Head’s Welcome

I would like to offer a personal welcome to the Notre Dame High School web site. We hope you find the site interesting and that you are able to access the information you require.

Notre Dame High School is a lively, Catholic Academy with a very special, warm ethos which is recognised by all who visit. In recent years it has been at the forefront of new approaches to teaching and learning. It has been recognised as a high performing school since 1994 in both its OfSTED outcomes and the various awards it has been given. In 2011 the school was recognised as one of the first 100 Teaching Schools nationally and became an Academy in 2012. In keeping with our community aspect, the Teaching School provides a wide range of services in curriculum and management development support and in the ICT field, which includes training from beginner to advanced levels. We believe we are very fortunate to be able to work with young people, and our mission is to ensure that each of our students is valued as a unique individual, and that they know that they belong to a family, which bases itself on Gospel values.

A Proud History: The Sisters of Notre Dame

As well as being proud of our technological advances we are also extremely proud of our history and the continuing links with the Sisters of Notre Dame, who are still represented on the school’s governing body. The values and traditions which they established are at the heart of the school’s continuing development. We consider ourselves to be very fortunate to have members of staff and students, who act as archivists and who spend time collecting and classifying historical papers and artefacts about the school, so that we do not lose that history.

Outstanding Reports for an Outstanding School

Our school has received four OFSTED reports. The most recent was 2008 and you can access the report if you click here: OFSTED Website. As in the 2005 inspection the school was judged to be outstanding in each of the 51 judgements, and is a just reward for the efforts of students, staff, parents and Governors. Following the inspection in 2000, Notre Dame High School was named as an ‘outstanding’ school in the annual report of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspection of Schools. In 2005 and in 2008 it was identified as a High Performing School.

Reflection, Prayer and Worship

As a Catholic school we are particularly conscious of the need to create opportunities for reflection, prayer and worship. Each day begins and ends with prayer and the celebration of Eucharist is central to the life of the school. As the founder of our school St. Julie Billiart said 150 years ago “In schools teach whatever is necessary to equip the students for life” and this is still our aim today.

D. Cleary

Headteacher
cherished web