St Aidans RC School
Encyclopedia
St Aidan's Catholic School is a voluntary aided boys' comprehensive school situated in the Ashbrooke
area of Sunderland. It caters for boys from ages 11 to 18, providing GCSE and A Level education. Recently it has started to offer GNVQ qualifications as part if its teaching programme. The school was founded by the Christian Brothers
, and is coupled with St. Anthony's Girls School
, its sister school which is located nearby. It is also twinned with St Joseph's Agricultural School In Blama, Sierra Leone
.
St Aidan's has six forms into which each year is divided. These forms are Aquin, Bede, Rice (together they are known as ABR) and Corby, Fisher and More (known as CFM). The school is split into two main buildings: the main school, which caters mainly for boys up to year 11, and the Briery, which provides facilities for the 6th Form.
.’
Canon Smith, then parish priest of St Mary’s in Sunderland, founded St Mary’s Grammar School
at Bede Towers in 1928/29. The building in Burdon Road is a villa in Italianate style originally the home of mayor John Moore. Records show the first schoolmaster, Mr J Goundry, was a layman.
The Jesuits took over the running of the school in 1935 – two years after taking on Ashbrooke Hall as a retreat for local Catholic
men and renaming it Corby Hall.
Ashbrooke Hall, in Ashbrooke Road, had originally been built for glassmaker James Hartley in 1864 by architect Thomas Moore, whose masterpiece was Monkwearmouth Station
.
It later became the home of the Short shipbuilding family, before being taken over by the Jesuits. The original Superior of the teaching staff, and of Corby Hall Retreat House, was Father SJ Whittaker.
The school transferred from Bede Towers to The Briery in Ashbrooke Road in 1936 – previously the home of Mr Craven of Craven Ropery. There was a pedestrian tunnel under the road to gardens opposite which the school later used as a sports ground
The name was then changed to Corby Hall, to avoid confusion with another school.
Further confusion arose, however, between Corby Hall and Corby Hall School, so that “an interchange of letters was necessary after each of the postman’s rounds,” according to Jesuit archives.
Just a year later, in 1937, the name of the school was changed yet again, to Sunderland Catholic College, and in 1939 it became Corby School.
The dedication of both Corby School and Corby Hall recalled, according to the Jesuit archives, the historical association of Sunderland with Father Ralph Corby – who was captured by Puritans in 1644 and hanged.
The name Corby School lasted until 1948, when the Jesuits left and handed it over to the Christian Brothers of Ireland
. It became, and has remained ever since, St Aidans RC School
. St Aidans retained the Briery for use by the sixth form and accessed through the old tunnel from the main school buildings now on the other side of the road
Ashbrooke House was used as a retreat by the Brothers for many years, but was sold off in the 1970s and demolished to make way for flats. St Aidans school uniform can be seen as black blazer with school crest, black trousers, white shirt, school tie yellow and black. St Aidens are also bringing in a new grey sweat shirt worn by boys with their blazers.
Ashbrooke
Ashbrooke is a residential area of Sunderland, North East England directly south and south-west of the city centre.Ashbrooke developed through the Victorian era as Sunderland's first suburb...
area of Sunderland. It caters for boys from ages 11 to 18, providing GCSE and A Level education. Recently it has started to offer GNVQ qualifications as part if its teaching programme. The school was founded by the Christian Brothers
Congregation of Christian Brothers
The Congregation of Christian Brothers is a worldwide religious community within the Catholic Church, founded by Blessed Edmund Rice. The Christian Brothers, as they are commonly known, chiefly work for the evangelisation and education of youth, but are involved in many ministries, especially with...
, and is coupled with St. Anthony's Girls School
St. Anthony's Girls School
St. Anthony's is an all-girls secondary school and sixth form college situated in Sunderland, North East England.-Admission Policy 2010:The Governing Body determines the admissions to St. Anthony's. The criteria for admission reflects the nature of the foundation of the School by the Sisters of...
, its sister school which is located nearby. It is also twinned with St Joseph's Agricultural School In Blama, Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
.
St Aidan's has six forms into which each year is divided. These forms are Aquin, Bede, Rice (together they are known as ABR) and Corby, Fisher and More (known as CFM). The school is split into two main buildings: the main school, which caters mainly for boys up to year 11, and the Briery, which provides facilities for the 6th Form.
A brief history
St Aidan’s school can trace its roots back to the ‘Roaring TwentiesRoaring Twenties
The Roaring Twenties is a phrase used to describe the 1920s, principally in North America, but also in London, Berlin and Paris for a period of sustained economic prosperity. The phrase was meant to emphasize the period's social, artistic, and cultural dynamism...
.’
Canon Smith, then parish priest of St Mary’s in Sunderland, founded St Mary’s 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...
at Bede Towers in 1928/29. The building in Burdon Road is a villa in Italianate style originally the home of mayor John Moore. Records show the first schoolmaster, Mr J Goundry, was a layman.
The Jesuits took over the running of the school in 1935 – two years after taking on Ashbrooke Hall as a retreat for local 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"...
men and renaming it Corby Hall.
Ashbrooke Hall, in Ashbrooke Road, had originally been built for glassmaker James Hartley in 1864 by architect Thomas Moore, whose masterpiece was Monkwearmouth Station
Monkwearmouth Station Museum
Monkwearmouth Station Museum served Monkwearmouth, Sunderland, England. The railway station was closed in March 1967 as a result of the Beeching Axe and featured a restored booking office dating from the Edwardian period....
.
It later became the home of the Short shipbuilding family, before being taken over by the Jesuits. The original Superior of the teaching staff, and of Corby Hall Retreat House, was Father SJ Whittaker.
The school transferred from Bede Towers to The Briery in Ashbrooke Road in 1936 – previously the home of Mr Craven of Craven Ropery. There was a pedestrian tunnel under the road to gardens opposite which the school later used as a sports ground
The name was then changed to Corby Hall, to avoid confusion with another school.
Further confusion arose, however, between Corby Hall and Corby Hall School, so that “an interchange of letters was necessary after each of the postman’s rounds,” according to Jesuit archives.
Just a year later, in 1937, the name of the school was changed yet again, to Sunderland Catholic College, and in 1939 it became Corby School.
The dedication of both Corby School and Corby Hall recalled, according to the Jesuit archives, the historical association of Sunderland with Father Ralph Corby – who was captured by Puritans in 1644 and hanged.
The name Corby School lasted until 1948, when the Jesuits left and handed it over to the Christian Brothers of Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. It became, and has remained ever since, St Aidans RC School
St Aidans RC School
St Aidan's Catholic School is a voluntary aided boys' comprehensive school situated in the Ashbrooke area of Sunderland. It caters for boys from ages 11 to 18, providing GCSE and A Level education. Recently it has started to offer GNVQ qualifications as part if its teaching programme. The school...
. St Aidans retained the Briery for use by the sixth form and accessed through the old tunnel from the main school buildings now on the other side of the road
Ashbrooke House was used as a retreat by the Brothers for many years, but was sold off in the 1970s and demolished to make way for flats. St Aidans school uniform can be seen as black blazer with school crest, black trousers, white shirt, school tie yellow and black. St Aidens are also bringing in a new grey sweat shirt worn by boys with their blazers.
Sport achievements
On 29 November 2006 St Aidans Sixth Form College teamed up with St Anthony’s Sixth Form and entered a tournament aided by Newcastle Eagles and their drive for more basketball in the community. Finishing in 2nd position in the Sunderland schools Basketball competition, losing out to Bede Sixth Form College 63 – 21. The team was composed of six St Anthony’s girls and four St Aidans boys.Notable almuni
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