St John Fisher Catholic High School, Peterborough

St. John Fisher RC School
Address
Reeves Way (Temporary Location) Peterborough , Cambridgeshire England
Information
Type	Secondary school
Motto	"I have come that they may have life and have it to the full"
Established	1956
Local authority	Peterborough Unitary Authority
Head teacher	Mr. Sean Hayes
Gender	Coeducational
Age	11 to 18
Website	http://www.stjohnfisherschool.org.uk

St. John Fisher RC School is situated in the city of Peterborough and is the only catholic school in the Cambridgeshire county. For many years the school stood on the Park Lane site but over the last year has moved into a site on Reeves Way; home to the former Hereward Community College as the old site now undergoes a major transformation aimed to improve the school's facilities and modernize its outdated infrastructure. The site is now beginning to take shape and is expected to be ready by March 2009.

The School Prayer

The school prayer is said at the start of everday and is a huge part of St. John Fisher RC School life;

Thank you, O God, for another day Help me to spend it wisely and to spend it well. Grant that everything I do today may be done as well as I can do it. Grant that everyone I meet may be happier for the meeting. Keep me all through today conscientious in my work; truthful in my speaking; loyal to all my friends and faithful to those who love me, through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen

Sixth Form

Students are required to have obtained at least 5 GCSE grades from A* to C in order to take up any A level course at the school's dedicated sixth form. However, students who do not meet this criterium are given the opportunity to take up a BTEC course instead which lasts for one year.

A Level subjects offered are St. John Fisher School are as follows;

• Art and Design
• Drama and Theatre Studies
• Biology
• Business Studies: Team Peterborough - Ken stimpson Community School
• Chemistry
• Classical Civilisation
• ICT: Team Peterborough - The Voyager School
• English Literature
• French
• General Studies
• Geography: Team Peterborough - Ken Stimpson Community School
• History
• Mathematics
• Music
• PhysicsTeam Peterborough - The Voyager School/Ken Stimpson Community School
• Product Design: Team Peterborough - The Voyager School
• Psychology
• Religious Studies
• Sociology
• Sports StudiesTeam Peterborough - Ken Stimpson Community School
• Textiles

• BTEC ICT
• BTEC Business Studies: Team Peterborough - Ken Stimpson Community School

The School Leadership Team

The school's leadership team consists of the Head Boy, the Head Girl and their deputies all of whom are voted into office by members of the sixth form, year 11 and by school staff. The Leadership Team play an important role in the school from chairing the school council to representing the school at various programmes.

The Leadership Team for the academic year 2007/2008 is as follows;

• Head Boy: Shanwayne Stevens
• Head Girl: Megan O' Neil
• Deputy Head Boy : Michael McCarthy
• Deputy Head Boy : William Cook
• Deputy Head Boy : Princeton Palmer
• Deputy Head Girl: Natalie Witewood

2008 GCSE & A Level Results

These results are for the exams taken place during summer 2008. The summer 2009 exam results are schedule to be released inAugust 2009.

The percentage of pupils picking up five or more A* to C grades was 33 per cent - down on 44 per cent last year. And those including English and maths among those grades numbered 19.5 per cent, down on 30 per cent in 2007.

The A Level pass rate droped from 97% to 87%.

The GCSE results were the worst results in St. John Fisher RC School history.

Recent Instability

In May 2008, The Evening Telegraph reported that some Polish students at the school were being bullied and that nothing was done about it. Following these allegations, the LEA wrote to the school advising it to take appropriate measures to rectify the situation. Shortly afterwards it was announced that there would be an OFSTED inspection of the school.

In the report that followed, the school was heavily criticised for "failing its students", especially those whose first language was not English. The sixth form however fared well in the inspection obtaining a "Good" score but the OFSTED inspectors were convinced to put the school under "special measures". Thus, following growing pressure from the LEA, parents of pupils at the school and the media, the headteacher Ms. Mary Milhovilovic resigned. The board of governors was disbanded and a new Interim Executive Board backed by OFSTED took over and appointed a new Executive Headteacher in Mr. Sean Hayes. Mr. Hayes held office as headteacher of a catholic school in Ipswich and is reputed to have experience in bringing schools out of special measures.

Mr. Hayes in his address to the school assembly before the end of term stated “My priority is to begin the process of moving the school forward out of special measures, but I will also be preparing for the move into our new building and the celebrations for the 50th anniversary of the school.”