St Thomas the Apostle College
| Established | 1965 |
|---|---|
| Type | Voluntary aided school |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Executive Head | Serge Cefai |
| Headteacher | Eamon Connolly |
| Location |
Hollydale Road Nunhead London SE15 2EB England 51°28′17″N 0°03′22″W / 51.4715°N 0.0562°WCoordinates: 51°28′17″N 0°03′22″W / 51.4715°N 0.0562°W |
| Local authority | Southwark |
| DfE number | 210/5402 |
| DfE URN | 100857 Tables |
| Ofsted | Reports |
| Gender | Boys (with a co-educational Sixth Form) |
| Ages | 11–18 |
| Website | www.stac.uk.com |
St. Thomas the Apostle School and Sixth Form College is a Roman Catholic secondary school for boys in Nunhead, London. The Sixth Form (opened 2015) is co-educational.
The school has been extensively rebuilt and the new school building was opened by the Archbishop of Southwark, Peter Smith, in January 2013, to provide modern teaching spaces and updated facilities. The original Catholic chapel, an important feature in the life of the school, was retained and is the focus for the Catholic and pastoral life of the students.
The Headteacher is Mr. Eamon Connolly, formerly Vice Principal of Mossbourne Academy. Mr. Serge Cefai (Principal of Sacred Heart Catholic School, Camberwell) is Executive Headteacher. Mr Connolly was appointed Headteacher with effect from September 2012.
In August 2013, St Thomas the Apostle College achieved its - up until then - best ever GCSE results, recording 73% A*-C, including English & Maths. In 2013, St Thomas the Apostle College was one of the most improved schools in the UK and among the best in the London Borough of Southwark.
As at August 2014, St Thomas the Apostle College achieved its best ever GCSE results, recording 75% A*-C, including English & Maths, retaining its position among the best in Southwark. Under the new senior leadership team put in place by Mr Connolly and Mr Cefai from September 2012, the Ofsted inspection carried out an inspection on 27 and 28 November 2014 which rated the College "Outstanding" in every category.[1]
In September 2015, St Thomas the Apostle College expanded its provision by opening a coeducational Sixth Form.
2016 saw the school's best ever GCSE results (82% 5A*-C including English and Maths). Due to the phenomenal progress 8 figure achieved by the school (+0.91) St Thomas the Apostle was ranked 11th in all school's in the UK by the DfE.
In 2017 St Thomas the Apostle was named TES Secondary School of the Year. In the same year Eamon Connolly was also awarded a Silver Award in Pearson's "Headteacher of the Year" awards.
History of the College
St. Thomas the Apostle College opened in September 1965 as St. Thomas the Apostle School. The initial intake came from two schools – English Martyrs and St Francis. In September 1967 boys from Archbishop Amigo also joined. The founder Headmaster was Mr W. Uden and his first Deputy was Mr. D. Crawford. Mr. Crawford retired in July 1982 and Mr. Uden at Christmas 1982. Initially there was a V1 Form but this was lost after the reorganisation of Catholic Schools in 1985 due to falling rolls.
The College became Grant Maintained in September 1994 and became known as St. Thomas The Apostle College. In 1998 the College reverted to a Voluntary Aided College.
Dr Tope retired after 21 years as Principal in July 2004. After a disappointing Ofsted report in May 2010, Mr Damian Fox, who had succeeded Dr Tope in 2004, left the College in December 2010. Mr Fox's deputy, Mr Simon Cowdry was appointed Acting Headmaster in January 2011 to work with Mr Cefai, Principal of Sacred Heart Catholic School, Camberwell, as Executive Head. Following the recruitment process, the Governors chose not to appoint Mr Cowdry who resigned and left the College in August 2012.
Mr Connolly was appointed in September 2012 to work with Mr Cefai. In May 2013 Ofsted reported significant improvements in Leadership & Management (including Governance) and Behaviour of Pupils, but noted that Achievement of pupils and Quality of Teaching still required improvement. Another a more current inspection in November 2014, Ofsted noted additional progress and rated the College as "Outstanding" in every category.[1]
There have only been five headteachers at the school during its history which is a remarkable achievement for a school that opened in 1965.
There are four houses, named after four English martyrs from the 16th century during the reign of Elizabeth I - Griffith, Gunstone, Saint John Jones and Saint John Rigby. Some confusion can be found in the details of the houses, because St. John Jones went by the name of 'Griffith' during the 16th century.
References
- 1 2 "School report - The St Thomas the Apostle College". Ofsted. May 2013. Retrieved 27 February 2015.