, 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ↑ "St Pius X". rcdow.org.uk.
  3. ↑ "Lifting the veil on life in a 21st-century monastery". London Evening Standard. 18 March 2010.
  4. ↑ Elrington, C.R., ed. (1989). "'Paddington: Education', A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 9: Hampstead, Paddington". Courtesy of British History Online. pp. 165–271. Archived from the original on 2012-10-24.
  5. ↑ Survey of London 10. P.S. King & Son. 1926. p. 326.
  6. ↑ Evennett, H.O. The Catholic Schools of England and Wales. CUP Archive. p. 46.
  7. ↑ St Charles RC Primary School - History of our school Archived October 29, 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ↑ "If Manning came back to St. Charles' Square". Catholic Herald. 5 May 1961. Archived from the original on 2013-10-29.
  9. ↑ "Sisters of Sion Celebrate 150 Years". sionschool.org.uk. Archived from the original on 2013-10-29.
  10. ↑ St Charles Catholic Sixth Form College - General Information
  11. ↑ "Hayley Atwell: Gentlemen swoon, but only on set...". The Independent. 14 November 2010. Archived from the original on 2014-03-26.