St Philip Howard Catholic School
 | |
| Motto | ‘The more suffering for Christ in this world, more Glory with Christ in the next' - Philip Howard, 20th Earl of Arundel, June 22, 1587 |
|---|---|
| Established | September 1961 as 'Blessed Philip Howard' |
| Type | Comprehensive |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Headteacher | Wendy Stecuik |
| Chair | Canon Donald Bowdren |
| Location |
Derbyshire SK13 8DR England Coordinates: 53°26′32″N 1°57′24″W / 53.4421°N 1.9568°W |
| Local authority | Derbyshire |
| DfE URN | 112972 Tables |
| Ofsted | Reports |
| Staff | 35 |
| Students | 474 |
| Gender | Coeducational |
| Ages | 11–16 |
| Houses | Challenge, Courage, Determination, Endeavour |
| Colours | Maroon and gold |
| Website |
www |
St Philip Howard Catholic School is a Roman Catholic comprehensive school in Glossop in northern Derbyshire. It traditionally provides secondary education for Catholic school children in the Glossopdale and Longdendale valleys. However, the school attracts applications from a wide variety of backgrounds and primary schools in Glossop. The school has been established 52 years (as of 2013). The current headteacher is Wendy Steciuk, who has held the post since September 2003. The school attends a religious service at the nearby St Mary's Catholic Church at least once a term. The school welcomes applications from all students, but makes clear that Catholic children come first in the selection process. Traditionally, students come from Catholic primary schools around Glossop, Gamesley, Hadfield and Old Glossop. However, students sometimes join the school from other non-religious schools in Glossop, Tintwistle and the Longdendale and Tameside areas.
Curriculum
Students enter the school in Year 7 with a wide variety of traditional subjects on offer. The emphasis is on English, Maths and Science. The school is a specialist sports college with English as the second specialist subject. The school offers three separate sciences at GCSE for those deemed capable.
As of September 2011 the school has also been trialling an 'Opening Minds' curriculum for its Year 7 intake. This is a competency and skills based curriculum that teaches students how to learn. Rather than 'isolated' learning in subjects, the nationwide scheme initially introduced by the former Labour Education Secretary Ed Balls in 2009, aims to get students to learn universal skills and get them to take more responsibility for their leaning, allegedly lacking in a lot of young people. For every new Year 7 this takes place three hours a week. The remainder of the time will be following the traditional curriculum.
At the end of Year 9 students choose three subjects to opt to do for GCSE whilst continuing with English, Maths and Science, Religious Education and Physical Education. All of the traditional subjects are on offer. Students can choose to do Physical Education at GCSE and will therefore increase their time in this subject. The school has introduced a broad range of vocational qualifications which allows students to attend a separate college one day a week to study extra courses. All students follow a course at either Citizenship or the 'Certificate of Personal Effectiveness' known as COPE.
Buildings
The school has two main areas, known as "The Main Building" and "Campion House". The latter was named after the Catholic martyr Edmund Campion (1540-1581), who was executed in the reign of Elizabeth I. Three new classrooms have recently been built, added to the lower part of Campion House. There has recently been an extension to the main building, with a new staff-room and offices, to cope with the numbers of staff now working at the school.
Results
GCSE Results August 2011 73% achieved 5 or more A* to C Results including Maths and English. 88% achieved 5 or more A* to C's. The results are above average compared to similar schools nationally, and have improved year on year. The results beat neighbouring Glossopdale Community College. However based on the new English Baccalaureate introduced by the Conservative Education Secretary Michael Gove in 2011, only 13% of students achieved 5 A*-C grades, although this is markedly better than a lot of schools in Derbyshire.
Reputation
The school was given a 'Satisfactory' rating at the last Ofsted inspection in 2011. The school narrowly missed out on a 'Good' rating.Locally, the school has a very positive reputation with many past students feeling they got a good education here. However some feel that the choice of secondary education in Glossop is inadequate. Since the school is a Catholic school, some parents feel marginalised and the choice open to them is singularly the neighbouring Glossopdale Community College. That is why, of 2011, a local group of parents are currently planning a bid for Glossop's third secondary school known as a 'Free-School'. They have given it the name 'Partington Wood School' and is due to open, if bidding successful, in 2013.