Blessed Hugh Faringdon Catholic School
Encyclopedia
Blessed Hugh Faringdon is a Catholic
secondary school
in Reading
in Berkshire
, England
. The school has roughly 806 pupils and nearly 100 teaching staff. The school has International school status, awarded by the British Council
.The school specialises in Art. Blessed Hugh Faringdon is one of the many Catholic
schools in and around Reading.
The school opened its doors in 1958 to 60 pupils and the first Governing Body consisted of 9 people including Canon Murphy, and Fathers Kirk, Collins, O’Malley and Donnelly. The first of the school's Headteachers was appointed, Mr MP Healy, and he stayed for 18 years and set the school on its way. The school celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2008 and has expanded beyond all recognition with a thriving 6th form run in collaboration with Prospect School.
Blessed Hugh Faringdon himself has connections to the Reading area. He was Abbott of the Reading Benedictine Abbey in 1520. He frequently entertained Henry VIII at the Abbey but fell out with the King when he supported the church. He was martyred in 1539 opposite the present St James Church.
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
in Reading
Reading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
in Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The school has roughly 806 pupils and nearly 100 teaching staff. The school has International school status, awarded by the British Council
British Council
The British Council is a United Kingdom-based organisation specialising in international educational and cultural opportunities. It is registered as a charity both in England and Wales, and in Scotland...
.The school specialises in Art. Blessed Hugh Faringdon is one of the many Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
schools in and around Reading.
History
Blessed Hugh Faringdon was founded in the 1950’s by and for the Catholic Community in Reading. £200,000 was raised by the Catholic Community to purchase the land and build the school. The efforts were led by Archbishop John Henry King who cajoled the parishes of Reading to raise money through subscriptions, garden fetes, bazaars and bank loans to make the dream of a Catholic school in Reading a reality.The school opened its doors in 1958 to 60 pupils and the first Governing Body consisted of 9 people including Canon Murphy, and Fathers Kirk, Collins, O’Malley and Donnelly. The first of the school's Headteachers was appointed, Mr MP Healy, and he stayed for 18 years and set the school on its way. The school celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2008 and has expanded beyond all recognition with a thriving 6th form run in collaboration with Prospect School.
Blessed Hugh Faringdon himself has connections to the Reading area. He was Abbott of the Reading Benedictine Abbey in 1520. He frequently entertained Henry VIII at the Abbey but fell out with the King when he supported the church. He was martyred in 1539 opposite the present St James Church.