It is a privilege to lead St Catherine’s and to welcome you to our school. Its rich heritage is reflected in a community where faith, belonging and ambition meet. The warmth of the community, the strength of the relationships and the genuine affection pupils have for their school are central to St Catherine’s. Every girl’s individual talents and strengths are recognised and encouraged.
Relationships are warm and open, and girls look back on their school days here with joy and fondness. As one girl told me on my first visit, “At St Catherine’s, I can just be myself and not worry.” That matters more than she knew. When girls feel secure in themselves, they are more willing to speak up, take risks, ask questions and aim higher. When girls can be themselves, school becomes a place of joy and lifelong friendships. Confidence is not something we nurture alongside education here; it is at the heart of it.
Girls at St Catherine’s make exceptional progress. Value Added measures achievement against each pupil’s individual starting point, and St Catherine’s ranks among the top 1-2% nationally. Girls are known as individuals, challenged and supported to go further than they might have thought possible.
Our girls are curious, engaged and ambitious, but their ambitions are as individual as they are. We want them to achieve highly, but also to develop independence, judgement, integrity and the confidence to make their own mark on the world.
I believe strongly in the power of an all-girls’ education. At St Catherine’s, girls take every seat in the classroom and hold every leadership role. Here, there are no “boy subjects” or “girl subjects” – only opportunities. They learn to use their voices, to question, debate and lead, and to see no subject or ambition as beyond them.
By Sixth Form, pupils play a vital role in school life, mentoring younger girls, leading Houses and committees, and helping to shape the wider community. We allow young people to grow and develop into future leaders of integrity and compassion by asking them to take the reins right here, right now.
Our Catholic ethos is central to who we are. Our values of love, respect and service shape the way we live and learn together. Our motto, Not Words, but Deeds, reminds us that the character of a school is seen not in what it says about itself, but in what we all experience every day in our classrooms, corridors and relationships.
We have a strong leadership team, with clear priorities and a shared ambition to build on the school’s strengths. I do not believe a school should try to be all things to all people. We know what matters here: high expectations, excellent teaching, strong and supportive relationships and a community in which girls have the confidence to be themselves and the ambition to achieve their best.
Choosing a school is deeply personal, so my advice to prospective parents is simple: come and have a look. Meet the girls, talk to our staff and see the school in action. A website can tell you a great deal, but you only really understand a school when you walk through its doors.
I very much hope you will come and experience St Catherine’s for yourself. I look forward to meeting you and working together to help your daughter flourish.
Andrew McCleave
Head
