Blessed William Howard Catholic High School - Prospectus 2024-25

Blessed William Howard
Catholic High School
Our mission is to develop in a Love of God, Love of People,
Love of Learning, Love of Life.

Mission Statement
In this school we commit ourselves to Catholic
education. We dedicate ourselves to the
continuing development of the whole person.
Our mission is to lead each person towards a
fulfilled life founded on Christ’s teaching of love
and respect for one another and to hand on
his promise of a life to come.
We work together with home and parish to
make a difference to the lives of the young
people entrusted to us.
Our mission is to develop in a
Love of God, Love of People,
Love of Learning, Love of Life.

Your child’s future at
Blessed William Howard
Catholic High School
A welcome from the Principal, Mr K J Brown.
As the Executive Principal, I am proud and honoured to welcome you
to Blessed William Howard Catholic High School. Our school welcomes
all students into a happy and thriving learning community, with a real
commitment and strength in working in partnership. I take the trust that
you, as parents, place in me to care, guide and educate your child very
seriously.
We are delighted to be the top performing non-selective secondary
school in Stafford in terms of student progress. As a Catholic high
school, we offer a unique education which places Christ at the centre
of everything we do and helps us to secure strong learning foundations
throughout the school.
At Blessed William Howard, we expect everyone to respect each other
and work together. We believe students have the right to a safe and
enjoyable education in a positive, disciplined and caring environment.
This presents every child with a challenge to be the best person they can
be, reach their academic potential and realise their dreams.
Blessed William Howard provides:
- a caring, secure and disciplined learning environment;
- a focus on high academic performance;
- exceptional student pastoral support;
- a wide range of extra-curricular activities;
- commitment to success for all;
- an opportunity to join a school with outstanding Catholic Life and
Collective Worship (S48 Inspection 2022).
- a learning environment dedicated to developing communication
skills to enhance spiritual development, life chances and
opportunities for all.
I would be delighted to take you on a tour of the school and talk through
the exciting opportunities we can offer your child. Please contact us
and we can arrange for a suitable time for you to visit. If you require any
support with the application process we will be happy to help.
Mr K J Brown BSc (Hons) PGCE NPQH
Executive Principal

Students play an active role in the religious life of the school, saying
daily prayers, taking part in assemblies, attending special Masses and
other liturgical/spiritual events. The Chaplain and Lay Chaplain have a
particular pastoral responsibility for all students.
There is an obvious nurturing ethos within our school. Staff and students
show mutual admiration and respect for each other, resulting in a very
positive atmosphere around the school.
Each half term we focus on a Gospel Value and a Catholic Social
Teaching principle. Students learn about and act upon these principles
in every subject area across the curriculum, as well as in our Prayer and
Liturgy.
“The school motto ‘Love
of God, Love of People,
Love of Learning and
Love of Life’ permeates
throughout all aspects
of life.”
- Ofsted Inspection 2024
Ofsted Inspectors visited our school in May 2024 and judged us as a good
and improving school. They noted in their report that:
“Pupils are proud to be part of this inclusive school.”
“Pupils feel cared for and safe when they are at school.”
(Ofsted Inspection, 2024)
You can see the full report on the school website:
https://www.bwh.staffs.sch.uk/Our-School/Ofsted/
There is a relentless focus to improve the experience learners have of all
subjects and extra-curricular opportunities due to the drive by leaders and
staff to deliver the very best they can for their students.
Retreats
One of the other advantages of BWH is our belief that every child,
regardless of religion, should be given the chance to experience a
residential retreat.
Retreats allow our children time out from everyday life, providing
opportunities for reflection on spiritual matters to learn more about
themselves and others. Great for team and confidence building, our
students really get a lot out of these experiences.
Can we apply if we are non-Catholic?
We welcome applications from all who share our vision and values and
wish for their children to experience a faith-based education.

Love of God
The Catholic Life
Of The School

“The careers
programme is a
strength of the
school and further
prepares pupils for
their next steps.”
- Ofsted Inspection 2024

Love of People
Character Education
Character Education is the way in which we help students
in their personal development and includes the Catholic
Life of the School, Relationship and Sex Education, Health
Education, Careers and Information Guidance and
Citizenship.
At BWH, and throughout all schools in our multi-academy,
in each half term we focus on a Gospel Value, a Catholic
Social Teaching principle, a character focus and a British
Value. For example, in the first half of the last Summer
Term our focus was on “Tolerance, Respect to others and
Promoting Peace.” Students learn about and act upon
these principles and values in every subject area across
the curriculum, as well as in our Prayer and Liturgy. This
truly helps students to develop in a Love of God, People,
Learning and Life.
The school calendar is packed with curricular and extracurricular
opportunities. We have been awarded the Arts
Mark Gold Award and recognised as a National Citizenship
Centre of Excellence. There is an outstanding programme
of musical groups and events throughout the year,
culminating in many prestigious awards.
Personalised Learning
All students follow a broad and balanced curriculum
which will enhance their prospects for success and provide
them with opportunities to progress to the next stage of
their learning. Our curriculum prepares students for lifelong
learning and for the opportunities, responsibilities
and challenges of life in the 21st Century. All students are
placed in ability sets, which provide both challenge and
support. Each one of our students is expected to do their
best and all achievements are recognised in a positive
way through the extensive arrangements for monitoring
individual progress. Teachers respond flexibly to the needs
of students because of their capacity to assess how well
pupils understand the lesson, using a blend of innovative
and traditional teaching methods.
Catholic Relationship and Sex Education (RSE)
Our curriculum for RSE is founded upon Christian Values
and the teaching of the Catholic Church. The inclusion
of positive, person-centred education is at the heart of
Catholic Christian education and this is essentially about
the development, growth and journey of the whole person
towards becoming “fully human, fully alive” as a unique
creation made in God’s image (Genesis 1:26).
Following the guidance of the Bishops of England and Wales
and as advocated by the DfE, RSE is firmly embedded in
the PSHE framework as it is concerned with nurturing human
wholeness and is integral to the physical, spiritual, emotional,
moral, social and intellectual development of pupils.
All RSE is in accordance with the Church’s moral teaching.
It emphasises the central importance of marriage and
the family whilst acknowledging that all pupils have a
fundamental right to have their life respected whatever
household they come from and support is provided to help
pupils respect and engage with different sets of values.
Extra-Curricular Activities
Our extra-curricular programme includes the Duke of
Edinburgh Award scheme, as well as numerous clubs, and
gives students the chance to complement and extend
their education. Activities range from sports and hobbies to
community work. We are justifiably proud of our successes in
sport and offer local, national and international trips for our
students to participate in.
Charity
BWH prides itself on creating a school ethos with
relationships and community at its heart. As part of this,
we actively encourage all students to get involved in
fundraising activities for local, national and international
charities.
By embedding this into the culture of the school, each year
we see a growing number of students with the confidence
to come forward with their own fundraising ideas. Seeing
these ideas through to fruition involves determination,
planning, negotiation, hard work and risk taking. However,
the elation students experience when they succeed and
the pride they feel when they realise the impact they have
made are immense.

Careers Education
Careers Education is a priority at Blessed
William Howard. Our overarching aim is to
encourage all students at our school to consider
the next stage in their career journey through
engagement with a high quality and stable
careers programme from Year 7 right through to
Year 13.
Every student will have multiple opportunities to
learn from employers about work, employment
and the skills that are valued in the workplace.
This is delivered through a range of enrichment
activities, including visiting speakers, mentoring
and enterprise schemes, as well as careers
fairs. All teachers link their classroom learning
to careers throughout your child’s education,
helping them to understand the relevance of
their learning.
Curriculum
At Blessed William Howard all students follow a
three-year Key Stage 3 which complies with the
National Curriculum requirements. Students then
follow an academic curriculum that includes
mathematics, English, science - including triple
science for the most able - a language, and
a humanities subject, together with option
choices. Each child is regularly assessed in all
subjects to ensure that they develop excellent
revision techniques. It also allows us to set
ambitious targets, recognise achievements and
provide support where necessary.
The School Day
The school day starts with children arriving
before 8.40am so that they can be ready in
their Form Tutor groups by this time. Form Tutor
time is an interactive session for prayer and
activities with a tutor who is the first link between
parents and school. Parents are encouraged
to maintain regular contact with the Form Tutor
and Blessed William Howard is proud of the
supportive and caring atmosphere we provide
for our students.
Form time is followed by five lessons and the
school day finishes at 3.20pm. Students are
expected to remain on the premises for the
whole day.
Post-16
We have a purpose-built Sixth Form Centre
which combines social space and domestic
facilities, with a quiet study area and a
computer room.
Blessed William Howard is a member of the
Stafford Sixth Form Partnership, providing
access to a much wider range of courses and
qualifications. Our aim is to accommodate
our students on appropriate courses and to
maintain the pastoral care and enrichment
which we consider to be a strength of our
school. Where students wish to study subjects
off site, our co-operation within the Stafford Sixth
Form Partnership will facilitate this. Please ask for
a copy of our latest Sixth Form Prospectus.
You can find out more about the partnership by
visiting their website:
www.staffordsixthformpartnership.co.uk
Love of Learning
Outstanding

“Pupils are provided
with a high-quality
education…
pupils exceed
expectations.”
- Ofsted Inspection 2024

Love of Life
Partnership
Learning
At Blessed William Howard we
provide individualised support for
students with additional needs.
For example, students with Special
Educational Needs receive inclass
support and/or withdrawal
from classes where appropriate.
Our Special Educational Needs
Co-ordinator and the SEND team
work very closely with parents and
external agencies.
We provide challenging
opportunities and enrichment
activities for all of our students.
Student performance is monitored
closely and regular meetings are
held to agree goals and individual
student learning passports.
Homework is set according
to a schedule on a software
package called ‘Show My
Homework’/‘Satchel One’, allowing
students and parents to access
tasks online.
Progress
We make the transition from
primary to Blessed William Howard
as secure and happy as possible.
We go to great lengths to get to
know you and your child, even
before before they join us, and
arrange many induction events
throughout the primary years.
Parents work in partnership with
the school to support their child’s
education and enter into a
Home/School Agreement at the
beginning of Year 7. This sums up
our intention to work together
so that each student can gain
maximum benefit from their time
here. Regular bulletins, frequent
newsletters, a text messaging
service and a calendar of
events are important forms of
communication. Parents receive
regular reports on their child’s
progress and there are parents’
evenings held once a year
during, which parents can liaise
with subject teachers and help
formulate targets for future success.
Blessed William Howard places
a great deal of importance on
attendance. We operate a firstday
contact system for absence
- if a child is not in school, parents
are required to telephone in the
morning or they will be contacted
by the School Office. Parents
are expected to avoid taking
their children out of school for
appointments and annual holidays
are not permitted in term time.
Pride - School Uniform
We believe that a smart and
distinctive uniform, worn neatly
and tidily, helps to instil pride and
a sense of loyalty to the school
and is an essential element in
ensuring that Blessed William
Howard continues to enjoy a high
reputation in the local community.
Ultimately, it is also both practical
and economical.
One of the many advantages of
uniform is that it makes it quite
clear to all concerned that
each of our students belongs to
one community: Blessed William
Howard. It is this unity which helps
to make the attitude and cooperation
inside the school very
special and also impresses so many
people who visit and know about
Blessed William Howard. Correct
uniform is firmly enforced, both
at school and as students arrive
or leave the premises. We rely on
parents to help us maintain these
high standards.
Encouraging the best
behaviour and maintaining
clear codes of conduct is a vital
factor in providing a secure
environment. Of course, students
are required to demonstrate
the utmost respect towards
staff, each other and property.
Our Attendance and Rewards
and Sanctions Policy is a fair
and easily understood system
which underpins our school ethos.

“Staff take the time
to build positive
relationships with
pupils and pupils
appreciate this.”
- Ofsted Inspection 2024

Blessed William Howard
Catholic High School
Rowley Avenue | Stafford | Staffordshire | ST17 9AB
01785 244 236 office@bwh.staffs.sch.uk
www.bwh.staffs.sch.uk
Blessed William Howard is part of The Painsley Catholic Academy, a Company limited by
guarantee, registered in England & Wales with company number 08146661.
Registered office address: Station Road, Cheadle, Staffordshire, ST10 1LH.
Designed and produced by MBDM Limited. Web: www.thecreativeagency.marketing