St. Michael's Catholic Grammar School
Encyclopedia
St. Michael's Catholic Grammar School is a Voluntary aided, Catholic
Grammar School
for girls, situated in North Finchley, London
. The school was founded in 1908, when it became the first Roman Catholic school in Finchley. It was founded by, and is now under the trusteeship of, the Congregation of the Sisters of the Poor Child Jesus
. Formerly known as St. Michael's Convent, it became a Voluntary-Aided Grammar School in September 1958. Its current headmistress is Miss Ursula Morrissey.
by The Times
, The Independent
, The Guardian
, The Daily Telegraph
& The Evening Standard.
The school had the highest value added score among among English Catholic secondary schools in 2003, and is oversubscribed. All applicants to the school must complete four exams in English, Mathematics, Verbal reasoning and Non Verbal Reasoning; places are awarded to the top 96 girls.
Pupils have a choice of either Design/Food/Graphics Technology as well as Dance/Physical Education. Since the school has recently become a Language College, the choice of language options has increased to offer Mandarin Chinese and Japanese.
St. Michael's collaborates with nearby Finchley Catholic High School
(a boys school) to offer an extensive range of subjects ranging from the usual taught at KS3 and KS4. This collaboration has meant both schools have the most subjects to offer its pupils in Sixth Form, in North London. Some of these subjects include Photography, Music Technology, Classical Civilisation, Politics, Economics, Dance, Performing Arts, Business Studies, Physiology, Sociology, Accountancy and much more. As well as the pupil's chosen subjects, the school strongly recommends to take General Studies as an additional A level. Unlike most schools in London, which offer their pupils the choice of taking up to 4/5 A Levels, St. Michael's offers its pupils the choice of up to 6.
who quelled the rebellion of Lucifer
. It also contributes to the cost of the uniform, which was sold only in Harrods
until very recently and now Pullens.
praising St. Michael the Archangel, protector and defender of the faith. It is always sung on St. Michael's Day and at various key stage certificate assemblies along with the school prayer.
Here is the first part:
is the most important day of the academic year at St. Michael's. Here the whole school, pupils and staff, join in celebration of mass in the school hall with a liturgy of music and drama. After mass, free ice cream is given out to its pupils and staff in celebration of St. Michael the Archangel.
Mass is not only celebrated on St. Michael’s Day but liturgies are prepared on the Holy Days of Obligation found in the Catholic Calendar; as well as on the last days of term, part of St. Michael's Catholic ethos along with prayers said daily, and Mass weekly by the school's chaplain, Father John Ball, who has been the chaplain since the 1970s. It is known that the Sisters of the Poor Child Jesus prayed for the school not to be bombed during the Blitz in World War II and the school indeed was spared even though all surrounding areas were heavily bombed.
The staff assembly takes place on the last school assembly before the term breaks for Christmas. It is here that the staff organise an assembly for its pupils, either a talent show or a mini pantomime. Many events are organised throughout the year organised by the staff or various committees. An example includes the Cultural and Charity Committee who organise the traditional "Ireland v. The Rest of the World" netball match played by the staff on St. Patrick's Day, with all monies raised going to charity.
St Michael's celebrated their centenary on September 28, 2008, the day before St Michael's Day. The Duke of Gloucester was invited to the school to mark the centenary with the opening of the new sports hall.
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"...
Grammar School
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
for girls, situated in North Finchley, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. The school was founded in 1908, when it became the first Roman Catholic school in Finchley. It was founded by, and is now under the trusteeship of, the Congregation of the Sisters of the Poor Child Jesus
Sisters of the Poor Child Jesus
The Sisters of the Poor Child Jesus is a Roman Catholic female religious congregation, founded at Aachen in 1844 for the support and education of poor, orphan, and destitute children, especially girls...
. Formerly known as St. Michael's Convent, it became a Voluntary-Aided Grammar School in September 1958. Its current headmistress is Miss Ursula Morrissey.
Ofsted reviews
- St. Michael's is a high achieving school where relationships are excellent. The pupils are happy and well cared for morally, socially and spiritually. The school’s national reputation in the Catholic community is justifiably high. (OfstedOfstedThe Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills is the non-ministerial government department of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools In England ....
, 1995)
- St. Michael's is an exceptional school; which is outstandingly effective because of its excellent leadership, management, teaching and learning (OfstedOfstedThe Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills is the non-ministerial government department of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools In England ....
, 2005)
Academic success
Every year the school does exceptionally well in the league tables and many pupils are offered places at prestigious universities such as Oxford, Cambridge,UCL and Imperial College. The school has been identified as a top Grammar School for A levels and GCSEGeneral Certificate of Secondary Education
The General Certificate of Secondary Education is an academic qualification awarded in a specified subject, generally taken in a number of subjects by students aged 14–16 in secondary education in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and is equivalent to a Level 2 and Level 1 in Key Skills...
by The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
, The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
, The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
& The Evening Standard.
The school had the highest value added score among among English Catholic secondary schools in 2003, and is oversubscribed. All applicants to the school must complete four exams in English, Mathematics, Verbal reasoning and Non Verbal Reasoning; places are awarded to the top 96 girls.
St. Michael's curriculum
The girls study Religious Education, English, Mathematics, Information Communication Technology, Latin, French, German, Spanish, Italian, History, Geography, Science, Music, Art, Physical Education, Drama, Technology and Education for Living with Citizenship. The pupils carry on their selected 11 GCSE subjects to Key Stage Four.Pupils have a choice of either Design/Food/Graphics Technology as well as Dance/Physical Education. Since the school has recently become a Language College, the choice of language options has increased to offer Mandarin Chinese and Japanese.
St. Michael's collaborates with nearby Finchley Catholic High School
Finchley Catholic High School
Finchley Catholic High School for Boys is in North Finchley, part of the London Borough of Barnet.-Admissions:Finchley Catholic High School is, as its name declares, a faith school; it is also - up to the end of Year 11 - exclusively for boys...
(a boys school) to offer an extensive range of subjects ranging from the usual taught at KS3 and KS4. This collaboration has meant both schools have the most subjects to offer its pupils in Sixth Form, in North London. Some of these subjects include Photography, Music Technology, Classical Civilisation, Politics, Economics, Dance, Performing Arts, Business Studies, Physiology, Sociology, Accountancy and much more. As well as the pupil's chosen subjects, the school strongly recommends to take General Studies as an additional A level. Unlike most schools in London, which offer their pupils the choice of taking up to 4/5 A Levels, St. Michael's offers its pupils the choice of up to 6.
School uniform
The school has a distinctive purple uniform, which is the colour of the St. Michael’s flower, the Michaelmas Daisy. This royal purple symbolises the status of St. Michael as the archangelArchangel
An archangel is an angel of high rank. Archangels are found in a number of religious traditions, including Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Michael and Gabriel are recognized as archangels in Judaism and by most Christians. Michael is the only archangel specifically named in the Protestant Bible...
who quelled the rebellion of Lucifer
Lucifer
Traditionally, Lucifer is a name that in English generally refers to the devil or Satan before being cast from Heaven, although this is not the original meaning of the term. In Latin, from which the English word is derived, Lucifer means "light-bearer"...
. It also contributes to the cost of the uniform, which was sold only in Harrods
Harrods
Harrods is an upmarket department store located in Brompton Road in Brompton, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London. The Harrods brand also applies to other enterprises undertaken by the Harrods group of companies including Harrods Bank, Harrods Estates, Harrods Aviation and Air...
until very recently and now Pullens.
School song
The school song Dux Michael is sung in LatinLatin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
praising St. Michael the Archangel, protector and defender of the faith. It is always sung on St. Michael's Day and at various key stage certificate assemblies along with the school prayer.
Here is the first part:
- O heros invincibilis, Dux Michael!!
- Adesto nostris praeliis, ora pro nobis.
- Pugna pro nobis, pugna pro nobis,
- Dux Michael.
Committees and clubs
In Year 12, a husting takes place to elect the Head Girl and her two Deputies at St. Michael's. As well as this, several committees and clubs are set up according to the interests of the girls, which vary each year. The pupils are welcome to start their own club or committee along with the help of Year 12 pupils and the permission of the headmistress. Some of the committees and clubs this year include Athletics, Art, Book, Charity, Chess, Junior Choir (Years 7 and 8), Senior Choir (Years 9 to 13), Drama, Environmental Committee, Animal Rights Committee, Cultural, Debate, English, Fair Trade, Hockey, Italian Film, Japanese, Justice and Peace, Language, Library, Magazine, Mandarin Chinese, Netball, Orchestra, Poetry, Prom, Spanish Film and Year Book.School events
St. Michael's DayMichaelmas
Michaelmas, the feast of Saint Michael the Archangel is a day in the Western Christian calendar which occurs on 29 September...
is the most important day of the academic year at St. Michael's. Here the whole school, pupils and staff, join in celebration of mass in the school hall with a liturgy of music and drama. After mass, free ice cream is given out to its pupils and staff in celebration of St. Michael the Archangel.
Mass is not only celebrated on St. Michael’s Day but liturgies are prepared on the Holy Days of Obligation found in the Catholic Calendar; as well as on the last days of term, part of St. Michael's Catholic ethos along with prayers said daily, and Mass weekly by the school's chaplain, Father John Ball, who has been the chaplain since the 1970s. It is known that the Sisters of the Poor Child Jesus prayed for the school not to be bombed during the Blitz in World War II and the school indeed was spared even though all surrounding areas were heavily bombed.
The staff assembly takes place on the last school assembly before the term breaks for Christmas. It is here that the staff organise an assembly for its pupils, either a talent show or a mini pantomime. Many events are organised throughout the year organised by the staff or various committees. An example includes the Cultural and Charity Committee who organise the traditional "Ireland v. The Rest of the World" netball match played by the staff on St. Patrick's Day, with all monies raised going to charity.
St Michael's celebrated their centenary on September 28, 2008, the day before St Michael's Day. The Duke of Gloucester was invited to the school to mark the centenary with the opening of the new sports hall.
Notable Alumnae
- Natasha CollinsNatasha CollinsNatasha Louise Collins was an English actress and model.-Career:Educated at St. Michael's Catholic Grammar School in Finchley, north London, she initially worked as a model, and was still represented by Ugly Rage Models at the time of her death...
, children's TV presenter - Lisa JewellLisa JewellLisa Jewell is a popular British author of chick lit fiction. Her books include Ralph's Party, Thirtynothing, After The Party, a sequel to Ralph's Party, and most recently The Making Of Us....
, author - Jill Paton WalshJill Paton WalshJill Paton Walsh, CBE, FRSL is an English novelist and children's writer.Born as Gillian Bliss and educated at St. Michael's Convent, North Finchley, London, she read English Literature at St Anne's College, Oxford...
, author