Saint Cecilia's Church of England School

Saint Cecilia’s is a co-educational comprehensive school for pupils aged 11-18 years in the Diocese of Southwark and the London Borough of Wandsworth. The school is highly successful and well-respected with a proven record of high academic standards taught in a caring, supportive and distinctly Christian environment.

The school respects the unique contribution which every individual can make to the community and seeks to place this contribution within a clear structure which both embraces the highest possible academic aspirations and accepts individual differences in ability, aptitude and level of skills. Saint Cecilia’s is primarily a learning community and its culture of teaching and learning unlocks pupils’ potential for self-fulfilment and prepares them to take their place within adult life as well-rounded responsible and caring people.

At the heart of the school is its Christian foundation, where Jesus Christ is reflected in every aspect of school life. This is true in the relationships we build, the choices we make, the attitudes we adopt and the goals for which we strive, and as a Christian school we are proud to declare that we exist to “Glorify God through Outstanding, Enjoyable Education”.

Our school community is enriched by a committed staff, good discipline and wide range of extra-curricular and enrichment activities aimed at broadening our pupils’ experiences. We pride ourselves on knowing each child personally, thereby enabling us to monitor carefully the all-round development of each child during his or her time with us.

Indeed, we want all pupils to look back on their time at this school as the happiest time of their lives; this is what we strive for day in and day out. Our success is also built on the excellent partnerships developed with parents and carers, through which we can promote the kind of education that enables our pupils to prosper and receive the very best educational opportunities.

Saint Cecilia’s specialises in the teaching and learning of Music and Mathematics. To provide a channel for the development of pupils’ creative and artistic skills, the Governing Body has reserved 10% of places in each year group for pupils showing a particular aptitude for music.

Saint Cecilia’s is a very popular, over-subscribed school of which parents, staff, pupils and the local community are immensely proud.

As a Christian school, we are proud to declare that we exist to ‘Glorify God through outstanding, enjoyable education’. The school values the uniqueness of each individual as a person made in the image of God, entitled to teaching and learning opportunities which will enable him or her to become a confident, competent, caring and self-reliant person, fully prepared for adult life and the world of work in modern Britain.

In order to fulfil its Mission Statement, the school seeks

• To develop the whole child.
• To promote the highest standards of academic achievement, motivation and self-discipline in all pupils.
• To ensure high quality teaching and learning in all subjects and at all key stages.
• To encourage each individual child to develop her or his talents to the full.
• To ensure that everyone is treated equally and with respect.
• To develop in pupils an awareness and appreciation of spiritual, moral, social and cultural values and attitudes.
• To help pupils develop creative, lively and critically enquiring minds and the ability to question and discuss rationally.
• To promote an awareness of our place in, dependency on and respect for the world environment.
• To promote the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.

At Saint Cecilia’s we believe that pupils should enjoy and learn from their everyday experiences, both in and out of school, valuing their school days as part of a process of lifelong learning. Fulfilment grows from a sense of personal achievement and pupils are given the opportunity to participate in a wide range of educational and recreational activities, including decision-making. Teaching is organised to enable pupils to work individually as well as in groups, cooperatively and well as competitively. Assessment of pupils’ work accentuates positive achievement as well as provides direction for future improvement.

Our Mission Statement is Glorifying God through outstanding, enjoyable education. This school will value the uniqueness of each individual as a person made in the image of God, and called to be in relationship with God and with other people. All are entitled to receive the best possible teaching and learning opportunities to enable them to achieve their full potential and to become good citizens of the world.

Programmes of study are broad and balanced in line with the requirements of the National Curriculum. All pupils are encouraged to achieve high standards through steady, determined effort. Extra support is given to very able pupils, and to those who find learning difficult.

In Key Stage 3 (Years 7 – 9) pupils follow a common curriculum. Whilst Year 7 is mostly taught in mixed ability classes, from Year 8 onwards pupils are placed in ability sets for several subjects. In Key Stage 4 (Years 10 and 11) pupils follow a common core of subjects including English, Mathematics, Science, Religious Studies and Physical Education, and then elect to follow several optional subjects leading to GCSE or equivalent certification.