Sacred Heart High School
Voluntary aided, Roman Catholic, girls
Address and contact details
212 Hammersmith Road, London W6 7DG
tel: 020 8748 7600
Headteacher: Dr Christine Carpenter BA, PhD, FRSA
email: info@sacredh.lbhf.sch.uk
website: www.sacredhearthighschoolhammersmith.org.uk
ofsted report: Sacred Heart Ofsted page
DfES number: 205 - 4620
2011 open days
Thursday 15 September
4pm to 6pm - latest arrival time 4.50pm
Headteacher will speak at 5.30pm
Wednesday 21 September
9.30 to 11.00am Latest arrival time 10am
Headteacher will speak at 10.40am
Thursday 22 September
9.30 to 11.00am - latest arrival time 10am
Headteacher will speak at 10.40am
Thursday 22 September
4pm to 6pm - latest arrival time 4.50pm
Headteacher will speak at 5.30pm
Wednesday 28 September
9.30 to 11.00am - latest arrival time 10am
Headteacher will speak at 10.40am
Overview
Sacred Heart high school is a Catholic voluntary aided 11-16 comprehensive school for girls. As well as being a specialist school in maths and computing, great emphasis is placed on religious education which is taught to all students.
We work together to bring all within its community to an awareness of the fullness and meaning of life rooted in the love of God, through the excellence of its education and by a respect for the uniqueness, worth and development of each individual, regardless of gender, race, social background or ability, in order to enable each one to make her contribution in society with dignity and faith. At main assemblies, celebrations of the Eucharist, school Masses for special occasions and feast days, the school comes together as a community of faith.
The school offers a broad-based curriculum within a strong academic tradition for students from year 7 to 11. The school’s good practice in curriculum development and teaching has been recognised by the government, which has awarded the school beacon and training college status. In January 2005 Sacred Heart high was also awarded the status of specialist school for maths and computing - enabling improvements to the curriculum, staffing and facilities.
In the past, the majority of students have been entered for an average of nine GCSEs and the overall pass rate is well above the national average.
In years 7, 8 and 9, students are divided into five mixed ability classes, though in a number of subjects they are taught in sets according to their ability. Smaller groups exist in practical subjects. The mixed ability classes remain students’ social and register groupings until year 11.
Those wishing to follow sixth form courses have the opportunity of attending St Charles sixth form college, which caters for students from Catholic schools in west London. The college provides excellent opportunities for pupils to follow courses which will take them on to university, other colleges or into jobs.
Sacred Heart high school places great emphasis on the welfare and support of individual pupils. Each student has a form tutor and a year head. All encourage personal responsibility and self-discipline. The school looks to parents for support in maintaining high standards of behaviour. All students are expected to complete homework, which is set regularly. It usually involves the continuation and development of work undertaken in classes or preparation for work to follow.
Each student’s abilities, needs and progress are constantly monitored and catered for by the school. Those with learning difficulties receive extra attention and support. At the same time able and well-motivated pupils are given the opportunity to attain their highest potential. All girls are expected to wear school uniform.
The school is proud of its beautiful Victorian building, designed by John Francis Bentley, the architect of Westminster Cathedral. In 1993 the school celebrated its 100th anniversary with a Mass celebrated in the school grounds by the late Cardinal Basil Hume.
The curriculum
Subjects taught in years 7-9 include English, mathematics, science, technology, history, geography, modern foreign languages, art, music, dance, drama, religious studies, physical education and information technology.
In years 10 and 11 all pupils study English, mathematics, science, religious education and a modern foreign language. There is a choice of options from among the following:
French, Spanish, history, geography, drama, art/design, dance, religious studies, further science, music, business studies and technology.
Admissions
The decision to admit pupils to the school is taken by the school’s governing body, in accordance with the school’s admissions policy. All applicants must complete and return by the closing date the Common Application Form provided by their own local authority. They must also complete the school’s supplementary forms. These are available from the school and must be returned to the school by the closing date, together with any necessary supporting documentation. An application for the school cannot be completely processed unless the common application form and any additional forms required by the school are completed and submitted.
All applicants are urged to obtain from the school a full copy of its admissions policy prior to completing an application form. The admissions policy must be read in conjunction with the governors’ explanatory notes as these form part of the admissions policy. Any child with a Statement of Special Educational Need that names this school must, by law, be admitted, without reference to the oversubscription criteria.
In order to preserve the school’s comprehensive character by establishing a balanced intake across the ability range, the school will allocate all candidates into one of three bands by means of a non verbal reasoning test. Admission will be as near as possible to the ratio of 25:50:25 of the national ability range. Once allocated to an ability band, the test result will have no further relevance to the outcome of an application. In the event of oversubscription in any band, it will be the admissions criteria and not the test score which determine whether or not a place is allocated.
Accordingly, in 2012 the school will admit 150 pupils into year 7, divided as follows:
- 37 girls allocated by the school to band 1;
- 76 girls allocated by the school to band 2; and
- 37 girls allocated by the school to band 3.
Girls with statements of special educational needs are allocated to the appropriate band for the purposes of calculating the number of children to be admitted in that band.
The non verbal reasoning test
Prospective pupils must attend to take a non verbal reasoning test, which will take place on Thursday 17 November 2011.
Summarised admissions criteria
If there are more children than places in any band, places within that band will be allocated in accordance with the following criteria:
- Catholic girls in public care (looked after children as defined in section 22 of the Children’s Act 1989).
- Practising Catholic girls from practising Catholic families, who will have a sister within the school at the time of admission.
- Practising Catholic girls from practising Catholic families, who have themselves a significant medical or social need, which can be met by this school rather than any other school.
- Practising Catholic girls from practising Catholic families, for whom formal provision for education in the Catholic faith has been made for the whole of their primary education and for whom there is no closer maintained Catholic secondary school than the Sacred Heart High School.
- Practising Catholic girls from practising Catholic families, for whom formal provision for education in the Catholic faith has been made for the whole of their primary education.
- Other practising Catholic girls from practising Catholic families.
- Catholic girls from Catholic families, who will have a sister within the school at the time of admission.
- Catholic girls from Catholic families, who have themselves a significant medical or social need, which can be met by this school rather than any other school.
- Catholic girls from Catholic families, for whom formal provision for education in the Catholic faith has been made for the whole of their primary education and for whom there is no closer maintained Catholic secondary school than the Sacred Heart High School.
- Catholic girls from Catholic families, for whom formal provision for education in the Catholic faith has been made for the whole of their primary education.
- Other Catholic girls from Catholic families.
- Other Catholic girls.
- Any non-Catholic girls in public care (looked after children as defined in section 22 of the children act 1989).
- Children from families practising other faiths in the following order:
a. the eastern Christian churches (including the Orthodox churches);
b. the Church of England;
c. other Christian denominations;
d. non-Christian faiths. - Any other applicant.
Where the school becomes oversubscribed within any of the above categories, priority will be given to those living nearest to the school. Distance between home and school will be measured using a customised computer road network routing programme, which finds the shortest route from the home address to the school gate. Journeys by car or public transport do not count. For applicants from the same block of flats, or who live the same distance from the school, random selection by the drawing of lots in the presence of an independent witness will be used as the final tie-breaker.
Appeal arrangements
Parents will have the right of appeal to an independent appeal panel if they are refused a place. Parents should contact the school for information on appeal arrangements.
Preference information
734 parents ranked this school as one of their preferences for the September 2011 intake; 150 places were available.
How to find out more about the school:
- Visit the school for an open morning or evening during the autumn term.
- For further information contact the admissions officer at the school.
- Visit the Ofsted website at www.ofsted.gov.uk
Page last updated: 07/09/2011
