St. Michael's Catholic Grammar School

Infobox UK school
name = St. Michael's Catholic Grammar School


size =
latitude = 51.6144
longitude = -0.1805
dms =
motto = "Quis Ut Deus" (Who is like God)
motto_pl =
established = 1908
c_approx =
type = voluntary aided, grammar
religion = Roman Catholic
head_label = Headmistress
head = Miss U.M. Morrissey
r_head_label = Chaplain
r_head = Father John Ball
chair_label = Chair of Governors
chair = Mr. B. Hartigan
founder = Sisters of the Poor Child Jesus
founder_pl = Founders
specialist = Languages
specialist_pl =
street = Nether Street
city = Finchley
county = Barnet
country = flagicon|England England
postcode = N12 7NJ
LEA = Barnet
ofsted = 101361
staff =
enrollment = c.750 students
gender = Girls
colours = color box|Purple Purple
website = http://www.st-michaels.barnet.sch.uk/
website_name = www.st-michaels.barnet.sch.uk

St. Michael's Catholic Grammar School is a Voluntary aided, Catholic Grammar School for girls, situated in North Finchley, London. It's the only traditional Catholic Grammar School in the country. The school was founded in 1908 and is 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. The school is characterised by excellent exam results, commitment to education outside the classroom and its strong Catholic ethos.

'The prime aim of the school is the formation of responsible and committed Catholic citizens. It seeks to encourage the highest standards in academic achievement, social responsibility and personal development in a specifically Catholic environment.' St. Michaels Catholic Grammar School Website

'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.’ Ofsted 1995

‘St. Michael’s is an exceptional school; which is outstandingly effective because of its excellent leadership, management, teaching and learning’ Ofsted 2005

Academic success

St. Michaels is knownWho|date=April 2008 as the best Catholic school in the country, working to support and encourage its pupils so that every one of the girls fulfils her potential. Every year the school does exceptionally well in the league tables and many pupils are offered places at prestige universities such as Oxford and CambridgeFact|date=April 2008.

It is identified as a top Grammar School for A levels and GCSE by The Times, The Independent, The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph & Evening Standard - August 2006.

The school is the 'First among Catholic secondary schools in the country’ (Westminster Education Service 2003) and the school is oversubscribed. All applicants to the school must complete four exams renownedWho|date=April 2008 for their notorious difficulty in English, Mathematics, Verbal reasoning and Non Verbal Reasoning; places are awarded to the top 96 girls. The number of applicants sitting the exams often exceeds 500Fact|date=April 2008.

t. 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. As well as English, the pupils study English Literature. The 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 Catholic Grammar School collaborates with nearby Finchley Catholic High School for boys, 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, St. Michaels offers its pupils the choice of taking up 6 A levels, compared to other schools, who offer up to 4/5 A levels.

t. Michael's traditions

chool uniform

St. Michaels is generally knownFact|date=December 2007in its area and for its famous purple uniform. The uniform got its colour from the St. Michael’s purple flower, the Michaelmas Daisy, Aster (genus). It symbolises the importance of St. Michaels and grandness with this royal colour. The colour adds to the cost of the uniform, which was sold only in Harrods until very recently and now Pullens, which has been reported in the media.Fact|date=December 2007 The purple continues, not only in the winter uniform but also the summer uniform and the P.E kit. St. Michaels has a strict uniform policy including skirts at knee-length or below, the school black coat and the summer uniform to be worn on specific term times noted on the school calendar.

chool song

The school song ‘Dux Michael’ is sung in Latin praising, St. Michael the Archangel protector and defender of the faith. It is always sung on St. Michael’s Day and at various 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. Michaels. 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, Choir (Junior - Years 7 and 8), Choir (Senior - Years 9 to 13), 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.

chool events

St. Michaels Day is the most important day of the academic year at St. Michaels. 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 (a popular tradition) 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 on 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 - in the school chapel. 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 their prayers were answered, even though all surrounding areas were heavily bombed, St. Michael’s miraculously wasn’t. A memorial is set for the Congregation at the Grange.

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 fun events are organised throughout the year organised by the staff or various committees for a good cause. 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 money raised going to charity.

St Michael's celebrated their centenary on 28th september 2008, the day before St Michael's day.

Notable Alumnae

*Lisa Jewell, author
*Jill Paton Walsh, author
*Natasha Collins, children's TV presenter

External links

* [http://www.st-michaels.barnet.sch.uk/ St. Michael's Catholic Grammar School website]
* [http://finchleycatholic.org.uk/ Finchley Catholic High School website]