A Brief College prospectus

History

For over 175 years the Brothers of the Sacred Heart have provided high quality education for boys. The aspirations and traditions of the Order are to support parents as their children grow to be young men, by encouraging the growth of their humanity as well as developing academic excellence and an appreciation of the other aspects of the curriculum, moral and spiritual, cultural and physical. The critical approach the College takes to curriculum matters is designed to ensure that boys' multiple intelligences are stimulated and challenged, nurtured and developed.

The College opened in 1939 to meet the need for independent catholic education in St Albans and the Brothers took over responsibility for the enterprise in 1955/6. An extensive building programme followed and continues today, with the recent opening of a sixth form centre and a classroom block for English and Drama.

 

Current

The College currently educates some 840 boys, with 200 in the Prep School, aged 4-11, and 640 in the senior school. The Head Master is a member of HMC (The Headmasters' Conference) and SHMIS (Society of the Heads of Independent Schools) and the governors are in membership of AGBIS (Association of Governing Bodies of Independent Schools). The College is a member of ISC (Independent Schools Council) and is inspected under the terms of the ISI (Independent Schools Inspectorate).

 

Prep and Pre-Prep

The Pre-Prep for boys aged 4-7 is housed within the Prep School and provides a safe atmosphere of learning and care where children are taught to respect each other and to develop in the fullest sense. Classes are small, taught by a team of dedicated, highly qualified and experienced specialists.

The Prep School for boys aged 7-11 has its own independent buildings and facilities. Each boy is valued as unique and teaching concentrates on developing potential, confidence and the abiluity to communicate effectively. Classes remain small, up to a maximum of 24 and each boy has a Form Tutor who is responsible for guiding and helping him to do his best.

 

Senior School

The move to senior school life at 11 is managed by the extension of the House system from the Prep School and each boy has his own tutor who becomes the central point of contact for parents and staff alike as the student settles into the new routines of a more specialised curriculum. Courtesy, courage and compassion, the bedrock of the College rules, are established as the framework within which each student can be confident and from that achieve success, both academically and in other areas. These may include the arts and sport, drama and debate and the wealth of opportunity afforded by the extension learning programme which views all of our students as being gifted and talented.

The House system of the College provides a bedrock of pastoral care in which the role of each boy's House Tutor is central. A pastoral tutor programme is led by each tutor and the student is also supported by individually tailored guidance. The Chaplain and Counsellor also provide another strand of support for students. The philosophy of the College is that of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart and it assists students from their first day to grow in faith in each other and in the wider Faith of the whole community. The chapel is always available for students who wish for quiet reflection and pupils are encouraged to explore questions relating to their own identity, purpose and beliefs. 

 

Summary

The aim of the curriculum is to fit students for their next step as adults in the world. The College's guidance programme complements the pastoral tutor programme in offering support for this from the first year onwards. Almost all of our students move on into higher education at university and the programmes the students experience at the College help them to take responsibility for themselves and to lead others. They also ensure that they are qualified and equipped in the completest sense for the new challenges they face as they shape their careers and lives. Ultimately, the College wishes to enable its alumni able to think for themselves, about others, and express those thoughts in ways that make the world a better place.