St Benedict's Catholic High School, Hensingham

St Benedict's Catholic High School
Type Voluntary aided school
Religion Roman Catholic
Headteacher Ian Smith
Location Red Lonning
Hensingham

Whitehaven
Cumbria
CA28 8UG
England, United Kingdom
Local authority Cumbria
DfE URN 112398 Tables
Ofsted Reports
Students 1408
Gender Coeducational
Ages 11–18
Website St. Benedict's School Website

St Benedict's Catholic High School is a co-educational 11-18 comprehensive school on the edge of Whitehaven, between the Western Lake District and the sea. St Benedict’s is a much 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 and an average number have a statement of special educational needs. The school was awarded specialist engineering college status in 2002, and has the Healthy Schools Award. Alongside this, St Benedict's is also a Fairtrade School. It recently became one of only ten schools nationally to achieve advanced status in study support and also recently achieved the International Schools Award.

Sports

The School plays various sports to a high standard, being particularly known for its achievements in Rugby. On the school campus there are 4 tennis courts, an all weather football pitch, a Rugby pitch, a cricket pitch, a mile long X-country track, And two indoor gymnasiums.[1]

West Cumbria Catholic Sixth Form Centre

St Benedict's also plays host to the regions only Catholic sixth form centre, West Cumbria Catholic Sixth Form Centre. Where all of the Sixth form's classes are studied on the high school's campus excluding French language which is studied in conjunction with The Whitehaven Academy and West Lakes Academy on the Whitehaven Campus. There are a large number of courses offered at the sixth form from Sociology, Law, Philosophy and Ethics, and the Sciences.[2] In the school's most recent 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. The Sixth form achieves a high percentage of students moving on to universities. Universities attended by St Benedict's Alumni include The University of Cambridge, The University of Oxford, York St.John's University, and a percentage attending Newcastle University with which the school has a partnership scheme.[3]

Notable former pupils

Subjects from Year 7 - 9

Subject
Art
English
Food Technology
Geography
History
Mathematics
French
German (Only available to Year 8 & 9 students with a decent level at the end of year 7.)
Spanish (Only available at a lunchtime extra curricular activity, full subject at GCSE.)
Physical Education (P.E)
Performing Arts
Religious Education (R.E)
Science (Core)

[4]

References

  1. School Prospectus 2013/2014, 2012
  2. St Benedict's website, Sixth Form 2012
  3. St Benedict's Website, Sixth Form 2012.
  4. School Website

External links

Coordinates: 54°32′37″N 3°33′39″W / 54.5435°N 3.5609°W