Established September 1972 Religion Roman Catholic DfE number 896/4603 Gender Mixed-sex education | Headteacher Mr John Murray Phone +44 1244 981600 Founded September 1972 | |
Location Old Wrexham RoadHandbridgeChesterCheshireCH4 7HSEngland Motto Christo Fidelis; (Faithful to Christ) Profiles | ||
Chester catholic high school
Chester Catholic High School or CHS but officially called The Catholic High School, Chester is a coeducational Roman Catholic secondary school and sixth form with academy status, located on the outskirts of Handbridge in Chester, Cheshire, England.
The catchment area of the school expands into Lache and Blacon, with some buses transporting pupils from as far afield as Neston and Frodsham. The school has over 1,000 pupils. The general uniform is a bottle green sweatshirt or polo shirt with black trousers. The current head teacher is John Murray, previous head teachers have included John McCann (acting, 2003–2004), Victoria Ratchford (1994–2003), Christine McCann (no relation to John) and Michael Balfe. The school transferred to the present site in September 1972; previously the school site was occupied by the Overleigh Boys School. In 2006 Ofsted called its Sixth Form "Outstanding". The school's longest serving teacher, Mick McManus, has taught mathematics since the school opened in 1972, a total of 42 years.
Building work was completed in Autumn 2008 and comprised a new building accommodating the Sixth Form and the Performing Arts, along with two new Science laboratories and new office and staffrooms.
The school now has a new Emmaus Building which was built especially for the sixth form is also used for whole school music and drama. It is solar power electricity generated, the water comes from rain water and the drama rooms have underfloor heating. It was officially opened on 12 February 2008 by Russell Cooke, Dean of Chester, standing in for Brian Noble, Roman Catholic Bishop of Shrewsbury.
The school was awarded specialist Science College status in 2003, in addition to being a classified Beacon school. In March 2013 the school converted to academy status.
The school has an arrangement with Chester City FC to use the schools grounds as a training ground for the current first team and youth team squads.
Following consultation the Governing Body of the Catholic High School decided upon a new school uniform in March 2014 coming into effect in September 2014.